Aston Martin ran the 4.3 liter V-8 three times longer on the dyno than the DB9’s V-12. The V-8's dry-sump lubrication system lowers the engine such that the crank balancers rotate four inches above the ground.
Its frame is a mix of extruded aluminum box sections, stamped floorpans and precision castings at key points like suspension attachments. The windshield header is a single aluminum casting, the door frames are magnesium. Everything is hot- or cold-bonded, aerospace style, with minimal application of self-piercing rivets and no conventional structural welds. Glue, the company says, allows cleaner production processes and better vibration-dampening properties than conventional welding.
The V8 Vantage is suspended with aluminum double wishbones and coil-over shocks front and rear. Even the shock casings are aluminum.