• The twin-turbo V8 cut out the moment water reached the engine bay.
  • Lister Cars CEO Lawrence Whittaker filmed and posted the incident.
  • The driver admitted the water just didn’t look that deep to him.

The life of this new Aston Martin Vantage may have been cut short all because the British owner thought it’d be a good idea to drive it through a flooded road. The lesson here is an old one. If you don’t know how deep the water is, you don’t drive into it, especially not in a car worth this kind of money.

A clip of the mishap was posted to X by none other than Lawrence Whittaker, the CEO of fellow British manufacturer Lister Cars. In it, the owner of the silver Vantage attempts to cross a stretch of deep water along a narrow B-road. About halfway through, the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 cuts out and leaves him stranded in the middle of it.

Read: Aston Martin Cranks The Vantage Up To 11 With New Hardcore Variant

When the driver gets out, he’s absolutely livid, and we don’t blame him. Moments later, he can be heard speaking on the phone with someone, stating, “I mean the car’s not full up, but it’s obviously got into the engine, it just didn’t look that deep.”

Heading To An Early Auto Grave?

The clip ultimately ends with three men, including the driver, huddled around the engine, clearly trying to understand why it cut out and whether there’s anything they can do to save it. We can also see the front tow hook was screwed into position, so presumably the Aston Martin was towed out from its watery grave.

Road & Track points out that the owner has already earned himself a nickname online, “James Pond,” which is about the kindest thing the internet was ever going to do for a man who just watched his sports car go for a swim.

The Vantage’s intakes sit right at the front of the engine bay, and it appears the water was at least deep enough to cover part of the grille. If the engine sucked in water, it probably hydrolocked and shut off instantly. Depending on the damage, repairing the AMG-sourced V8 may be possible, though it would be expensive. Alternatively, Aston Martin may recommend completely replacing the engine, or the car’s insurer may even decide to total it if the repairs are too costly.

James Pond’s Aston Martin Found A Puddle With A License To Drown
Lead image Lawrence Whittaker / X