AUSTRALIAN NEW CAR & SUV BUYER’S GUIDE | 19E
ven Aston Martin admits that
for most of existence it has
made Russian dolls – one car
in several different sizes. But
all that changed with the 2017
DB11 grand tourer, the fi rst
product of a range renewal plan,
and is confi rmed by the second
newcomer, Vantage.
Vantage is the sportscar in
Aston’s new portfolio, and its
sole two-seater. It has been
repositioned with a price rise of
around $80,000, pitching against
the Audi R8 RWS, Porsche 911
GTS and Mercedes-AMG GT S –
the best sub-Ferrari performers
money can buy.
Vantage can hold its head up
in this crowd. It has nothing in
common with its predecessor
but shares a version of Aston’s
new generation underpinnings.
Like DB11, it uses electronic
architecture and a V8 engine
sourced from Daimler, maker
of Mercedes.
In design and driving character,
Vantage breaks the mould. Its look
is agile and athletic, with muscular
fl anks and a low nose housing
fresh approaches to the brand’s
grille and headlights. To achieve
this, it loses Aston’s signature
uninterrupted bonnet “shut-lines”.
You sit immersed in a snug
leather cockpit, the steering
wheel a fl attened ovoid. The
centre console is tightly laid
out with Aston’s familiar
transmission selector buttons,
aircon and other controls topped
by a screen with menus and
functions courtesy of Mercedes.
Vantage disguises these supplied
ingredients better than DB11.
It can be a lavish interior,
with myriad trim possibilities.
Aston’s inventive options
include “brogue-style” stitched
and punched leather. But the
cabin is let down by unavoidably
low-rent plastics for the
instrument cowls and vents.
Daimler’s 4.0-litre twin-turbo
V8 can be found in various states
of tune in most Mercedes-AMGs,
including the GT, a direct rival.
It feels at home here. There’s
the hardcore power delivery youexpect in an Aston along with
exemplary response. Vantage
blitzes to 100km/h in 3.7 seconds
accompanied by a visceral growl
and, when you lift and brake for
a corner, a spatter of exhaust
grenades. It accelerates quicker
and has a higher top speed –
314km/h - than all but the most
extreme AMG GT R.
Along with pace, Vantage has
the crisp refl exes of a proper
sports car. Its 1.5-plus tonnes
are balanced evenly between the
axles, adaptive dampers keep the
car pinned to the ground and an
electronic rear differential helps
power get to the road.
How it behaves depends on
the smoothness and precision
of driver inputs, and the controls
are a nice match for the task.
Vantage turns into a corner
without hesitation and the
steering is a highlight, pointing
the car neatly and then unwinding
evenly to let you feed in throttle.
Sitting low and right in the middle
of the car, you sense every
nuance of movement and grip.The sweetest sportscars
reward the driver regardless of
speed. Vantage is one of those.
It has character and charm and,
vitally for Aston, now looks and
drives quite differently from its
other cars.By Philip KingSafety
Not yet tested
PerformanceHandlingQuality and reliabilityComfort and refi nementValue for moneyOverallSTARS
THINGS WE LIKE
Responsive, characterful V
Plenty of pace
Crisp, agile handling
Driver engagement
Modern Mercedes electronics
THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE
Fussy interior design
Cheap plastic vents and instrument
shroud
First Aston with a “nose cone”
Uneven hand-built quality
SPEX
Made in England
4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V
petrol/eight-speed automatic/rear-
wheel drive
375kW of power at 6000rpm/685Nm
of torque from 2000-5000rpm
0-100km/h in 3.7 seconds [claimed]
8.0L/100km highway; 14.2L/100km
city; 98 octane; CO2 emissions are
236g/km
Warranty: Three years/unlimited km
Standard equipment: Four airbags,
stability control, blind-spot sensor,
keyless start, alarm, surround
cameras, parking assistance, LED
headlights, 20-inch alloys, sports
seats, partial leather and suede-
look trim, navigation, dual-zone air,
Bluetooth
Redbook future values: 3yr: 52%;
5yr: 40%compare with ...
Audi R8, Mercedes AMG GT S,
Porsche 911GTSASTON MARTIN VANTAGE FROM $299,