Minneapolis Street Sighting: Aston Martin V8 Vantage S

I'll be honest--as a car spotter, most modern cars leave me with shivers, and not in a good way. They're boring, either mind-numbingly fast, or just painfully slow. All electronic driver's aids, and wretched company fascias let casual pedestrians know what company took your money and in return gave you a soulless appliance that just happens to haul ass, and drink gas. The art of building cars is largely left to big-bucks supercars, and grand tourers, but even those cars are largely lacking in soul, in driver involvement, and most of all, a glorious engine note.
Aston Martin has not forgotten this; sure, they build the Rapide--which is hideous, but every premium brand is building a four-door "coupe", so why not? It allows Aston more business, and gives them more money to focus on building the cars Aston likes.
In the Aston stable, there are quite a number of cars, but this "entry level" Aston is what I will focus on today. Launched in 2005,the Vantage was initially offered in V8 trim. A short while later, a convertible was offered as well, called the Volante (Aston speak for roadster). In model year 2008, a much faster, much quicker V12 Vantage joining the ranking of the model range, and sent the V8 Vantage S into the middle of the Vantage totem pole. Fear not, though, the Aston V8 Vantage S is far from just a pretty face.
With 430 horses on tap, and a hair over 360 ft/lbs, Aston's middle-ground supercar can run with the best from America and Germany. Unlike its American and German competition, the Aston V8 Vantage doesn't quite have the wild model range the Corvette and 911 do. But that's not the point. Astons are fairly rare, and each one is special. Chances are, you won't see multiple Astons in the same day on the same block.









With cars this new, I really can't "rate" the condition, nor can I talk about blemishes in the paintwork. What I can judge is the paint color; here, the gray looks absolutely fantastic. Understated is what works best for these British brutes; having something like an Aston in a bright, brash color would be an insult. Yes, these cars do make a statement, but unlike Porsches, Astons need not be flamboyant. The exhaust snarl speaks for itself.
While I despise the wheels on the V8 Vantage, and the DB9, I adore the rolling stock on this Vantage S; brutish, without being hideous. Good sense of porportion, mixed with a slightly classier 5 spoke design--and they don't look generic, nor do they pass for aftermarket cheapies. Aston has perfected the GT car, from engine and gearbox, right down to the massive rolling stock. A 911 this isn't; it's much more special.

Aston Martin of Naples

When I first say the inventory online, I was stunned; it appeared that there were oodles and oodles of new Astons to choose from, and that I would never get bored. I had never seen a mass array of DBS, DB9, V8 or V12 Vantages before, and I definitely had never seen a new Aston Martin Virage before. I knew it was going to be one hell of a dealership-- or so I thought.
As our rental beige/silver Nissan Altima pulled into the lot, my dreams were dashed at once; not only was there a rather small selection of cars sitting out front, a majority of what was there to welcome as sucked to be blunt. I understand Rolls Royces are "premier" motorcars, but.. I think they're quite ugly, and are just not my cup of tea. I skipped all the Phantom and all six of the "holy" Ghosts, and tried to move on to the rest of this particular dealer's offerings.


I did see a scant few cars that piqued my interest, and I will start off with the Aston Martins; first thing I saw that I actually liked was the DBS Volante. I'm mixed on convertibles; they often look atrocious with the roof up, but when the sun is shining and the roof is gone, convteribles actually tend to look better than their hardtop offerings. Case in point is Aston's priciest (and best looking) vehicle. Starting off at a rather unmodest $286,460, this Aston isn't quite for the thin-walleted. Then again, no new Aston is. But if you have the money, why not? You get a 510 horse V12, a six-speed manual, and the ability to scream from a dead stop to sixty in 4.7 seconds. I do realize there are other, quicker cars that are substantially cheaper, but that's not the point. You buy an Aston to get noticed. As much as I like the 997, and Ferrari's 430 and 458 cars, and Lamborghini's Gallardo, I like the DBS for its exclusivity. For every DBS Volante I saw, maybe 4 997s passed and two 430 Spiders; Gallardos were so common I ended up getting bored mid-trip.



Next up is Aston's Vantage lineup, in particular the V12 Vantage; I normally don't like this bodystyle, and I am still lukewarm on it; this bodystyle dates back to 2005, and when it came out, the car was quite stunning. As I got older, I began to develop a rather sour taste to this cars; I can't quite put my finger on it, but for some reason they don't quite hold my attention like they used to. But, for something with a V12 in it, looks are definitely not the end all, be all. Aston Martin's oldest basic car is continuously updated to adhere to the needs of fresh buyers; in tradition British fashion, the majority of the body was left alone, but details have changed. Identifying the V12 Vantage are a new, easier-breathing hood, wider rear fenders, obviously, the V12. It can be yours for a more wallet-friendly $180, 535, and like it's bigger brothers, this one, too, is rather exclusive. Pony up the check now if you want one; it's scheduled to be replaced next year.




Moving on from the Astons, I found the Maserati section, or should I say, row. Like the rather minute selection of Astons, the Maserati pickings were quite slim, especially considering that this area is known for its abundance of wealth. Out of all four of the new Gran Turismos, this yellow one was by far my favorite; yes, the GT is rather common even out my way, but I still take notice when I see them. I will stand on my beliefs that the Gran Turismo will go down as a classic Maserati, unlike its rather bland Quattroporte stablemate. But the basic Gran Turismo wasn't the only thing to tickle my fancy from their Maserati selection....



The Gran Turismo is one of those cars I just love; I can't help it. Everytime a new variation comes out, I am immediately drawn to it, and this MC Stradale is no different; I usually frown on red cars, unless red is the only color choice, but man.. this thing is.. I completely stood there in silence, just scoping it out. For me, when a model gets updated, or receives a facelift--even a minor one, it's either a love or hate thing. This Stradale leaves my heart racing with glee. Never did I think that this wonderful car could be improved-- and I have been proved wrong. From the black wheels, to the meaner front fascia and rather sinister looking ass-end, this Maserati definitely has the right amount of look to justify the slightly improved cook. I will never own one (because they're too expensive), but man are they ever nice to stare at. Kudos to a job well done.