You know it’s going to need a large garage and deep pockets, but an Aston Martin Vantage like this causes an itch that must be scratched.
As classic sports cars go, this one ticks all the boxes: right name and pedigree, right colour, right trim, right mileage, right gearbox (manual), right service history (full, main dealer), right provenance (just two previous keepers) and in the right condition (flawless).
There is one box this car, registered in 2006 and which has done 30,000 miles, doesn’t quite tick, however, and it’s the one marked ‘engine’. The 4.3-litre V8 is based on the Jaguar unit used in the 1990s. Here in the Vantage it produces 380bhp and 302lb ft, but in 2008 Aston went back to the drawing board and replaced the 4.3 with a larger and much-reworked 4.7-litre unit. This makes 420bhp and 347lb ft, and on the road you can really feel the difference. The performance is more accessible than the 4.3’s and, being launched in 2008 when the world economy took a dive, the model is that little bit rarer.
We came across a 2009-reg 4.7 with 43,000 miles for £39,925. Like our 4.3 find, it ticks all the important boxes and then some. Economy and road tax (£580) are the same, too. Even so, it’s a solid £7000 more expensive. In the long term, we’ll regret not finding the extra, but for now, that 4.3 will do nicely. What to watch for? We’d check the clutch, or at least budget for a new one (they can go at around 40,000 miles), and that the suspension is in good health (low-mileage Vantages can suffer broken springs). We’d also examine the tyres for uneven wear and the dashboard for signs of shrinkage.
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Anyone out there got a spare forty grand for a twelve year old car that'll still cost you a fortune to run?
What's funny is the reference to the 850 changing perceptions of Volvo's, from dull and safe, yet 200, 700 and 900 series Volvo's were known as good drivers cars, there were also the fun 300 series and the Porsche turbo'd and lotus suspended 400 series. All these cars had good contemporary reviews for how well they drove, yet they never seem to be remembered fondly. Unlike German brands, some of which never drove particularly well.
Finally - an Autocar report on the V8 Vantage that doesn't say the car is a maintenance nightmare. These are great cars that are generally very reliable and durable. Of course parts and service can be expensive, but there are no fundamental major mechanical timebombs waiting to go off like so many other cars have. I've had my MY09 from new and it's been nearly faultless. All these years later, it's still a special event every time. About the engine, yes, it's "based" on the Jaguar engine, but Aston comprehensively redesigned it. The Aston engine has its own, bespoke block, crank, bearings, conrods, pistons, cams, valves, heads, etc. Essentially, nothing is shared. As a used car, the value for money is off the charts.