You know the type: no matter how special a car some folks have, they’re always on the lookout for something…special-er. If that’s you, our next car is one you may not have thought of: the Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster GT. Sure you could buy one just for the beauty, or even its rarity. But it’s a whole lot more special than that!

One look at the 2015 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster GT, and there’s no mistaking that it belongs in the legendary Aston Martin family.

But while traditional styling cues are obvious, and the overall look is far from fresh, there’s no denying this car is truly stunning; and proof that there is still plenty of shelf life left for a design that works this well. 

Sure it’s a beautiful, exotic sports car, but there’s a subtle gentlemanly manner about it that enables it to be appreciated by any age group and members of all income brackets.   

Of course it all flows from the iconic grillwork, here nicely trimmed in white and made of real aluminum, not chromed plastic. This Skyfall Silver livery features additional white accents throughout; and is 1 of 5 special paint schemes you can choose from. 

Things are clean and uncluttered in the rear, with Aston feeling the design speaks for itself, so no need for excessive badging. Though the added GT graphics package on our tester suggests otherwise. 

19-inch graphite forged alloy wheels wear 245-series rubber in front, 285 in the back. The fabric top is power operated and stores itself under a hard tonneau cover and also hides pop-up roll-over protection bars. 

Inside, it’s certainly GT car spacious, not the more cramped feeling of say a Corvette. The gauges resemble fine watch faces, and all interior switch gear have a solid, high quality feel. The leather is deep, lush, and even smells terrific. 

It’s not all great, though, as with hardly any miles on our test car, some interior surfaces are already showing significant wear. The screen for navigation rises from the top of the dash; while a central controller is mounted lower on the center stack. 

And as for options, how about a 1,000-watt Bang & Olufsen BeoSound audio system for $8,330? 

But, trunk space for picking up whatever luxury items the typical Aston Martin customer picks up is fairly limited to just 5.0 cubic-ft. 

We were very pleased to see that our tester also sported a manual shifter! It engages swiftly and is accompanied by excellent clutch feel. The 6-speed can be replaced with a 7-speed automatic should you decide to wimp out. 

Classic British touches abound, like the outboard parking brake handle. But perhaps our favorite feature is sliding the crystal key into the ignition; as it reminds us of Superman accessing the Fortress of Solitude, and the results that it triggers are no less stunning. 

Power erupts from a 4.7-liter V8, and while it doesn’t have the bite of a supercharged Jaguar F-type, its bark is much nastier with a more realistic and primal sound. Make sure you engage Sport mode for full effect. Horsepower is 430; torque comes in at 361 lb-ft.

Our drive time was limited to a few days in the Garden State, so we weren’t able to hit the track, but Aston claims a 0-60 of 4.6-seconds and that seems spot on. 

The suspension is very tight for a GT, with ride quality easily on the firm side, falling just within daily driver parameters. It handles well enough to surprise, so you’ll need much more than sweeping back roads to find this car’s limits.

Horsepower numbers are certainly far from class leading, but as with most classic roadsters, power numbers are not the be-all-end-all. 

As at no matter which speed you’re travelling, this car feels like a true driver’s car; the proverbial extension of your driving soul, if you will. And can both help you remember the joy of driving and forget about whatever was bothering you before you got behind the wheel. 

Government Fuel Economy Ratings are about what you’d expect; gas guzzler tax worthy at 13-City, 19-Highway, 15-Combined. The Energy Impact Score is thus dismal at 22.0-barrels of annual oil consumption with CO2 emissions of 9.6-tons. 

Now for the good news, the V8 Vantage GT in Coupe form is actually the cheapest Aston Martin you can buy, starting at $104,425. Roadster guise of course, costs a bit more at $117,225.

Time may be winding down for this platform, but the 2015 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster GT still exudes appeal and sexiness that few manufactures can channel. And while you may choose to buy it based on looks alone; after spending only a little time driving it, you’ll quickly realize that motoring is this car’s greatest asset.

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