Aston Martin V8 Vantage

[HarleyEarl]

Very hot looking.

Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster:

[RBB]

Hey HE, where'd you get the pic of the Firebird in your sig:

-RBB

[razoredge]

Geeze Harley, I cant tell. First of all its Red, thats a No No. just screws up the whole European color code....... Then the trailor and the top up I just cant get a feel for it.

We do love Astons though, When we watch the ALMS, Im rootin' for Corvette and my wife is rootin' for Aston. Suprisingly there were no new Astons at the Vintage Fest this year but the two we looked at last year were just stunning. I worry that Aston will not be able to move forward and improve, from a styling perspective, on what I believe is perfect just as it is.

[HarleyEarl]

Hey HE, where'd you get the pic of the Firebird in your sig:

-RBB

193830[/snapback]

You know, I have to go back and find out where I got that........looks mighty fine to me. I'm hoping Pontiac will go back to that horizontal split grille treatment...always says Pontiac to me.

[HarleyEarl]

Geeze Harley, I cant tell. First of all its Red, thats a No No. just screws up the whole European color code....... Then the trailor and the top up I just cant get a feel for it.

We do love Astons though, When we watch the ALMS, Im rootin' for Corvette and my wife is rootin' for Aston. Suprisingly there were no new Astons at the Vintage Fest this year but the two we looked at last year were just stunning. I worry that Aston will not be able to move forward and improve, from a styling perspective, on what I believe is perfect just as it is.

193833[/snapback]

Well I'll tell you, some cars look even sexy with the top up. This and the Corvette come to mind. When the soft-top is designed right and proportioned properly....it looks good up too. It always says to me, it's something special....not ordinary. Now the new Mustang with top up looks out of proportion to the car.....looks way nicer down.

It's like girls right...some look good with their tops on or off. But then some should keep their tops off all the time.

[balthazar]

>>"It's like girls right...some look good with their tops on or off. But then some should keep their tops off all the time."<<

Very astute, Sir Earl.

Stylistically, I do like A-Ms. They have class & presence where so many others that claim to, don't. Maybe the top is as good as one can be made in this instance, but a car costing this much should have a retractable, IMO...: the folding canvas doesn't match up well with the rest of the image.

Surprising to see that expensive of a car on such a cheesy trailer...

[HarleyEarl]

I hear ya......but I adhere to the old school of drop tops. When the top is up, it still tells the story...it's special, it's a droptop. Retractables look like a hardtop when up......it loses that 'special' appeal.

And I agree, A-Ms are always special...no matter what.

[balthazar]

I understand that (canvas top = special), but more crucial to me is, how does it look with the top up?? Frankly, very few convertibles look good with the top up period.

[HarleyEarl]

Agreed. Very few look right with top up.

[Northstar]

Meh, I don't like it with the top up. I'm sure it'll look great when it's down, though.

[the_yellow_dart]

I understand that (canvas top = special), but more crucial to me is, how does it look with the top up?? Frankly, very few convertibles look good with the top up period.

193892[/snapback]

Something about that side shot says "Camaro" to me.

[razoredge]

OK, here the gospel according to ..........what ever you prefer to call me at any givin time.

Your seeing the tubular Camaro because the trailor is blocking the perspective of the flare in the fenders

Camaro went more toward the European way of looking not vice/versa

Mustang does look bad with top up.

Very few rag tops look good

This Aston looks OK

This Astons top should be jet black or tan, not this washout black we are seeing

This trailor has got to go.

Astons should not be red, (neither should Corvettes or Camaros ) .

Retractables are for children

Adults like trunks (not an insult toward you Balth) knowing what I know about retactables now Im just not interested in the trade off

Rag tops that look great up are - 71-75 GM B/C bodies, 124 Fiats(probably the best), Corvette, 1st G Camaro/Firebird

Car that look decent - some other older GM's, XJS aint too bad, Alpines were not to bad, most of the old Brit roadsters for that matter but maybe thats because thats what we have always known them to look like (at least me, I realize some here think they always were &#036;h&#33; boxes).

I think its some of the big cars that loose it with the big fat top, GM A bodies were awful in my opinion. Like the Cutlass.

Long live the British automotive industry.................. ..........just like Olds.........yarite

2004 Aston Martin DB9 Volante

[HarleyEarl]

Take a look at the Mustang's profile with top up.....the rear wheel is too far forward...out of proportion. Earlier 'Stangs were much better in that dept. To me the bottom rear edge of the soft top should not be more than half way over the rear wheels. Proportion baby, that's what it's all about.

And thats according to the Earl of Everything!

[DetroitNut90]

This car would be stylistically perfect if the top was tan. Astons from the late 80s to today have been some of the most gorgeous things to ever roll out of the UK.

But I imagine rearward visibility sucks when the top is up.

[HarleyEarl]

It should be tan, you are right. Probably the most beautiful car in the world. In person even more so.

[balthazar]

IMO a car like this A-M is so about image & presence, that to have a wrinkled cloth top atop of artful sheetmetal like this is nearly criminal. A retractable could continue the stylistic theme into the roof (esp since that's commonly viewed with such a low car). It supercedes trunk space in my book.

[pow]

I like the DB9 Volante more myself, but this is definitely racier and less camp.

[Satty]

I like it in red, I'd love it in British Racing Green or a similar color with a tan top.

[razoredge]

Astons have always been beautiful, heres DBR1, where tops and whats behind you is of no importance. I'd have to check again, and it would take awhile, but I believe this body was designed by Malcolm Sayer. Also this is not British Racing Green, Astons used their own color which is far superior in my opinion. Im not a fan of BRG.

In 1959 it claimed victory at the Nurburgring 1000km, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and at Goodwood.

Drivers at LeMan were Roy Salvadori-Carroll Shelby

Edited September 17, 2006 by razoredge

[HarleyEarl]

Ok I got sidetracked from the thread and am posting the coupe version. I ran out of adjectives to describe how this car looks.

[

[CMG]

The Coupe version is stunning IMO.

The convertible is nice looking, but I think the Coupe really pulls it off better.

(Ok, ok- DROPHEAD!)

haha

Is that your XKSS Razoredge?

Beauty!

[LosAngeles]

Geeze Harley, I cant tell. First of all its Red, thats a No No. just screws up the whole European color code.......

Yeah:

red for the Italians

silver for the Germans (it's supposed to be white, but for Mercedes not painting the bare metal on their cars at one point)

GREEN for the Brits

White with a red sun for Japan

this fairly light blue for France (this explans the color of the Transformer Mirage)

And it's supposed to be BLUE with white stripes (or vice versa) for the Americans--tends to only be a Ford thing however. I've never seen a GM or Chrysler like that.