Anatomy of an Aston Martin V8 Vantage

For all the photos please go to www.vintageandsportscar.com

We have an Aston Martin V8 Vantage in our shop right now getting a new clutch. It is a straightforward job, but there is a surprising amount of disassembly that is required, though nothing like the engine-out procedure of many exotics. What struck me was the quality of the aluminium monocoque and gorgeous cast or forged aluminium pieces that go into a V8 Vantage (and DB9/DBS as they are based on the same “VH” platform). I’ve had many opportunities to see the guts of modern Ferraris, including a visit to the factory to see how they are built, and I can say that the components on the Aston are every bit as nice as the Ferrari, yet a V8 Vantage is roughly half the price of a Ferrari F430.

It is a front-mid engined car with a rear transaxle. Clutch is at the front, with a rigid torque tube that connects the engine and gearbox. There is a tubular steel subframe that supports the gearbox and is bolted to the aluminium monocoque. A carbon-fiber drive shaft wrapped in fiberglass sits inside the torque tube. There is aluminium double wishbone suspension all round.

One of the big problems with aluminium cars, of which there are very few on the market because of high cost of manufacture, is that aluminium is difficult to repair. Steel has a memory, and a steel frame can be straightened, and a dent in a steel panel can be pushed out with minimal loss of integrity. Aluminium isn’t like that. Once the metal is bent, it has to be cut out, and a new section welded in. And, it is hard to weld properly, requiring specialized equipment and experience. If you have even a light to moderate impact in a Ferrari for instance, it is invariably a massive bill (easly over $100k) and it can take up to a year to get your car back. Plus, after the monocoque has been cut and re-welded, nobody wants the car anymore, and resale takes a huge hit. A ‘hit’ late model Ferrari can be worth $50,000 less than a virgin one.

The Aston goes some way to mitigating this by engineering a central ‘survival cell’ with bolt on frame appendages that can be replaced without cutting and welding. If you are in a moderate accident, the shop can dismantle the car and build it back up with new components with minimal compromise.

After getting a close look at the guts of an Aston Martin, I came away with a new appreciation for the Marque. They have come a long way since the badge engineered Jaguars of the late 90’s. I love the Aston Martin Logo cast into the side of the Torque tube, that lives buried deep within the monocoque and is completely invisible. It gives me the feeling that the engineers are designing the cars, and they have some pride in what they are doing.

-lawrence