Aston Martin Offers Upgrade Packages for 4.3-liter V8 Vantage Owners

When Aston Martin released the hugely popular V8 Vantage in 2006, they fitted it with a 4.3-liter V8 and 380 horsepower. This wasn’t enough for many people, since the Vantage’s competitors such as the Porsche 911 Turbo and Audi R8 were easily faster. Finally AM decided to up the ante for the 2009 V8 Vantage and bore out the engine to 4.7 liters, add a high-performance Sports Package and tighten the chassis, making the Vantage a real kick-in-the-nuts to Porsche and Audi.

Not wanting to leave the 2006-2008 V8 Vantage owners behind in their 380 HP weenie-mobiles, Aston Martin created an upgrade package allowing them to increase their horsepower to 400, add around 7 ftlbs of torque, and hit a slightly higher top speed of 177 mph. All of this is done through a new air intake system originally designed for the DBS which opens a valve at 5500 RPM, letting more air in and allowing for more power. The engine computer has also been tweaked to optimize ignition timing and allow for a higher octane fuel to be used.

Additionally, due to the popularity of the new Sport Pack option on the 2009 Vantage, Aston Martin is allowing previous owners to retrofit a Sport Pack onto their older car. The Sport Pack increases handling performance with upgraded springs and Bilstein dampers, and adds the sexy new lightweight 5-spoke alloy wheels
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Still not as quick as the 2009 V8 Vantage, and you still can’t get the excellent Sport/Comfort mode in the Sportshift 2009s, but it’s definitely an upgrade that I hope many will take. Pricing has not yet been announced, but don’t expect it to be cheap.

Car-mad dad names son Aston Martin

HE GREW up dreaming of his first luxury sports car and now Craig Martin has his very own Aston Martin – his nine-week-old son.

Proud parents Craig and Jacqueline Mann welcomed their first arrival in May.

The couple, who live in Portlethen, were hoping for a boy, but had picked out Georgia if the baby was a girl.

So when the big day came, the couple were delighted when little Aston Martin was delivered.

Jacqueline said Craig, 36, who is a vehicle spray painter, has been involved with cars since he was a little tot and had chosen the name early on in the pregnancy.

The 36-year-old nursery assistant said: “Craig liked the name when I first found out I was pregnant. And I came around to it – it’s grown on me.

“With his last name being Martin, we just think the names go really well together.

“People do ask us to repeat it, but most folk know it because of James Bond.

“Aston is a really good little boy and is really contented.

“He likes watching the Formula 1 racing with his dad, who is a big fan.”

Craig’s dad George, who passed away four years ago, owned a vehicle recovery business.

Jacqueline said: “George would be really proud of the name we’ve given Aston.”

Aston has been given George as a middle name, after his grandad.

Jacqueline said: “Craig wants an Aston Martin for his 40th birthday – that’s his dream.”

But he might have to settle for his tiny son being the only Aston Martin in his life for now.