The V8 Vantage's classic front-mounted, longitudinally oriented engine was the only option for creating Aston Martin's familiar long-hood proportions and the center of inertia designers wanted, according to the engineers who worked on the car. Nonetheless, with all its cylinder bores behind the front axle, the V8 Vantage is by definition a mid-engine car. The gearbox (actually, a transaxle) is mounted in back, connected to the V8 by a carbon fiber drive shaft inside an aluminum torque tube. This creates near perfect weight distribution, with 51 percent of the mass over the rear wheels and 49 percent over the front.
The V8 Vantage is 172.5 inches long, or three inches shorter than a Porsche 911, a car more familiar to American consumers. Yet the Aston Martin's wheelbase is ten inches longer (102.4) and its track is three inches wider. The dimensions confirm what the eye suggests: The V8 Vantage's wheels are pushed further to the corners of the car, with minimal front and rear overhangs.
A rear hatchback allows easy access to storage behind the rear seats, and the boot area measures an impressive 10.6 cubic feet (compared to 4.76 cubic feet in the 911's front luggage compartment).
Some of the most interesting features lie under the V8 Vantage's body. Its frame is built aerospace style, with extruded aluminum box sections and precision castings at key points like suspension attachments. All the pieces are hot or cold bonded, with no conventional structural welds. Aston Martin's engineers claim that glue has better vibration-dampening properties than conventional welding. They also claim the V8 Vantage frame is more resistant to bending or flexing than anything in its class. Next Page