Click here to read this article within the magazine.  

Despite the enormous appeal of the V-12-engined DB9 and DBS models, Aston Martin’s most complete car has always been the entry-level V8 Vantage, launched in 2005. The car’s squat, purposeful lines are still the best example of the company’s design language today, while its V-8 engine offers one of the best sound tracks ever. Factor in agile handling, decent refinement, and practicality in a compact package, and you’ve got a worthy rival for Porsche’s 911.

However, just because it’s Aston’s most complete car doesn’t mean it’s perfect. Customers and journalists have always moaned that the V8 Vantage could do with more power. Steering feel could be sharpened up, too, as could the cabin. So this is the result. The 2009 V8 Vantage may not look any different (apart from new nineteen-inch alloy wheels, Aston has left the visuals alone), but under the skin there are a host of updates aimed at making it the best version yet.

The biggest and most important update is a new engine. It grows from 4.3 liters to 4.7, thanks to an increased bore and stroke, made possible by a move to cylinder liners that are pressed into the aluminum alloy block, allowing a thinner liner on the cast-in design of the old 4.3. “We really are at the limit of how far we can take this engine,” says V8 Vantage chief program engineer Paul Barritt. “This is bigger than it was ever designed to be.” The numbers? Well, power goes up from 380 horsepower to 420 at 7000 rpm, while torque gets a boost from 302 pound-feet to 347 at 5750 rpm.

Both the six-speed manual gearbox and semi-automatic Sportshift transmissions get new clutches and flywheels, reducing weight by about one pound, while the latter also gets revised software to improve its adaptiveness in full automatic mode. (It now holds onto a gear when cornering, for example.) As for the suspension, the front and rear springs have been stiffened by 11 percent and 5 percent respectively, while new Bilstein dampers are standard, brought in to improve ride quality.

Inside, the Vantage benefits from the same center console as the DBS, although Aston has unfortunately also carried over that car’s Emotion Control Unit, an awkward chunk of glass and steel that plugs into the dashboard, replacing the traditional key/starter-button setup. A new thirty-gigabyte sat-nav, which replaces the old DVD-based system, completes the round of changes.

On the move, it’s clear that Aston’s engineers have really moved the Vantage on. The old car required a heavy right foot to get the best out of it, but thanks to the larger engine capacity, the new model feels a lot more responsive at low revs. Throttle pickup is much sharper, the character of the engine now clearly evident from the bottom of the rev range to the top. And boy does this thing fly. As soon as the active bypass valves in the exhausts open up at 4000 rpm, your ears are filled with a hard-edged V-8 roar, the savage shove in your back continuing right up to the 7000-rpm redline. On a short stretch of derestricted German autobahn, acceleration didn’t seem to diminish until the speedometer indicated 155 miles per hour. Incredibly, despite the increase in power, CO2 emissions are down from 358 grams per kilometer to 328 (360 to 312 g/km for the Sportshift). And while fuel-economy figures have yet to be released for U.S. models, expect an 8.4 percent increase over last year’s car to 16.9 miles per gallon (a 13.3 percent increase to 17.8 mpg for the Sportshift).

Around 80 percent of Vantage buyers go for the Sportshift clutchless manual transmission, and while it’s still jerky in full auto mode despite the updates and requires some finesse from the driver to get a smooth upshift (you have to back off slightly before going for another gear), the way it blips the throttle on the downshift is fantastic. Arriving at a tight turn in fourth, dropping two gears on the steering wheel-mounted paddles, and spearing out grabbing third on the exit is exhilarating stuff. It’s by no means the best system on the market, but it’s much more fun than the rather heavyweight six-speed manual box, which simply can’t be rushed across the gate. The combination of a transmission tunnel that encroaches on the throttle area and a brake pedal that sinks a little under hard deceleration means it’s difficult to execute clean heel-and-toe downshifts, too.

As for the way the Vantage takes corners, there’s no doubting the stiffness of the chassis or the grip it generates. Eventually it will understeer, but once you’ve disabled the overzealous traction control system, progressive and controllable power oversteer is there for the taking. Revised steering geometry and stiffer front suspension bushings mean there’s a little more front-end bite, making the car more wieldy on twisty roads, but the big benefit is those Bilstein dampers, which offer a decent balance between tautness and compliancy. The Vantage is still held back by its steering, though. It’s weighty but simply lacks the outright feel and sharpness that a Porsche 911 has in spades. Drivers after a more hardcore experience can specify the optional Sports Pack, which comes with lightweight nineteen-inch alloys to reduce unsprung mass, even stiffer suspension settings, and a rear anti-roll bar. The result is a little less body roll and slightly sharper steering but a deterioration in ride quality with a tendency to fidget over bumpy surfaces. It’s likely to be available as a retrofit option, too, which is good news for existing owners.

So is the new Vantage the best yet? Undoubtedly. Aston’s approach of continual development has produced one of the best cars in the company’s history. The updates result in a fine blend of ride and handling, while the muscular 4.7-liter V-8 powerplant is simply storming. It might still not have the measure of a 911 Carrera S dynamically, but it has just taken a very big step closer. Add those gorgeous looks and that seductive badge, and the Vantage is even more desirable than ever.

Click here to read this article within the magazine.

Magazine Issue: Winding Road Issue 35