Philadelphia Daily News from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 136

FRI DAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2006 PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS PAGE S-9 Special Advertising Section February 4 IE Pennsylvania Convention Center phillyautoshow.com AUTO-SHOW PHILLYAUT0SH0W.COM AIVI VS Vantage two-seater Jains Aston Martin lineup Aston Martin's eagerly awaited V8 Vantage places the company in a new sector the premium sports car market. The V8 Vantage completes the current Aston Martin line-up, joining the flagship Vanquish and the DB9. Built with the same high integrity and passion as all Aston Martins, the V8 Vantage is a more affordable Aston Martin. Its design and agility should help to widen the brand's appeal and attract younger customers. F.C.

Kerbeck recently showcased the brand-new V8 Vantage at the unveiling of its all-new state-of-the-art Aston Martin showroom in Palmyra, N.J. In attendence at this event was Dr. Ulrich Bez, CEO of Aston Martin. Philadelphia International Auto Show attendees may view this addition to the Aston Martin family in person at this year's F.C. Kerbeck exotic car display.

Styling design The exterior of the V8 Vantage is perfectly proportioned from every angle with a low purposeful stance. Each detailed feature provides evidence of the painstaking craftsmanship and quality synonymous with the Aston Martin marque. The V8 Vantage features many of the design cues that have become basic on all Aston Martin models. The long bonnet and two-seater cabin creates an instantly recognizable stance, while minimal front and rear overhangs, combined with a wide track, appear to push the rear wheels out and enhance the extremities of the bodywork. The V8 Vantage is a two-seater, with the rear environment offering a large luggage shelf area accessed by a tailgate.

Offered in imaginative combination of leathers, contemporary fabrics and aluminum, V8 Vantage customers have an extensive choice of standard body and trim colors from which to choose. Inside, Aston Martin's craftsmanship is matched to striking 21st century style. The dials are made from aluminum and, together with the switchgear, have the distinct and unique Aston Martin look and feel. Chassis, engine performance The V8 Vantage has endured the most extensive test and development program in the Company's 91-year history, during which 78 Prototypes were vigorously tested. The V8 Vantage is the second model to use Aston Martin's unique VH (Vertical Horizontal) architecture.

Constructed from lightweight aluminum extrusions, precision castings and pressings, the underframe is bonded with aerospace adhesives and mechanically fixed with self-piercing rivets. Certain complex parts of the frame are precision die cast in aluminum; the door inner panels are cast magnesium and the windscreen surround is a one piece aluminum casting. Aston Martin V8 Vantage such as lightweight alloys, magnesium and advanced composites for the body further contributes to the car's low weight and rigidity. The V8 Vantage uses a combination of aluminum, steel and advanced composite exterior panels. Composites are used for panels with a high degree of complexity and a deeper shape, such as the front wings, which incorporate the distinctive side strakes.

Steel pressings are used for the body side panels to achieve the sheer depth of the design. This delivers the required style without resorting to using several panels in the rear three-quarter area, resulting in a remarkably clean and uncluttered appearance. A pure sports car Because the V8 Vantage was designed as a pure sports car from the outset, the priority of Aston Martin's engineers was to focus on a lightweight, compact size, agility and power. At just 4.38 meters long it is compact and very nimble and is the smallest model in the Aston Martin range. The all new 380 bhp engine is a 4.3 litre, low emissions all aluminum alloy V-8, unique to Aston Martin, using the latest technology to deliver outstanding performance in all environments.

The layout of the powertrain adopts a transaxle configuration: the front mid-mounted engine is connected to the transmission at the rear of the car via a cast aluminum torque tube and carbon fibre prop-shaft. This configuration provides the car with a 49:51 weight distribution, giving outstanding handling characteristics and excellent all round capabilities. Aston Martin has adopted a dry-sump lubrication system for the V8 Vantage. Often used in racing cars, this system allows the engine to sit very low in the body, lowering the centre of gravity which in turn helps to improve handling and the overall balance and stability of the car. The system also helps to improve engine durability by maintaining lubrication under conditions of extreme cornering and braking.

The quad-cam 32-valve engine is individually hand assembled by Aston Martin technicians at the company's new engine production facility in Cologne, Germany, where every Aston Martin engine is built. The base MSRP for the Aston Martin V8 Vantage is $107,300. F.C. Kerbeck, located at 100 Route 73 in Palmyra, N.J., is currently accepting orders for the Aston Martin V8 Vantage. The car will become available this spring.

