Aston Martin V8 & Vantage Tyres
Aston Martin V8 1969–1989
- The original Aston Martin DBS V8 fitted 225/70VR15 PIRELLI CINTURATO CN12 (not currently in production), then 225/70 VR 15 Avon ACR3 as standard on 7” wheels.
- The Avon only has a V speed rating, so we would suggest fitting the 225/70 WR 15 Michelin XWX as a better handling upgrade with a W speed rating.
- Automatic models of the AM V8 and the Volante often fitted 235/70 R 15 Avon Turbosteel which is predominantly a Rolls Royce tyre and offers a softer ride. We would recommend fitting the 235/70R15 Michelin XVS Whitewall for a whitewall tyre with a more stable ride with better directional stability.
- Our period fitment guides state that the V8 was released on tubeless wheels, so Aston Martin V8 innertubes are not mandatory. If you do fit innertubes 225/70 R 15 tyres fit a Michelin 15/17H, and 235/70 R 15 tyres fit a Michelin 15J.
- Some of the Volante models fitted the Vantage spec tyres; 255/60 WR 15 PIRELLI CINTURATO CN12, still on the same 7” wheels.
- Standard tyre pressure for an Aston Martin V8 would be 30psi front and rear, 35psi for high speed and 40psi for the track.
Aston Martin V8 Vantage 1977–1989
- The early Aston Martin Vantage cars still fitted 225/70VR15 on their 7” wheels. We would recommend the 225/70 WR 15 Michelin XWX for its excellent handling and because the Avon tyre does not have a high enough speed rating.
- From 1979 -1983 the Aston Martin V8 Vantage fitted 255/60 WR 15 PIRELLI CINTURATO ™ CN12 tyres onto its 7” wide GKN wheels.
- In 1984 Aston fitted wider 8” wheels to house Pirelli’s new P7 tyre in the size 275/55R15 (not currently available). However an 8” wide wheel is perfect for the 255/60 WR 15 PIRELLI CINTURATO ™ CN12 which we would recommend, as the article below firmly believes that a Pirelli Cinturato is the best choice, and we concur.
- Aston Martin Vantage tyre pressures we suggest 40psi front and rear.
- In 1987, the Aston Martin V8 Vantage fitted 16” wheels. We suggest fitting 255/50 YR 16 Michelin Pilot Sport or 255/50 YR 16 Pirelli P-Zero Assimetrico .
- Later AM V8 Vantage tyre pressures we suggest 36psi front and 38psi rear with 16” wheels.
AMV8 Tyres
Insufficient speed rating
By this point in the development of AMV8 cars the staggering power of their fabulous AMV8 engine was capable of propelling these cars to exceptional speeds, unfortunately, the Avon tyres are not speed rated to a suitable level only having a V speed rating. As a result we would encourage you to fit the Michelin XWX or Pirelli Cinturato tyres where possible.
History of the Aston Martin V8 & Vantage
Aston Martin desired a bigger, more modern-looking automobile to replace the DB6 model. However, because the engine was not ready, the business debuted the DBS in 1967 with the straight-six Vantage engine from the DB6. Tadek Marek's V8 was ready two years later, and Aston debuted the DBS V8. With the death of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and simply referred to as the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream vehicle for nearly two decades.
The V8 was renamed the AM V8, and it was retrospectively referred to as the Series 2 V8 to distinguish it from succeeding variants. Visual changes included dual quartz-halogen headlights and a mesh grille, a front design that would persist until 1989. AM V8 vehicles, which were manufactured from May 1972 to July 1973, utilised a similar engine to the DBS V8, but with Bosch fuel injection instead of the older carburettors. There were just 288 Series 2 automobiles constructed. Despite the fact that David Brown had departed the firm, he had overseen the creation of this concept. The first 34 automobiles were still emblazoned with "DBS V8" badging.
The V8 engine proved to be dependable, and it was clear to everyone that there was plenty of room for a big increase in the power that it could generate. The Aston Martin V8 Vantage was unveiled on February 18, 1977. Revised camshafts, an air-box, larger inlet valves and carburettors, new inlet manifolds, and redesigned plugs are said to produce a 40% boost in power and a 10% rise in torque. The same ZF manual gearbox seen in the V8 Saloon was standard. This resulted in a maximum speed of roughly 170 mph and a 0-60 mph acceleration time of 5.2 seconds.
Because of the increased power, aerodynamic modifications were required. This included a tail spoiler, a deep spoiler under the nose, and a blanked-off radiator (on most but not every model) and a blanked-off bonnet air scoop. The Vantage, like the normal AMV8, saw similar evolutionary improvements throughout its production life, including BBS wheels in 1983 and the stunning Ronal 16" wheel in 1986, as well as the 580 X Pack engine, the most powerful version built for production vehicles.
Between 1987 and 1989 the Aston Martin Vantage fitted 255/50-16 Tyres. This tyre is made by Michelin for their Collection range as the Pilot Sport, and Pirelli make a 255/50R16 P-Zero .
The DBS fitted 205VR15 Pirelli CN72 HS, but when they fitted the V8 engine they fitted the Avon 225/70VR15 Avon TurboSpeed. We suggest the Michelin 225/70VR15 XWX is the best sports car in this size.
Aston Martin’s V8 Automatic & Volante models fitted the same 235/70VR15 Avon that was used by Rolls Royce, or the 255/60VR15 Pirelli CN12 that Aston fitted to their Vantage V8.
The 255/60VR15 Cinturato CN12 was original equipment on the first V8 Vantage. In 1983 they moved to 275/55VR15 Pirelli P7 which is no longer made. We suggest sticking with the 255/60VR15 CN12.