We are in an interesting time in the more modern segment collector car hobby where, on the one hand, there are some staggeringly high prices and, on the other, there are some amazing deals. Of all the deals out there, there are few cars that offer more for your money than the Aston Martin V8 Vantage. One of these is our Pick of the Day, a 2009 Aston Martin V8 Vantage listed on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in Lithia Springs, Georgia.
The Aston Martin Vantage was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in 2005 for the 2006 model year. The Vantage used Aston’s bonded aluminium VH chassis used first for the DB9, a clean-sheet design constructed of aluminum extrusions and castings bonded together with strong adhesives. This makes for an amazingly strong and light body and chassis that provides class-leading torsional rigidity. The Vantage also was the second model constructed in the new Aston Martin factory in Gayton, England.
The Vantage was designed by Ian Callum, with the finishing touches done by Henrik Fisker. Callum stated that his goal with the car was to evolve the idea of the DB4 GT in modern form. Like the DB9, the Vantage was designed not as a GT but as a true sports car, intending it as a competitor to the Porsche 911. To me, it’s a true masterwork of modern Aston Martin design, and one of the absolute masterpieces of the 2000s. It is simply gorgeous from every angle!
This specific Aston V8 Vantage is painted in its factory Jet Black with tan leather interior. The paintwork looks to be in excellent condition, with no visible flaws. The Continental Pro Contact tires and wheels also appear to be in nice shape, with no evidence of damage.
Glance at the interior — other than some wear on the driver’s seat, it appears to be in good condition. The dash, door cards, and carpets all look to be in nice shape, with no visible issues. In contrast, the ignition is in rough shape, and I would replace it with a new factory key, though that would cost around $600.
Being a 2009 model, you’ll find a larger dry-sump 4.7-litre V-8 under the hood that features 420 horsepower and 347 lb⋅ft of torque. This engine makes the Vantage capable of a 0-60 time of 4.3 seconds, a quarter-mile sprint of 12.7 seconds, and a top speed of 180 mph. The engine is mated to Aston’s six-speed single-clutch, sequential Sportshift transmission. Everything under the hood looks correct and in excellent condition.
The same goes for the underside, with everything appearing quite tidy and without evidence of damage anywhere. This is important, as some of these cars have been beaten up a bit — being an aluminum chassis, it does not take kindly to abuse.
Behind the wheel, the V8 Vantage feels like the most well-balanced, front-engined rear-wheel drive sports car ever. It is comfortable for anyone regardless of height, is fun to drive, is stupid fast, and has what is probably the best exhaust note of any modern Aston Martin. It can be engaging on the track, or simply the most elegant thing to drive to work. It does both quite well.
When this 2009 Aston Martin V8 Vantage was new, it had a starting price of $120,000, with most cars optioned up to more than $140,000. For some reason that I honestly cannot understand, these cars are an absolute bargain right now, with this one having an asking price of only $29,995, which is less money than a new Toyota GR86. That to me is absolutely ridiculous. Sure, it will cost more to run than the Toyota, with most experts stating that the annual running costs for a Vantage run around $4,000 a year. Even with that high annual service cost, these cars are still a bargain, and this 45,000-mile Aston is one of the best deals I have ever seen.
If you have always wanted an exotic car from the modern era but are on a budget, this 2009 Aston Martin V8 Vantage may be the best opportunity of any vehicle on ClassicCars.com.
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com
