2009 Aston Martin V8 Vantage vs 2011 BMW E90 M3 - Head to Head Review! 

Owner of the Vantage here, Fenton was once again spot on with this awesome head to head. I sold an e92 for this Vantage and have zero regrets.

lovely comparison video! being a 15’ vantage owner, i have to agree with lots of the point out here. the heel toe doesn’t work. the car is not about being a precision engineered laptop but it does retain a lot of soul and character even if it doesn’t do things the best. it’s the attitude the car has is what makes me accept the flaws and imperfections.

Yes! Great comparison. I literally just thought about these two cars and googled how they compared and here is a video that’s just a few hours old. The internet is working! Lol. Thanks for making this. You delivered the details very well.

Love the details in your description in order to paint a real life picture of driving and impressions.

Great video! I was able to drive the Aston for a bit and my thoughts were exactly the same. I am happy with my M3 but holy guacamole is the Aston a great car.

Exact review I needed. The Aston lust is strong lately.

Next - install some cameras on the exterior of the car. Also, maybe some 3rd person shots of the car taking corners would be great! Love the content!

Well done. Spot on review. I have a V8 Vantage and a B7 RS4, rather than a Bimmer, although I've driven an E92 (which I found a bit too tail happy in the wet to inspire confidence). I could say almost the same things comparing my two cars. The Audi has a beautiful gearshift (the Aston not), but the Aston's steering is in a different league. All in all, the Aston is more difficult to place/drive, but is also more fun at 9/10ths because of the inherent balance (though I still can't believe how balletic the RS4 is despite that lump of iron hanging out front). In the winter, the Aston stays home. The RS4 is so reassuring to drive fast in all conditions.

Great review! I have a v12 Vantage manual and the sound and driving dynamics are great! Heal toe is difficult!! I also have a 458 and GT4RS and I have challenges picking a favorite. The Aston is an event every time I get in!

I'm glad you got to take a Vantage out to the canyons. Steering feel was one of the most pleasant surprises for me when I first drove mine. One thing you didn't mention is the chassis balance. The car is just slightly rear weight biased at 49/51 and it's very controllable and playful. Such a special car.

I already knew what the verdict was going to be before watching, especially when he mentioned camber plates up front. -2 ish front camber on an e9x transforms corner entry

Good comparison! Hard to argue with the value proposition of the M3.

I was literally just making this comparison in my head and this popped up!

Cool video and an interesting comparison. I own a similar Aston V8 Vantage - also a manual 2009 - although mine is a roadster. The M3 is a great proposition: it looks handsome (especially compared to today's monstrosities by the brand), is obviously way more practical than the Aston, with proper back seats, a decent boot, etc. And it's cheaper. For a daily car it's going to be the better choice for most, especially if you have a family. However, for a fun, weekend car (as mine is), the Aston is a no-brainer. The roar of its V8 (even better with the roof down), the beautiful interior... the LOOKS; while the Beemer is good looking the V8 Vantage of this generation has all-time-great looks. The exotic badge. The way it makes you feel is very special indeed, from getting in, to firing up the engine, driving it on twisty roads, to parking it and the inevitable glance back after you've locked it. Absolutely stunning all-round experience.

I think when it comes to your primary gripes with the Vantage, you can solve at least 2 of them fairly cheaply. The brakes would be made a lot better with some more aggressive (or just new) pads. There's a heel and toe kit for the vantage that brings the throttle away from the transmission tunnel and makes it easier. The expensive fix would be the suspension. Ohlins, at least according to most endurance racing teams, make the best dampers for getting the most out of a car on track. They don't have a road and track option for the vantage, but K&W would probably improve the handling by a decent ammount.

"Gearing is really long... 2nd gear seems to go to 70mph" Me over here crying in 718 GT4 manual topping out at like 83.

I had a 2011 E92 M3 coupe for many years and have had a 2010 V8V since about the same time. Enjoyed both but sold the M3 and kept the Vantage and plan to keep it forever. Both great cars but the Vantage is more special which is why I still have it. That said, I wouldn’t mind getting another E90 or E92 M3 at some point but when I wanted something practical for the kids I actually went older and got an E34 M5.

nice review! I think you referred to the Aston as a 2+2 at the start of the video- it's a 2 seater only though, right? I wonder if the pedal placement is an issue on the RHD version? You mentioned the Aston's inferior brake feel but I think that comes down to stock pads/fluid, with decent pads and fluid the Aston's brakes should be superior to the BMW. As used car propositions, the other thing to consider is the Aston's V8 is dry-sump whereas the S55 is not - is the Aston better suited to withstand high G track use?

The V8 Vantage is a “2 + 2” coupe? I don’t recall any model of the V8 Vantage having rear seats

It is funny, I never thought about comparing these cars, but I owned a 2008 E92 M3 and loved it but sold it to 'move up the ladder'. I considered replacing my base E92 M3 with a top spec E92 M3 competition package, a 2015 V8V GT (but I was not thinking about a direct comparison or head to head w. my old E92 M3), an R8 V8 (I was thinking about as a direct comparison to my E92 M3), and a 996 Turbo. Ultimately, I could not bring myself to spend R8 money and 'only' have an engine that was too similar to my old M3's, plus the interior of an R8 V8 does not feel that special; I almost bought a V8V GT, but it got scooped up right before I was ready to place money on it; and I knew if I got another E92, even in dark blue and competition package with OEM+ upgrades I would always wonder what those 'higher end' sports cars would be like. I came across an X50 package 996 in Zanzibar Red with factory aero kit, all kinds of paint to match goodies on the side and fell in love. It was more expensive than the Aston and top spec E92, but a touch cheaper than the R8 V8. I bought it, just waiting for some repairs to be done on the other side of the country before I get it shipped to me. Cannot wait for the first mountain road drive in it :) Love the channel Fenton! Would love to see some Porsche 718 6-cyl caymans and 997 GTS vs Ferrari 348/355/430/360/599 content. I think the F430 is ultimately where I want to go (Silverstone grey, challenge wheels, black Daytona seats, Capristo exhaust, and manual convert it (who can afford a factory manual lol). But I certainly do NOT think I would want to give up my one of a kind factory 996 Turbo for it. Lastly, Fenton, you need to come up to interior BC, we have incredible driving roads up here, world class wineries, and your dollar can buy a ton relative to ours. Have you ever been to Area 27? Absolutely stunning track! Hope to hand you the keys if you come up here.

