Aston Martin is surging ahead with several product launches and overhauls under the new ownership of Lawrence Stroll. The latest is the new and improved Vantage, the entry-level sports car from the British manufacturer that is seeking greater commercial success to match its undeniable badge appeal. Vantage is about introducing owners to Aston Martin’s particular take on style, luxury and performance. Power and handling are critical to a car in this sector. We’ll come to that later, but what hits you first about the new Vantage is the way it looks. The dalliance with clean lines on the last version has been dropped in favour of a sculptural, bold stance reminiscent of the limited edition One-77 that Aston Martin rolled out over a decade ago. The grille is bigger — 38 per cent bigger to be exact — and the overall design brings it closer to the other models in the family.
If the car’s exterior doesn’t have owners of the outgoing model racing to the dealership to trade up, then the interior will surely convince them. Inside, it mirrors the DB12’s new cockpit, and this substantial change is the step the marque needs to make in order to climb to the top of this sector. The touchscreen is the new Aston Martin bespoke infotainment system, which controls many vehicle functions while sensibly leaving the main driver aids on hard keys on the central console. Bowers and Wilkins are back with an impressive 1170-watt sound system driving 15 speakers behind their stainless steel grilles.The same new steering wheel as on the DB12 is another upgrade for the driver. Looking out, the frameless rear view mirrors are attractively designed. But, more important, they allow the body to be a fairly considerable 30mm wider without creating a wider footprint overall — resulting in a broader track to aid performance.
What about that performance? The last Vantage was a big step up from the car it replaced, and with this one the game has undoubtedly moved on significantly again. On numbers alone it’s impressive. The top speed of 202mph and a 0-60 mph time of 3.4 seconds is rapid, yet it doesn’t tell the whole story, as that’s not a huge difference from the outgoing model. More revealing is the huge 30 per cent hike in horsepower. The car is unquestionably more dynamic and stiffer, but it feels more usable. A nine-stage traction control system will give the dedicated drivers hours of tinkering before they find, or indeed exceed, the limit of their talent. For those who just want to press start and head to their destination as quickly as possible, the Vantage will oblige — and in the process make them look like a rock star. The throttle map in everything other than Track mode gives you all the power more quickly than before, and it’s instantly noticeable on the road. In that Track mode, the throttle is more progressive, giving you a greater degree of control and confidence in a car keen to bring out the dormant racing driver you’ve always imagined yourself to be.
Overall the brand reinvention seems to be working. The F1 team is doing well, and its star driver, Fernando Alonso, has recently signed a new contract, meaning he will be piloting the distinctive green Formula 1 car for a few more years to come. The race car is joined on track by the Vantage F1 Safety Car, both providing a high-speed global advert for the car maker. The positive effect of this is being felt in sales, as green has now replaced silver as the most popular colour for Aston Martin purchases. No small feat for a colour that wasn’t even in the top ten not so long ago.
With any car of this nature you are almost obliged to tread out the well-used phrase that it “has the Porsche 911 in its sights”. Sure enough, performance and execution have undoubtedly moved closer to that Teutonic benchmark, but purchasers are likely to choose this Vantage on its own merits.
