My Hot Wheels Stories: Aston Martin V8 Vantage (HW Exotics 5-Pack)

I've got so many cars since last post, but sadly I have no time to share it because of some projects last time. :(

Now, I'll introduce you to a British car : Aston Martin V8 Vantage. I bought it in a toy store. This car is one of 2014 HW Exotics 5-Pack.

It was the debuted as 2005 HW First Editions #11 by designer : Mark Jones.

Origin

Mention among Aston enthusiasts and it immediately conjures up images of "high performance", far exceeding that of the normal cars. While the Vantage name has been used since the early 1950’s it's origin has remained obscure and a detailed analysis of the cars has never been made. A new book by Kean Rogers sheds light on Vantage history and details Britain’s first real “Supercar” the V8 Vantage.

The name "Vantage" was chosen after leafing through a thesaurus looking for suitable tags for higher performance variants of the then current model, the DB Mk II. Offering 125bhp, versus 105 bhp for the standard engine, Vantage represented the tuned state for Aston Martin's fine handcrafted automobiles and was easily distinguished by a "V" in the engine number and obviously higher levels of performance.

Aston Martin has previously used the "Vantage" name on high-performance variants of their existing GT models, notably on the Virage-based car of the 1990s. The modern car, in contrast, is the leanest and most agile car in Aston's lineup. As such, it is intended as a more focused model to reach out to potential buyers of cars such as the Porsche 911 as well as the exotic sports and GT cars with which Aston Martins traditionally compete.

Real Life

The AMV8 Vantage was introduced as a concept car in 2003 at the North American International Auto Show, the production V8 Vantage was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in 2005 for the 2006 model year. The two seat, two -door coupé had a bonded aluminium structure for strength and lightness. The 172.5 inch (4.38 m) long coupé featured a hatchback-style tailgate for practicality, with a large luggage shelf behind the seats. In addition to the coupé, a convertible, known as the V8 Vantage Roadster, is available.

The V8 Vantage was initially powered by a 4.3 L (4300 cc) quad-cam 32-valve V8 which produced 380 hp (280 kW) at 7,300 rpm and 302 lb·ft (409 N·m) at 5,000 rpm. However models produced after 2008 had a 4.7 litre 420 hp (313 kW) V8. Though based loosely on Jaguar's AJ-V8 engine architecture, this engine was unique to Aston Martin and featured race-style dry-sump lubrication, which enabled it to be mounted low in the chassis for an improved center of gravity. The cylinder block and heads, crankshaft, connecting rods, pistons, camshafts, inlet and exhaust manifolds, lubrication system, and engine management were all Aston Martin designs and the V8 engine was assembled by hand at the AM facility in Cologne, Germany, which also built the V12 engine for the DB9 and Vanquish.

The engine was front mid-mounted with a rear-mounted transaxle, giving a 49/51 front/rear weight distribution. Slotted Brembo brakes were also standard. The original V8 Vantage could accelerate to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 4.7 seconds topping out at 175 mph (282 km/h). Vantages with the enhanced 400 bhp version of the 4.3 L V8 engine (included with the "N400" package or available individually as a Power Upgrade kit) as well as later models with the 4.7 L V8 and 5.9 L V12 were even faster.