Classifieds' Car Of The Day: Surprisingly Affordable Aston V8 Vantage

With the rumours floating around about a potential Mercedes-Benz buyout of Aston Martin, we've been taking a look at one of our favourite Astons of recent times: the V8 Vantage. Introduced in 2005 as the tauter little brother to the cruising V12 DB9, the Vantage is a much sportier proposition.

With prices dipping below £30k for the older examples, these are a tempting alternative to a used Porsche 911. Under the bonnet of these early cars, you get a 4.3-litre, naturally-aspirated V8. Power is at 380bhp, giving a 0-62mph figure of 4.9 seconds and a top speed of 175mph.

It looks the business too, with the modern Aston look translating nicely into the small, muscular package of the Vantage. Throughout its life the Vantage hasn't been able to get the dynamic edge over the Porsche 911, but you'll still be rewarded with a great drive and a searing V8 soundtrack every time you drive it.

This 2006 example has full Aston Martin service history, 51,000 miles on the clock, and is up for £32,450.