Aston Martin V8 Vantage Specifications

The V8 is a very fast sports car. With 0-60 mph in 4.9 seconds (0-100 km/h in 5.0 seconds) and a potential maximum speed of 175 mph (280 km/h) its performance figures are as heady as you would expect of an Aston Martin. Although there are many reasons for this excellent performance – light weight and efficient aerodynamics among them – the key is the engine, the heart of any great sports car.

This new V8 has been specifically designed and developed for the V8. Hand-assembled at Aston Martin’s new, purposebuilt engine facility in Cologne, Germany, it is a light, compact, all-alloy unit – high-performance, yet responsive even at the lower end of the rev range. Its maximum torque is an impressive 302 lb ft (410 Nm) at 5000 rpm, 75 per cent of which is delivered at just 1500 rpm – barely more than idle – making the V8 extremely tractable and great fun to drive.

Push harder, and that V8 engine revs freely, delivering refined, exhilarating pace. True to Aston Martin tradition, it is as musical as it is muscular: an engine that entertains in every sense. The bore and stroke dimensions are optimised to provide an excellent balance between outright power and torque, while a sonance induction system improves tractability and performance, and contributes to that inspired engine note. The inlet camshaft timing also varies, improving low-end throttle response and mid-range torque in particular.

The exhaust system is highly effective. Each bank of cylinders features a four-into-two-into-one manifold – an arrangement more usually found on racing cars – which improves breathing and therefore performance. Special bypass valves rovide a quieter exhaust note at low speed, opening at higher engine speeds to reduce the pressure in the exhaust system, raise the ower
output and provide a more rousing accompaniment.