Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster Part 2: Interior
Endowed with a sense of occasion that is truly special
As is the case with the world's finest luxury goods, Aston Martin automobiles are renowned for their exquisite, hand-built craftsmanship. With beautiful exteriors of steel and aluminum, and equally attractive interiors of hand-stitched leather and milled aluminum, Astons are endowed with a sense of occasion that is truly special. This is even more so when the Aston Martin in question is an open-car.The interior of the Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster is definitely a special place to be, with leather on nearly every surface and a refreshing simplicity to its layout compared to the sea of buttons that you find in most modern cars. As with anything however, there is some room for improvement.
The leather and hand-stitching are exquisite - especially in our test car's "Bitter Chocolate" with contrasting stitching. But other bits of the interior are less impressive. The navigation screen, for example, is neither high-tech looking, nor particularly good compared to systems from other manufacturers. In its fully open position, the screen looks to be stuck three-quarters of the way up, which is kind of odd.
Then there's the center console, which is ergonomically challenged, and has a finish that isn't up to the quality standards of the rest of the hand-crafted interior. And since the "Emotion Control Unit" - that is essentially the car's key - seems to have been the focus of so much angst, I'll skip this bit of marketing cheese and move on to the only other item that is less than expected: the steering wheel.
As such an important component in a sportscar, the steering wheel of the Vantage Roadster just doesn't look as if it belongs in $150k worth of England's finest, although the steering system attached to it does feel great, with nice weight and a good amount of feel. Don't get me wrong, it isn't awful, but again, with expectations set so high by the stunning exterior and the rest of the interior, it's a bit surprising to find that the ball's been dropped on one of the most important points of contact.
Back to all that is good. The insulated fabric top will make you wonder what all the fuss is about regarding retractable hardtops. Elegant in simplicity and in style, the top of the Vantage Roadster does a great job of transforming the car from tanning machine to closed coupe, with only slightly more external noise making its way into the cockpit than on the coupe. As a bonus, the glorious exhaust note - truly one of the best in the automotive world - gets turned up to 11 when the top is down. Another nice feature is that you can open and close the top at up to 30 mph. Which is good, because any time that rain or snow aren't falling, this top should be down.
As the drop-top version of the company's highly-regarded V8 Vantage, the Roadster aims to not only carry on the tradition of sporting open-topped Astons, but to build upon the success of its closed-top variant. With its open top providing an even more dramatic presence as well as a unique driving experience, the Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster seems well placed to deliver on all fronts.
SPECIFICATIONS
Layout: Front engine / Rear-wheel drive
Engine: 4.7 liter, V8
Power (SAE): 420 hp @ 7300 rpm
Torque: 346 lb-ft @ 5000 rpm
Gearbox: 6-speed sequential manual
Curb Weight: 3770 lbs.
0-60 mph: 4.7 sec.
1/4 mile: 12.9 @ 112 mph
Top Speed: 180 mph
Mileage: 14 city / 21 highway
Base Price: $126,400
Competitors: BMW M6, Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG, Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet
SPECIFICATIONS
Layout: Front engine / Rear-wheel drive
Engine: 4.7 liter, V8
Power (SAE): 420 hp @ 7300 rpm
Torque: 346 lb-ft @ 5000 rpm
Gearbox: 6-speed sequential manual
Curb Weight: 3770 lbs.
0-60 mph: 4.7 sec.
1/4 mile: 12.9 @ 112 mph
Top Speed: 180 mph
Mileage: 14 city / 21 highway
Base Price: $126,400
Competitors: BMW M6, Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG, Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet
