Guys I think you are being rather blinkered, Porsche's are fabulous cars, no doubt & I LOVE them, but don't just discount other brands out of hand when you haven't even driven them , or have only had a short test drive.
The Aston Vantage V8 is a fabulous car & still great as drivers machine. the 997S may be a more accomplished drivers car than the V8, but not by that much & the Aston knocks the Porsche for six when it comes to exterior & interior design.
Overall it is a draw, so you pay's your money & take your choice, but don't believe for one minute that anything short of a GT3 or Turbo would loose an V8 accross country, ain't going to happen! Credit where credit due, Aston have done a good job with the AMV8.