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Vantage. An evocative name for a magnificent bloodline of thoroughbred sports cars. For eight decades, the heartbeat of Aston Martin's purest models, the Vantage nameplate has been worn by some of its most memorable designs - and this is another of them, now considerably improved with more power, sharper handling and a new cabin design. If you think you know what an Aston is and can be - and you haven't tried this enhanced Vantage, then you might need to think again. As with the brand's other models, you might still buy it because of the way it looks or because it makes you feel like James Bond. We think though, that you'll simply want one because it's a very, very good sports car.
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Driving experience
An awful lot has gone on with the engineering here. Yes, the Mercedes-AMG-sourced twin turbo 4.0-litre V8 engine up-front is basically the same, but now it develops an awful lot more power - 656bhp, 153bhp more than before. It's now very much a bespoke Vantage engine, with larger turbos, higher boost pressures, reprofiled camshafts and an optimised compression ratio. Drive is still sent to the rear wheels via an 8-speed auto transmission mounted on the rear axle alongside an electronically-controlled limited slip differential. That gearbox has been toughened up, recalibrated and gives a shorter final drive for greater in-gear punch and a higher top speed (now rated at 202mph). 0-62mph takes 3.5s (0.2s faster than before), the same as the old limited-run V12 Vantage S.
There are lots of changes beyond the engine too. The springs have been recalibrated and the dampers tweaked too, now working with a more sophisticated integrated vehicle dynamics system. As before, there's an adaptive damping system which incorporates Skyhook technology and offers the choice of Sport, Sport Plus and Track modes. Aston claims a 30% increase in stiffness across the rear axle. And reckons that an improvement in steering feel is the first thing drivers will notice about this improved model, achieved thanks to a new non-isolated steering column. The car was developed on UK roads and uses grippy Michelin Pilot Sport 5S tyres bespoke-developed for it.
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Design and build
A bit like what's on offer with the engineering of this updated Vantage, the design here is familiar, yet different. There's a choice of Coupe or Volente convertible body shapes. The fundamental bodywork is borrowed from the limited-run V12 version of the previous model. But there are changes. The clamshell bonnet's been replaced by a more conventional one and the previous thin headlamps have been replaced by more upright LED matrix units. There's an expanded grille and restyled wings with traditional side strakes. At the rear, there are new quad exhaust outlets integrated into the lower bumper.
Inside, there are plenty of cabin differences too, many of them influenced by the interior architecture of the DB12, though this Vantage still features its own lower console and different door cards. What is shared is Aston Martin's latest infotainment system, its larger centre screen a vast improvement over the fiddly, dated centre monitor that was fitted before. The digital instrument panel is far clearer and more detailed too. A typical Vantage customer is likely to want to consider the optional carbon fibre bucket seats as an alternative to the standard Sport seat design. As before, the cabin seats only two. Instead of the (rather useful) tiny rear chairs fitted to this car's two main rivals (the Porsche 911 Turbo and the Mercedes-AMG GT) there's just a small bench. Out back, the 350-litre boot of the Coupe is the same size as before.
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Market and model
You'll want to know the price - around £165,000 for Coupe model, quite a lot more than the outgoing car. The Vantage is fitted as standard with the Aston Martin 390w 11-speaker audio system. However, true audiophiles will delight in the optional system developed with the brand's audio partner, Bowers & Wilkins. Acoustically engineered to the Vantage's interior volume and shape, this exceptional system uses technologies and innovations found in Bowers & Wilkins' acclaimed world-class loudspeakers.
Vantage owners can enhance the sporting character of Vantage even further, by selecting one of three core livery designs. Available in 21 colors, a client can choose to add a Pinstripe, Pinstripe and Lipstick or Pinstripe, Lipstick and Rear infill.
The Vantage features 21-inch forged alloy wheels as standard. There is a choice of three different designs - standard Five-Spoke and optional Multi-Spoke and Y-Spoke - in a range of colours and finishes, including Satin Bronze, first introduced on DB12. Carbon Ceramic Brakes (CCB) can be specified on Vantage as an option. Offering increased braking performance and reduced brake fade at temperatures of up to 800 °C, fitting CCB also saves 27kg in unsprung mass compared to the cast-iron braking system, which in turn improves ride quality and steering response.
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Cost of ownership
The 4.0-litre V8 fitted to most Vantage models may be Mercedes-sourced in the interests of efficiency but it isn't especially economical; you'll do well to better 20mpg in regular use and you'll need to think of a CO2 figure in the region of 250g/km. At least a decently sized fuel tank means a reasonable operating range - expect around 300 miles on average. Overall, you'd think that you could hardly annoy Greenpeace more if you were to attach a whale-harpooning gun to the bonnet. Yet should you be inveigled into conversation with a bearded type, you could point out that in some ways, this car is very green indeed. There's no wasteful recycling needed here because due to its build, no recycling is needed. There's nothing to rust and nothing to decay. Look after your Aston and it will still be thrilling people in fifty years time.
Back in the here and now, insurance of course is a top-of-the-shop group 50, but at least repair and servicing costs aren't desperately exorbitant. This car is, after all, designed for everyday use and must be relatively affordable as such. Residual values are about the same as those of a Porsche 911 - which means that they're very good indeed.
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Summary
You probably wouldn't have chosen one of Aston's early Vantages in preference to one of the brand's more exclusive models. But that might change with this updated version. There's now an agility and focus here that you won't find in any of the brand's other cars. And if you are fortunate enough to be deliberating between the company's two targeted rivals - Porsche's 911 Turbo S and the Mercedes-AMG GT - you absolutely have to be considering a Vantage as well.
Its other attributes are as before. There is, we think, something soulless about the clinical perfection of a Porsche or a Mercedes-AMG model that you just don't get here. And it's one of the reasons why you'll find any Vantage simply overflowing with the special feel you want in the sportscar you've dreamed of owning all your life. More exclusive than a Jaguar F-TYPE R, more traditional in its layout than a Porsche 911, it's brilliant and it's British. Enough said.
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