Can we get some C5's in the canyon??

Having tracked my Vantage a fair amount... the heel-toe is not only limited by the pedal, but, in my opinion due to lack of pedal response, it would be significantly remedied by a lightweight flywheel. The pedal, with driving shoes, can be done pretty well, but, you must really jab at the throttle due to unresponsiveness.

Ah yes, the classic Bond chased by a black BMW scenario. Both of these sound glorious!

I just picked up a 4.3, I think in terms of price, it's a better comparison with the E9x than the 4.7

incredible how they're both almost equally gorgeous and beautiful with the price differences

my e90 m3 w the dct tune almost feels like pdk its that crisp. interesting comparison! but it makes sense

Ohlins coilovers - $3500; Camber plates- $500; spherical bushings $1000 (est f&r) poly bushings plus at least $5000 in labor and alignment will improve your turn-in, but also leave you with a noisy, harsh, and ultimately unpleasant car to drive on the street. Great for track days, not so great any and everywhere else. Ask me how I know.

Great comparison between the two indeed. I came from an E93 M3 and moved to a 4.3 roadster. Granted the power and torque difference isnt as profound as your comparison, the way the Vantage handles is simply sublime, almost telepathic. Not forgetting the fact that my E93 was a really heavy girl compared to the Aston, but man, there’s so much more feel to the Roadster. Also, what you said at 13:05 summed this up perfectly. The Aston feels so much more premium compared to my E93.

The transaxle is already a win for me.

All those mods to the M3 and the owner hasn’t done the OEM exhaust mod? I’m an SF Bay Area guy and had an E90 for 7 years. It is THE best bang for the buck mod. A couple hundred bucks and a trip to Minute Muffler in Dublin will convert that baby to how it should have sounded form the factory - it sings at high RPM and is nasty at cold start with no drone at low RPM.

I really am starting to get into these NA V8 gt sports cars. Great comparison with E9x M3 and V8 Vantage. I'd like to throw the Mustang into this too. After your Dark Horse track review, it really put those cars on the radar for me. I'm really considering a Mach 1 in the future depending on their price. Correct me if I'm wrong but you haven't driven just a regular Z51 C7 Corvette with manual yet right? I'd love to see that car along with other V8 manual coupes as a comparison and see if there's value in the market for those cars. I'd consider it if cross-shopping

Quite a quirky comparison indeed! One of the first times an E9X M3 came out as inferior 😢

Thanks for this interesting comparison! Does anyone else think the 2008-2012 V8 Vantage is the best model in the lineup, with its 4.7L engine and improved dynamics while preserving its stunning design? In my opinion, the rear diffuser and front splitter introduced in 2012 disrupt the overall coherence of the V8 Vantage's design, losing the original near-perfect proportions of the car.

Love the Aston but for that money my money would pointed at a TypeF Jag, or a C6 Z06 Centennial or Carbon Edition

I'm literally torn between these two right now and this video gets posted. It's almost fate lol.

A comparison I'm forced to make every time I go out to the garage. 😅 With the exception my M3 is a DTC E92. The M3 is a better driver. better built, and sounds better. The V8V is GORGEOUS, sounds great, and attracts attention everywhere you go. Sooner or later I'll probably need to make a choice. For now, they're different cars for different purposes.

audi r8 v8 manual vs a new v8 vantage s? I think that would be a great review too even tho they serve different purposes ( mr vs fr and awd vs rwd)

E90 with DCT is sublime.

Put the Ferrari California v8 or cali t in these comparison list. We love to see

I’m considering selling my 997 for the Aston. Have driven a couple of them and the sound from the V8 is glorious. The only thing that annoys me is that since I have a long torso, my head is up by the top of the windshield so my view out is not the greatest.

I love e9X M3’s to death but c’mon.. no comparison here.

Astons are very reliable.

V12 Vantage with a 6 speed manual when?

I'd definitely take Vantage over that M3. Sucks about the awkward heel/toe pedal setup though.

Vantage is certainly not a “2+2” coupe.

Both 2+2 coupes?

The e90 m3 is such a good daily of you can afford all that gas guzzling

Not a like for like comparison,but I like the BMW more. Nice video though.

Comparing a 2 seater sports car, costing 30 grand more, to a 4 door family saloon with large rear seats ? It doesn't really make any sense. If I wanted a fast family saloon, I'd buy the M3, but if I wanted a fast 2 seater sports car I'd buy a Porsche.

Sorry can't take this seriously, you're scared of the bends...

What is it with SoCal car youtubers and heel and toeing? Dude, I know literal race car drivers that do not see it as a necessity in race driving. Your skills are so far removed of heel and toe making a difference. Also, if you feel the need to heel and toe to not unsettle the car during braking you’re waaaay over the limit for a public road anyhow.

Aston all the way

Why are you fixated on heel/toe?