Aston Martin V8 Vantage pricing announced

A couple of months ago, we noted that Aston Martin had upgraded the V8 Vantage for 2012. After all, even the entry-level sybarite doesn't want to feel abandoned by the luxe maestros in Gaydon, and Gaydon doesn't want them to feel slighted.

We previously mentioned the upgraded self-shifting transmission, which receives a seventh gear, as well as the quicker steering ported over from the Vantage S. But the new V8 Vantage also receives hill-start assist for effortless profiling in San Francisco and tires with a 10-millimeter-wider center section.

Aston has now made U.S. pricing official: The V8 Vantage coupe starts at $118,370, while the drop-top roadster model will cost $132,870. The hotter Vantage S features 430 hp, 361 lb-ft of torque, a rortier exhaust and some carbon-fiber flair. Aston-aspirant sporting gentlemen shall pony up $137,670 or walk away empty-handed.

By Davey G. Johnson