2009 Aston Martin V8 Vantage

Review

Making the departure from the chateau Le Grand-Luce bears the essence of the age of enlightenment. As the great

home diminishes in the mirrors a timeless racket of a pea-gravel carriage way fills the atmosphere. The ubiquitous upper-class stones are both a well-drained, weather-resistant surface and an astonishingly noisy security system. Our open Aston Martin V8 Vantage carriage holds another representative from an earlier time -- a console-mounted gear lever.

The Vantage ratio selector's movement in the gate is accurate and positive. The clutch take up is cushioned-immediate. Aston has found the best builders of both and owns the top of the heap for the last generation of stick and clutch. Paddles are the new manual selectors and they have reached a level of friendly usefulness that seduces even the most zealous I've-mastered-the-art-of-double-declutching Luddites. One has to be fascinated by moving an index finger a few millimeters and having the computer match the engine revs perfectly, select the next ratio and reengage the clutch in less time than you can accomplish the twelve-inch reach for the gear lever; never mind sliding a foot to the clutch and making the up and down two-pedal dance in perfect time required for a memorable gear change. But, while we still can, it is gratifying to make those old moves well.

We exit the restored arch through its new electric gate and to the right out of the grand chateau's own village. Vintage motoring in a superbly executed new sports car filled with the latest in electronic accoutrement, including hard disc drive satellite navigation system, 160-watt audio with six-CD auto-changer. But! Should all that not be enough Aston has included an integrated Apple iPod connector, USB connector with Waveform Audio Format (WAF), Windows Media Player (WMA) and MPEG (MP3) audio file compatibility. So bring your own tunes and make your sports car a concert hall.

The

good news is that the sound form the Vantage's revised V8, while not intrusive, is certainly entertaining enough to make all of the above quite unnecessary for a day of fun among the great chateaux in the valley of the Loir. The French country roads are excellent, well engineered and superbly maintained. Gasoline at $7/gallon anyone? It's not about drilling, it's about taxes to support infrastructure. The Vantage loves these roads. The spring and Bilstein damper sophistication is not challenged, the ride is controlled and civilized, but when a dynamic challenge occurs it is the structure and roll control that celebrates quality of the Aston's engineering and telegraphs the quickness we can not resist talking about.

Aston Martin's

supersport CEO, Dr Ulrich Bez reminds us: "Continued development and evolution of our unique VH (Vertical-Horizontal) architecture has brought even higher levels of refinement and dynamic performance to our whole range.

"With the new 4.7 liter engine and associated changes we have taken the V8 Vantage to new levels of performance to produce an even more desirable sports car. It is now the most successful Aston Martin in our history and we are confident these changes will continue its appeal and driving enjoyment for both new and existing customers."

The 4.7-liter (up from 4.3), 420 horsepower DOHC V8 with its variable inlet cam timing, revised ECU mapping and freer exhaust system (a sound improvement)

is more satisfying in every way. The engine's cylinder bore and stroke dimensions have gone from 86/89 to 91/91 to increase the swept volume by 400 cc. In conjunction with a long list of revisions, the horsepower is up from 380 to 420 at 7,000 rpm. The torque curve has been raised across the rev range with the output between 3,000 and 6,500 up by 15-percent, but the torque mid-range bubble has made the car feel far more responsive; raising the entertainment factor by half and adding to the overall sensation of quickness. The last generation 4.3 Vantage was always fast, but never felt as light on its toes as this one.

Wind and tire sounds begin to grow as we make an occasional blast past 160 km/h. The Vantage loves the wind. It settles close to the road and feels locked on, even with the roof folded. Very little wind wraps around the ends of the

windscreen and the rear blocking mesh keeps it off one's shoulders and neck. With the windows up, even conversation is easy.

Two different road wheels are offered, but only the design is different, the fronts 8.5 by 19 inches, mounting 235/40 ZR19 and the rears go to 9.5 by 19 and 275/35 ZR 19, both carry Bridgestone Potenzas. They are silent to the limit and I can feel the surface in the steering wheel, but it doesn't really move, just offers confidence the tires will communicate clearly when they're asked to work hard.

The Brembo, radial-mount, 4-piston calipers on all four corners have not changed. They grip 13.5-inch front and 13-inch rear ventilated and grooved rotors and are all one could ask for this quick tour. They are there with a light pedal

when asked. Bilstein low-friction dampers are new and augment revised spring rates and suspension geometry.

Some wisdom and restraint was shown by not altering the roomy Vantage interior.  Technical revisions include the sound system mentioned above and an elegant new ECU (key replacement) that has been met with mixed reviews. It is certainly a lovely piece of jewelry. There have also been comments about Aston's artful instrument design with brushed metal background and three-dimensional graphics; now at speed with only time for a periodic glance I recognize the problem. The numbers are clear and simple and large enough to comprehend at a glance, but the speedometer and tachometer rotate in opposite directions toward each other. That is a bit confusing when the only time you have to see them, on the straights, neither is moving very much. Until you know which way they are going and at what angle the good power is available it can be frustrating.

My elbows never came in contact with anything. The newly trimmed console is close enough to reach everything easily and low enough to be out of the way on a busy afternoon drive. Even the foot well is roomy. So many modern cars have fender intrusions that cramp the working space for a good-sized shoe. Not here. There is a good dead pedal and a comfortable distance between the clutch, brake and accelerator that precludes any accidental pressing of one or the other when your foot needs to do something quickly.

The day's drive in the Loir Valley was memorable for its vistas and the romance of dozens of vast chateaux perched on promontories every few miles, but the clearest memory is of Aston Martin's most successful sports car in its history. Over 10,000 V8 Vantage coupes and roadsters have been sold since its introduction at

Geneva in 2005. It is interesting to note that only 21,192 Aston Martins were delivered between 1914 and 2004.

Reentering through the iron gate we were reminded that the original builder had died while examining its great arch and never managed to make it his home. From enlightenment through revolution and two world wars the chateau Le Grand-Luce remains almost as it was finished in 1764. It remained a residential estate until 1941 when its sale and conversion into a hospital then sanatorium kept it active, though modified. Recently purchased by a private consortium it is being returned to use as a residence, though available for short-term lease. As the interior work progressed it was discovered that the previous owners had simply paneled over the fabulously detailed walls and ceilings, keeping everything undamaged during the last half of the past century. Aston Martin is the first commercial client since the restoration.

The crunch of the white gravel announces the return of two enlightened, if inelegant, journalists to eighteenth century opulence and the sincere hope we will not be discovered and summarily dismissed. Our beautiful carriage looks right at home parked in front of the grand entry stairs and would probably get to stay.

Specifications (2009 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster):