Aston Martin V8 Vantage. 2005–17 (prod. over 9,000). 3-door coupé, 2-door convertible. F/R, 4280, 4735 cm³ (V8 DOHC). Entry-level Aston Martin grand tourer, with 385 PS from 4·3-litre, Köln-built engine; 4·7 with 426 PS from 2008. More aggressive styling than larger DB9 or Vanquish. Tested at the Nürburgring with the aim of beating the Porsche 911, but fails on that count dynamically—in most respects, such as steering, responsiveness, handling, performance, acceleration, power and standard equipment it is 90 per cent there. However, the looks and the engine sound are glorious, and most bought because of them; liftback configuration means more practicality than the Porsche, too. Convertible called Roadster, not Volante.

Manufacturing location: Gaydon, Warwickshire, England

Marque: Aston Martin | Model: Aston Martin V8 | Successor: Aston Martin Vantage (2017–)

q.v. Aston Martin V12 Vantage