2008 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster review
11 Dec, 2007
16 Comments 
The pièce de résistance comes in the form of the braking package. No matter how hard you stomp on the anchors or how often you stomp on the anchors, there is always bite and rarely changes in pedal feel. This is thanks to the radial-mounted 4-pot monobloc calipers and 355mm front and 330mm rear ventilated and grooved steel discs.
Our V8 Vantage Roadster test vehicle was fitted with Aston Martin’s renowned SportShift automated-manual gearbox. At full-throttle (also known as HyperShifting) gear changes occur in just 190ms, the result is a back pounding shift that feels ferociously quick and abrupt. In all honesty, a true enthusiast would opt for the traditional 6-speed manual gearbox. The SportShift automated-manual gearbox can be fussy at times and it’s all too easy to induce a burning clutch smell when you attempt to park the car on a gradient.
I can’t imagine it’s easy to design a roadster that looks as good with the roof down, as it does with the roof up. That’s almost an impossible task for even the most talented of designers. Aston Martin has come oh so close with the Vantage Roadster.
That said from Melbourne to Adelaide we chose the roof down, despite a stinking hot night with five billion bugs making a beeline for the Aston’s Xenon headlamps. When we stopped for a quick fuel top up, you couldn’t actually make out the grille for the bugs. Funny thing is though, not one of these critters found its way into the cockpit during their seven-hour onslaught.
When the heavens finally did open up around 10.30 pm, preceded by some overly large rain drops, we hit the roof button on the centre console doing 25km/h and in just 18 seconds, the three layer fabric roof was shut tight for our desperate journey across town, to a pizza establishment owned by a family friend, who agreed to keep his doors open for a very late, but well earned feed.
At that time of night, you’ve got to be careful with the throttle in the Vantage, for fear of waking entire neighbourhoods should you be anywhere north of 3500rpm.
After four incredible days in Aston Martin’s finest, it came time to hand the car back to Aston Martin Australia. Perhaps we should have kept on driving all the way to Perth and just blamed it on a malfunctioning Sat Nav system!
We might just try something like that in the DBS, if we ever get our hands on it.
Click here for a gallery of all our Photos.
Anthony Crawford, Paul Maric, Alborz Fallah
Location: Home / Behind the Wheel / ...
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(7 votes, average: 4.29 out of 5)
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December 12th, 2007 at 12:01 am
Who are the people in the photos? Tell us exactly which ones which! :D
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December 12th, 2007 at 6:44 am
perfect for driving along the beach, posing with your top off and a hint of opposite lock, the seagulls will love it to for sure.
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December 12th, 2007 at 7:29 am
Wow…….I agree great colour,you guys are soooooo lucky!
Alborz what was your little butt doing on the bonnet though???hahaha
The finish in the interior was amazing I thought,I was surprised at the engine though,looked a little messy.Engine bay isn’t painted?
So who had to sit on someones knee…..3 into a 2 seater doesn’t go!
Some of the options I agree should be standard,the paint was cheap I thought,wheels at $4,000 a each ? Why not if you can afford it in the place whats another $16,000!
The sexiest car in the World!
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December 12th, 2007 at 7:39 am
This car is stunning. I love it. I’d probably go the coupe myself but hell if you had that kinda money - get both. Great article and awesome pics guys! Well done.
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December 12th, 2007 at 8:39 am
Yeah…….absolutely Cassey,forgot to mention that in my previous post thats awaiting moderation {have to stop putting s e x in my posts}! Another fantastic article by you guys but I guess when you have a passion for a car it makes it a damn site easier to write about!
Im not one for a roofless car but I would have that!sigh……
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December 12th, 2007 at 9:01 am
Nice car, but where are bikini babes, I don’t see any?!
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December 12th, 2007 at 10:50 am
/Envious drool
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December 12th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
Rather the similar priced, but way faster Ferrari powered Maserati Coupe in convertiable form.
As fast as a porker 911s, so u know its the goods
Cheers
F-0
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December 12th, 2007 at 2:32 pm
Frugal - that would be the GranSport Spyder - if you think that car looks as good as the Aston - I implore you to go straight to your nearest optometrist and get the free medicare check.
As for power - yep its got more than the Aston, considerably more power and torque, but here’s the thing, its no faster and it sure as hell don’t handle like the Aston!
Good try but you’ll need to do better than that.
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December 12th, 2007 at 3:48 pm
Ferrari is more of posers car too me …this is sheer style and class!
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December 12th, 2007 at 4:30 pm
It is a terrific looking car and engine but the big downside with it is that there is alot of options that should come standard with car at that price! Like alarm, cruise control(comes standard in $34,000 car (Commodore)),heated seats and xeon headlights!
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December 12th, 2007 at 4:54 pm
Wheels $4000 a set
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December 12th, 2007 at 8:10 pm
A set………thats cheap!!!!!!!!!!!!
I didn’t think $4,000 a pop was expensive ……..not for that car or wheel option!
1 BBS will cost you more than that without a M badge on it!
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December 27th, 2007 at 8:40 am
wow…
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January 2nd, 2008 at 2:47 am
I just can say it’s a perfect car nothing elese
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March 18th, 2008 at 10:44 pm
I am Australian but live in London…my wife bought me an “Aston Martin track day” for my 30th birthday - so I was up in Yorkshire on the weekend driving the V8 Vantage and then the DB9 around a racetrack.
The DB9 is very big, and too nose-heavy. I actually prefer my 330Ci to drive , through corners at least. The power is simply awe-inspiring though of course.
However, the V8 Vantage is something entirely different. If God himself made the most perfect car, it would be the V8 Vantage. I was truly incredible to drive, I couldn’t stop smiling for literally an hour or so after 5 laps in the V8 Vantage.
It’s acceleration is obviously beyond impressive; but it is the way it feels through corners and long sweeping bends that makes it 40x better than anything else I have ever driven. The amount of grip just defied believe and seemingly, defied laws of physics too!
I don’t care whether it takes 3 years or 20 years….I have to have one.
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