by Mike –

We first saw the new Aston Martin V8 Vantage at Pebble Beach in August 2005.

I was able to sit in the car to determine if there was enough headroom, which was a problem with our DB7. The fit was excellent in the new Vantage and later that year we ordered one.

It arrived in the summer of 2006 and we just happened to specify the same unusual exterior blue slate color as the one we saw at Pebble Beach.

Blue leather interior with silver contrast stitching.

A manual six speed transmission was the only option, which is just fine with me. This is still my favorite steering wheel on any modern car that I have driven.

The engine sits way back in the chassis like the Bizzarrini and has a wonderful sound especially at high RPM.

The push button starter in the center of the dash is just fun.

I was impressed with the handling and the reliability of this car. It is also one of the most beautiful cars made today.

At 380 bhp it was under powered for me. We had fun but after two years we moved on.

MWDesign in Vancouver, BC, Canada makes an aerodynamic and performance upgrade package for the V8 Vantage that boosts the power output to 445 hp. What a great idea!

Click on the images for a larger view.

The specifications for the 2006 V8 Vantage are below.