If you are a fan of the Aston Martin line, but have been put off by their price tags, then the Vantage is worth a look. Under the hood, the typical 12-cylinder engine is replaced with a simpler V-8. But it’s still potent, cranking out 420 horsepower. With the standard 6-speed manual gearbox, a 0-60 mph time of 5 seconds is listed. I had the automatic box, which also has manual paddle shifters by the steering wheel. It was a bit slower off the line, reaching 60 mph in about 6 seconds, but shifts quicker once under way.
The Vantage has a stiff ride and heavy steering, but it still zooms around corners like the sporting machine it is. On a trip between Phoenix and Flagstaff, I opened it up a bit. The car gets smoother as it goes faster. A top speed of 175 mph is listed, but since the engine had only 100 miles on the clock, I thought it best not to try it. My convertible started at $128,000. With options, we hit $144,799. But this is more reasonable than the 12-cylinder cars that can reach a quarter-million!
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