Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster: First Look

Motoring Channel Staff - 16/Nov/2006

Los Angeles, USA — Aston Martin sports cars may not be the quickest high performance vehicles in Europe - those accolades go to Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini and TVR. But one thing Aston Martin has always had in abundance is style.

Though most Aston Martin's are not as quick as their exotic rivals in the zero to 100km/h stakes, take one look at their design (and then take a peek inside the the cabin) and you will not find a more cultured and polished high performance vehicle anywhere in the world. They are exquisite automobiles.

So, when Aston Martin yesterday announced the unveiling of its new V8 Vantage Roadster - to rival vehicles like the Ferrari F430 Spider and Porsche 911 Cabriolet - everyone here at the Motoring Channel dropped everything to disseminate the tech specs and drool over the photos.

Just quickly, the new Aston Martin convertible is a rear-wheel drive vehicle powered by a 4.3-litre V8 engine that develops 283kW (380bhp) @ 7000rpm, and is capable of sprinting from zero to 100km/h in 5.0 seconds flat.

As the British marque rightly points out, this is one of the most eagerly anticipated convertibles of the year, which will make it's public debut at the 2006 Los Angeles Auto Show, which begins on Wednesday 29th November. Aston Martin hopes to increase it's market share of the American exotic car market, and this elegantly powerful new vehicle is sure improve it's image in the US marketplace.

Aston Martin Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ulrich Bez had this to say about the new drop top: "The V8 Vantage Roadster is a pure sports car, a car that heightens the senses and provides a dynamically thrilling driving experience.

"The Vantage Roadster adds to the unbeatable thrill of open air motoring and by combining engineering excellence, technological innovation and physical perfection, will ensure every journey is one to remember," Dr Bez concluded.

In the convertible world, there are few vehicles with such attractive proportions: with a low purposeful stance, the Vantage Roadster is uncompromisingly modern yet also incorporates classic Aston Martin design cues. The elegant lines are fused with traditional craftsmanship and striking 21st century style, with an interior that is naturally hand-trimmed and finished in the finest quality genuine materials. 

There's acres of scarlet leather too - from the sports seats to the transmission tunnel and even up and over the dashboard. When people see this vehicle with its top down, expect to hear gasps of shock, followed by looks of envy.

Design

The design of the Vantage Roadster is elegant and uncompromising, a single fluid form with characteristic attention to detail, both inside and out, representing the open sports car in its purest form. As Aston Martin points out, the Vantage Roadster represents the latest evolution of Aston Martin's synthesis of craft and technology, combining a free-spinning and powerfully acoustic V8 engine with the beautifully hand stitched leather seats and hand-finished bodies. 

In terms of the cloth roof, it comprises of a triple-layer fabric that gives a taut, aggressive appearance when closed and when folded, keeping the flow from front to rear smooth and elegant, and further enhanced by the leather speed humps behind the driver and passenger seats that create a unique transition between interior and exterior. 

Yet even in convertible form, the new Vantage Roadster retains the critically acclaimed design of the Vantage Coupe: the roof is stowed neatly beneath the rear tonneau cover and is either opened or closed at the press of a button located on the centre console in just 18 seconds, and at speeds of up to 50km/h (30mph) with no manual intervention required. It's all electronic.

Offered with an imaginative combination of different leathers, contemporary fabrics and aluminium, Aston Martin says that Vantage Roadster customers will have an extensive choice of body and trim colours from which to choose.

Performance

Developed from the outset alongside the V8 Vantage Coupe (launched in 2005), the British car maker says the Roadster shares the unique-to-Aston Martin bonded aluminium VH (Vertical Horizontal) architecture – the backbone to all modern Aston Martins. Adding to this structure, sophisticated materials such as lightweight alloys, magnesium and advanced composites are used for the body, further contributing to the car's low weight (1710kg) and high rigidity.

The driver and passenger sit low, close to the car's centre of gravity, where they can feel the car reacting to the input of the driver – a special sensation, usually only experienced in racing cars, which provides a direct and sporting connection between car and driver according to Aston Martin.

The V8 engine is hand-assembled at a dedicated, high-technology facility in Cologne, Germany. For the tech heads out there, it features all-alloy quad overhead camshaft 32-valve cylinder heads, giving the 4.3-litre V8 variable inlet camshaft timing for added flexibility. Like many high pedigree performance cars, it's also got a dry sump lubrication system to keep the oil flowing under hard driving. 

The front mid-mounted engine powers the rear-wheels, and here's the vital statistics:

Max power: 283kW (380bhp) @ 7000rpm
Max torque: 410Nm (302 lb.ft) @ 5000rpm

Despite the additional mechanism associated with the Vantage Roadster's convertible roof and the additional body stiffness, Aston Martin's engineering team has ensured only a minimal weight increase to preserve the agile and sporting characteristics of the V8 Vantage Coupe explains the car brand. And at just 4.38 metres (172.5 in) long, the Vantage Roadster remains not only the smallest model in the Aston Martin range but also one of the leanest cars in its class, weighing 1710kg.

The Vantage Roadster delivers strong performance with careful development and engineering ensuring that the Roadster equals the achievements of its Coupe sibling, with 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint achieved in 5.0 seconds and a potential maximum speed of 280km/h (175mph).

