Transforming British Luxury Into A Swiss Army Knife – The Aston Martin V8 Vantage.

We spoke to our friend, Alex to get an update & hear the story behind why he chose to purchase the Aston Martin Vantage, & why he paired the car with Velocity AP Performance Products.

 ” It’s almost like a swiss army knife. It does it all. It’s comfortable, practical, great looking etc. It’s definitely a very refined car and has aged so well ” – Alex Rodriguez

Brandon: Thanks for participating, Alex! I’ll just ask you A few questions regarding your Aston Martin & VAP.. So, first off could you label the year, model & make of your car? I’d also like to hear the story behind obtaining your car, & how your driving experience was?

Alex: 2007 Aston Martin Vantage

I first saw this car on marketplace and I was shopping for other cars, but this car I kept looking at constantly and research the hell out of it. I was kind of obsessed with the car. Once I’ve done plenty of research, I ended up reaching out to the owner. It took a little bit since the owner didn’t have facebook and was relying on someone else to relay the info until I got his number. We figured out a date and I drove 3 hours to get it. The previous owner is a great guy which we still keep in touch. He found a place to put it on a lift so I can inspect underneath and I drove it a good bit. The car felt amazing. The only thing it was in need of soon was a clutch. I own other cars that have different drive trains and experiences (FF, MR, and the Aston as an FR car). Man this car feels balanced. Not only that, it’s almost like a swiss army knife. It does it all. It’s comfortable, practical, great looking etc. It’s definitely a very refined car and has aged so well.

Brandon: What upgrades & aftermarket products were you in the market for?

Alex: So I researched heavily on aftermarket stuff because I like having stuff that stands out as my own. I like having my unique taste in stuff. Velocity AP in particular had my eye. I will be picking up the power pack soon for obviously more power! I’ll combine it with the GT4 exhaust. Currently my mods on the car are BBS RS-GT wheels wrapped with Kumho PS91, BC Racing DS series with Swift Springs, a Mansory body kit (which was optioned with the car when it was new), ECPS ducktail and taillight infills, Carbon Fiber Racing mirrors, a wrap, and a VAP clutch with lightweight flywheel. As I said before, the VAP power pack will be my next purchase.

Brandon: How did you hear about Velocity AP?

Alex: I heard about VAP from Redpants Japan – this was a huge resource when it came to researching these cars. I looked up clips on youtube on how the exhausts sound and seen a bunch of people on facebook groups have great experiences!

Brandon: How was your experience with VAP? what parts did you get?

Alex: My experience with VAP so far was great! Very responsive customer service and I got my parts with no problem. Right now, I only have the VAP clutch with the lightweight flywheel, and the flywheel makes a pretty big difference!

Brandon: How is your overall driving experience currently?

Alex: The car drives amazing. Honestly, I’ve been daily driving the car for the summer and it’s been great! I’ve had to do some small maintenance things. The most recent repair I’ve had done was an alternator. I’ve tracked the car for the first time recently and it handles the track like a champ! The car feels balanced for sure. I think if I get some even more aggressive tires, the car will be even better. The 50/50 weight distribution is a huge help to these cars because they are a little on the heavy side. It’s pretty quick too and it sounds amazing! It’s a smooth car with great power delivery. Another thing is this car gets A LOT of attention, and I mean A LOT. It’s definitely a head turning car and I get people always wanting to chat about it. Overall, I love this car, and I don’t regret my purchase one bit.


Brandon Demelo / Alex Rodriguez
October 24, 2024