See also Aston Martin V8 Vantage

Aston Martin V8 Vantage

Aston Martin V8 Vantage may refer to:* Aston Martin V8 Vantage * Aston Martin Virage * Aston Martin V8 Vantage...

 for other models sharing this name

The Aston Martin V8 Vantage was hailed at its 1977 introduction as "Britain's First Supercar

Supercar

Supercar is a term used most often to describe an expensive high end car. It has been defined specifically as "a very expensive, fast or powerful car"...

" for its 170 mi/h top speed. Its engine was shared with the Lagonda

Aston Martin Lagonda

The Aston Martin Lagonda was a luxury four-door saloon built by Aston Martin of Newport Pagnell, England, between 1974 and 1990. A total of 645 were produced. The name was derived from the Lagonda marque that Aston Martin had purchased in 1947...

, but it used high-performance camshaft

Camshaft

A camshaft is a shaft to which a cam is fastened or of which a cam forms an integral part.-History:An early cam was built into Hellenistic water-driven automata from the 3rd century BC. The camshaft was later described in Iraq by Al-Jazari in 1206. He employed it as part of his automata,...

s, increased compression ratio, larger inlet valves and bigger carburettors mounted on new manifolds for increased output. Straight-line performance was the best of the day, with acceleration from 0–60 mi/h in 5.3 seconds, one-tenth of a second quicker than the Ferrari Daytona

Ferrari Daytona

The Ferrari 365 GTB/4, better known by the unofficial name Ferrari Daytona, is a Gran Turismo automobile produced from 1968 to 1973. It was first introduced to the public at the Paris Auto Salon in 1968 and replaced the 275 GTB/4...

.

The Vantage name had previously been used on a number of high-performance versions of Aston Martin cars, but this was a separate model. Although based on the Aston Martin V8

Aston Martin V8

The Aston Martin V8 is a two-door coupé automobile manufactured in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989.Aston Martin's customers had been clamouring for an eight-cylinder car for years, so Aston Martin designed a larger 2-door saloon for V8 applications. The engine was not ready, however, so in...

, numerous detail changes added up to a unique driving experience. One of the most noticeable features was the closed-off hood bulge rather than the open scoop found on the normal V8. The grille area was also closed off, with twin driving lights inserted and a spoiler added to the bootlid.

The Oscar India, introduced in 1978, featured an integrated tea-tray spoiler and smoother bonnet bulge. Inside, wood replaced some of the vinyl padding giving a more luxurious appearance. This line was produced, with some changes, until 1990.

The 1986–1989 580X V8 Vantage was more of a mechanical update. 16-inch (406-mm) wheels were now fitted, as was the more powerful V8 from the limited-edition V8 Zagato

Aston Martin V8 Zagato

The V8 Zagato model Aston Martin was a grand tourer of the 1980s. Just 52 examples of the coupe and 37 of the convertible were built between 1986 and 1990. The coupe was first unveiled at the 1986 Geneva Motor Show and orders were quickly taken despite only showing the drawing of the car...

.

Cosmetic Vantages were built for the United States market – they lacked the powerful Vantage engine but retained the Vantage name, and the look was changed with a flattened hood. From 1980 they featured DOT-approved 5 mi/h safety bumpers front and rear.

A Vantage Volante convertible

Convertible

A convertible is a type of automobile in which the roof can retract and fold away having windows which wind-down inside the doors, converting it from an enclosed to an open-air vehicle...

 version was also produced.

James Bond

James Bond

James Bond

James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...

's car (registered on 18 March 1985 as B549 WUU; last on the road 1 July 2006http://www.taxdisc.direct.gov.uk/EvlPortalApp/application?pageid=Vehicle+Enquiry&portletid=VehicleEnquiry&portletns=VehicleEnquiry_en&wfevent=link.next) in the 1987 film The Living Daylights

The Living Daylights

The Living Daylights is the fifteenth entry in the James Bond series and the first to star Timothy Dalton as the fictional MI6 agent 007. The film's title is taken from Ian Fleming's short story, "The Living Daylights"...

.

At the beginning of the film, the car is a V8 Volante (convertible). The car used in these scenes was a Volante owned by Aston Martin Lagonda chairman, Victor Gauntlett

Victor Gauntlett

Malcolm Victor Gauntlett was an English petrochemical entrepreneur and car enthusiast, best known for forming the largest independent petrol retail business in the United Kingdom, and for reviving Aston Martin.-Biography:...

. Later, the car is fitted with a hardtop ("winterised") at Q Branch, and these scenes feature a pair of non-Vantage V8 saloons

Aston Martin V8

The Aston Martin V8 is a two-door coupé automobile manufactured in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1989.Aston Martin's customers had been clamouring for an eight-cylinder car for years, so Aston Martin designed a larger 2-door saloon for V8 applications. The engine was not ready, however, so in...

, fitted with the same number plate as the initial car, but with Vantage badges now fitted. Clearly, the later cars are intended to be the same Volante.

The alterations and gadgets featured were:

• Tire Spikes
• Jet engine behind rear number plate
• Retractable outriggers
• Heat-seeking missiles behind fog lights
• Lasers in front wheel hubcaps
• Bulletproof windows
• Fireproof body
• Self-destruct system