The Vantage Roadster will be available with two transmission alternatives from launch, which was always a must if the company wanted to increase its North American market share. Offered as standard is the 6-speed Graziano conventional stick-shift manual gearbox, with ratios matched to the performance of the V8 engine for decisive pulling power. This is joined by Aston Martin's new Sportshift automated manual transmission – an ultra-quick system that provides the driver with heightened precision via fingertip control of gear changes using paddles to progress smoothly and swiftly through the ratios.

Aston Martin says the Vantage Roadster will be built at Aston Martin's global headquarters at Gaydon, near Warwickshire in the UK, joining the current Aston Martin line-up that comprises the flagship Vanquish S, the elegant DB9 and the agile V8 Vantage Coupe. Deliveries of the V8 Vantage Roadster are expected to commence during quarter two of 2007, with prices to be confirmed at a later date.

Technical Specifications

•     Length: 4380mm 

•     Width: 1865mm (exc. Mirrors) 2025mm (inc. Mirrors)

•     Height: 1265mm

•     Wheelbase: 2600mm

•     Max speed: 280km/h (175mph)

•     Max torque: 410Nm (302 lb.ft) @ 5000rpm

•     Max power: 283kW (380bhp) @ 7000rpm.

•     Fuel tank capacity: 80 litres

•     Weight: 1710kg

•     0-100km/h: 5.0 seconds

•     Boot capacity: 144 litres

•     CO2 Emissions 3: 358 g/km

•     Steering: Rack and pinion power-assisted steering, 3.0 turns lock to lock (column reach and tilt adjust)  

•     Wheels and Tyres: 18-inch alloy wheels, 10-spoke design. Front: 8.5J x 18-inch / Rear: 9.5J x 18-inch.     Bridgestone Potenza tyres - Front: 235/45 ZR18. Rear: 275/40 ZR18. (Optional: 19-inch alloy wheels – 7-spoke design - Front: 235/40 ZR19. Rear: 275/35 ZR19) (Optional: Pirelli P-Zero Corsa sports tyres – Front: 245/40 ZR19. Rear: 285/35 ZR19)

•     Suspension: Front: Independent double aluminium wishbones incorporating anti-dive geometry, coil over aluminium monotube dampers and anti-roll bar. Rear: Independent double aluminium wishbones incorporating longitudinal control arms, coil over aluminium monotube dampers and anti-roll bar.

•     Brakes: Radial-mounted 4-piston monobloc calipers. Dynamic Stability Control (DSC). Traction Control. Anti-lock Braking System (ABS). Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD). Emergency Brake Assist (EBA). Positive Torque Control.
  Front: Ventilated and grooved steel discs - 355mm diameter
  Rear: Ventilated and grooved steel discs - 330mm diameter

Body: Two-seat, two-door body with soft cover convertible top and heated glass rear screen. Bonded aluminium structure. Aluminium alloy, steel, composite, and magnesium alloy body. Extruded aluminium side impact bars and integral rollover bars. Halogen projector headlamps. LED rear lamps.

Engine: Aston Martin all-alloy quad overhead camshaft 32 valve, 4.3 litre V8. Variable inlet camshaft timing. Dry sump lubrication system. Fully catalysed stainless steel exhaust system with active bypass valves. Front mid-mounted engine. Rear-wheel drive.

Transmission: Rear mid-mounted six-speed manual with optional Sportshift automated manual transmission. Alloy torque tube with carbon-fibre propeller shaft. Limited slip differential. Final drive ratio 3.909:1

Interior: Full grain leather interior. Gunmetal facia. Graphite interior fittings. Electrically adjustable seats. Automatic temperature control. Heated rear screen. Reversing sensors. Battery Disconnect Switch (BDS). Trip computer. Dual stage driver and passenger airbags. Side airbags. Alarm and immobiliser. Tyre pressure monitoring.Entertainment: 160W Aston Martin Audio System with 6-CD autochanger.

Options

Sportshift automated manual transmission.
Xenon (HID) headlamps including power wash.
Bright finish grille.
Piano Black fascia trim.
Alternative brake caliper finish (black, red, silver).
Heated seats.
Cruise control.
Passenger seat height adjustment.
Memory seats (3 positions).
Battery conditioner.
Powerfold exterior mirrors.
Auto dimming interior rear view mirror.
Auto dimming interior rear view mirror with garage door opener.
Voice activated Bluetooth telephone preparation.
Integrated GSM telephone.
Satellite navigation system with optional Traffic Messaging Channel (TMC).
Tracking device.
Alarm upgrade (volumetric & tilt sensors).
Smokers pack.
Sports tyres.
19 inch alloy wheels – seven-spoke design, with silver finish.
19 inch alloy wheels – seven-spoke design, with anthracite finish.
Front wheel stone guards.
Personalised sill plaques.
First aid kit.
Umbrella & holder.
700W Aston Martin Premium Audio System with Dolby Pro Logic II.
Wind deflector.

Related articles:
- Aston Martin V8 Vantage Coupe
- Ferrari F430 Spider
- Porsche 911 Cabriolet