The verdict on the Aston Martin V8 Vantage

Aston Martins look better than anything else and are marvellous to drive. That, and not 007, is the secret of why they are loved, says David Wilkins in the Belfast Telegraph.

What do you think is the most exciting car badge these days? On the basis of my dealings with Independent readers in connection with the Verdict test, I reckon it's Aston Martin. I've lost count of the number of reader-testers whose parting shot was a remark along the lines of, "next time you get your hands on an Aston, bear me in mind". It's a similar story with the letters and emails that arrive from those applying to take part.

Well, this week we did get our hands on an Aston again: the V8 Vantage. All I can really say to readers who expressed an interest in testing an Aston is that you were in my thoughts as I went about the agonising task of assembling this week's panel, but that if I'd tried to accommodate everyone, I'd probably have had to divide the 75 hours we had the car into 10-minute slots.

So what is the source of Aston's remarkable appeal? I doubt it has much to do with the manufacturer's association with a certain fictional British secret agent. Just imagine being the person who does the press cuttings at Aston Martin, having to read every day the words of yet another journalist who was shaken or stirred by the experience of driving one of these cars, which invariably, of course, confer a licence to thrill.

No, the answer is simple: the cars look better than anything else, and are marvellous to drive.

The V8 Vantage is no exception. Apart from a few mass-manufactured items such as the column stalks, there are examples of beautiful attention to detail everywhere, such as the counter-clockwise rev counter and the metal fuel filler cap. A look under the bonnet exposes not just a beautiful engine but much of the Vantage's hi-tech, bonded and riveted structure, which contains aluminium, steel, composites and magnesium alloy. It seems a shame to hide this stuff away – unless it's with bodywork as elegant as the Aston's.

The under-bonnet view also gives a clue to the other side of the Aston's appeal: its prowess as a driving machine. The engine block is behind the centre-line of the front wheels, which combined with a rear-mounted gearbox gives the V8 Vantage its delectable balance on the road. I've posted a photo showing this front mid-engined layout in detail at my blog (http://wheelwobble.blogspot.com) for anyone who is interested.

Colin Moss, 55, manager, Branston, Lincolnshire

Usual car: Audi TT.

The Aston Martin that first got my attention was James Bond's DB5 in Goldfinger. I lost track of all the different models and numbers, but they all look beautiful and this is no exception. The interior is simple classic black leather and metal. A few minor surprises: standard ignition key in the steering column (not keyless), six-speed manual (not auto, tiptronic or paddle shift) and red stitching on the black leather? I was not disappointed though, it is still a stunning car. Handling was superb, the 275mm rear tyres really holding the road, and surprisingly agile. The V8 engine sounds wonderful and I could not stop grinning every time I accelerated.

Michael Duffy, 52, barrister, Ely, Cambridgeshire

Usual cars: BMW 7 series, Alfa Romeo 166

Looking and sounding beautiful and feeling beautifully engineered, this car is easily driveable and completely welcoming. The fine steering and control, pin-sharp instrumentation, peerless transmission and phenomenal power band work progressively with you and for you, regardless of the road and conditions. On a long run over all surfaces (some awful) in variable weather, the Vantage commands the road in a way that excites one minute, is wholly restful the next and is always utterly reassuring. Impeccably set up and completely safe, with an exceptional specification, it was a sheer joy to drive. A car for all seasons with but one reason; perfection.

Nick Pressling, 48. sales director, King's Lynn, Norfolk

Usual cars: Audi A6, Vauxhall Corsa

First impressions are good as the duck-egg blue paintwork, grey leather interior with pink (PINK!?) stitching along the seats and the dashboard set the tone and turn the head of any bystander not already seduced and terrified by the glorious growl of the 380bhp V8. Some 4.9 seconds after pressing the start button, 60mph is a distant memory. Fast and firm yet supple, the Vantage is equally at home idling through town in second, wiggling its generous hips through fast, open A roads, or striding out along the motorway. Grinning through the entire test drive, I find myself looking for something, anything, to criticise. But I even come to like the pink stitching.

All Astons are wonderful, but which is the best? I marginally prefer the Vantage to the DB9 that we tested a year or two back. The Vantage is smaller, lighter and has a manual gearbox – but we're talking degrees of greatness here.

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