For more information, call 856-829-8200 or 800-Kerbeck. The frame is bonded with a cold-cure adhesive with damping properties that help soak up the vibrations which may otherwise appear if the structure were welded. The unique architecture provides an excellent backbone, while the use of sophisticated materials Aston Martin DB9 Volante New Phantom result of four-year 'Project Rolls-Royce' button, the Teflon-coated umbrellas housed in the rear doors and the interlinked RR wheel centres, engineered to remain upright at all times. Authenticity in design Authenticity is the key element. Ian Cameron, chief designer of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, explains: "Our absolute priority was to create a motor car that is clearly a Rolls-Royce even when the radiator grille is not in view.

More than this, the new car has to stand apart from all others on the road." Rolls-Royce Phantom When the new Phantom was unveiled in January 2003, it marked a renaissance for arguably the most famous name in the automotive world; a name that has become synonymous with excellence. 'Project Rolls-Royce' began on 28 July 1998, when BMW Group became custodian of the marque. The new Phantom is the result of an intense four-year design and engineering program that not only produced an entirely new motor car, but also established a new company and a new manufacturing plant at Goodwood in the South of England. At the time, it was described as "the last great adventure in Founder's words "Strive for perfection in everything you do. Take the best that exists and make it better.

When it does not exist, design it," said founder Sir Henry Royce. "Whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble." The Rolls-Royce Phantom At the F.C. Kerbeck luxury and supercar showrooms in Palmyra, N.J., the Rolls-Royce Phantom has taken on the aspect of pure apparition. "People are accustomed to seeing amazing automobiles at our dealership," says Frank Kerbeck, who also represents Bentley, Aston Martin, Maserati and Lamborghini. "But there is nothing quite like the impact of first impressions.

And the first look at the Phantom leaves even our most savvy car customers literally speechless." The Rolls-Royce Phantom is not about achieving a single superlative: the biggest, the fastest, and the most powerful. Rather, it is about finding the optimum balance of all these attributes and more. With a Rolls-Royce, superlatives are found in the details. New thinking and attention to detail can be seen in a number of areas of the Phantom the coach doors designed to make entry and exit as graceful as possible, a retractable Spirit of Ecstasy that hides away at the touch of a tinuation of the side window, but offers a degree of privacy without having to resort to darkened windows or curtains. And when both front and rear doors are open, they form a protective barrier around a passenger entering or leaving the car.

Yet another feature The coach doors house another surprise feature. Within each rear door is an umbrella which is released at the touch of a button. After use, it can be stored even when wet: special drainage channels are incorporated into the coach door, and the umbrella material is coated with Teflon to ensure that it will not deteriorate. The base MSRP for the Rolls-Royce Phantom is $328,750. The Phantom is available at F.C.

Kerbeck, a car and truck dealership centrally located just minutes from the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge, at 100 Route 73 in Palmyra, N.J. For more information, call 856-829-8200 or 800-Kerbeck. Authentic design elements, such as a long bonnet and wheelbase, short front and long rear overhang, strong C-pillar and discreet rear window, run throughout the Phantom, combining with 21st century engineering integrity to create a car with genuine presence. Generous proportions Generous interior proportions and the elevated position of the electrically operated front seats give a sense of authority. Rear passengers are seated 18 mm (0.7 in) higher than those in front, allowing an uninterrupted view of the Spirit of Ecstasy.

Sat alongside the C-pillar, behind the rear side glass and well behind a conventional saloon arrangement, rear occupants enjoy an unrivaled sense of privacy and security. The size of the motor car is a balance between design and engineering considerations. For example, the requirement for a prominent seating position and substantial interior space determined the wheelbase, floor height, width and standing height, which in turn determined the axle position and wheel size. As a result, the new car's wheelbase is 3570 mm (140.6 in) while the overall length is 5834 mm (229.7 in). It is 1632 mm (64.3 in) tall and 1990 mm (78.3 in) wide.

The 460 litre16.2 cu ft (DIN) boot is large enough to take four sets of golf clubs with ease. Easy entry The rear interior compartment is unusual in every respect. Taking a fundamental step back, the design team started out by asking a simple question: "What is the best way to get into and out of the rear of a motor car?" The answer was coach doors, hinged at the rear, which allow passengers to enter and exit with decorum. Once they are seated, the door can be closed automatically simply by pressing a small button on the C-post. And because they allow the passengers to sit further back in the body of the car, coach doors also provide improved side impact protection.

So much so that the Phantom has no need for rear side airbags. Privacy Each C-post contains a paneled quarter mirror which, from within, appears to be a con TEXT.