Anorak Corner 2 - The Aston Martin V8 Vantage's front mid-engined layout

These photographs show the wonderful under-bonnet view of the Aston Martin V8 Vantage and, in particular, its front mid-engined layout. It's probably worth clicking on these for the larger, high-resolution versions in order to see some of the detail.


A couple of points to look out for in the first photo - the beautifully finished strut brace, which runs from left to right across the engine bay, and also the suspension towers, which show off the car's high-tech aluminium structure. Further down, and a little bit more difficult to make out, the black cam covers of the mighty V8 engine. What may not be clear from this perspective is how far back and low down the engine is mounted, which is great for the car's handling. All that can be seen under the forward section of the Aston's bonnet is the large cowling in the foreground of the photograph; again, this emphasises how far back the position of the engine is.


This second bonnet-up shot is taken from the side of the car. The front of the engine can be seen to be almost exactly level with the centre-line of the front wheels.