THE ASTON MARTIN V8 VANTAGE
OVERVIEW
The newest Aston Martin Vantage is the entry level from the british brand signifies a new direction for the heritage sports car maker. notable more aggressive in engine and exhaust note as well as its sculpted body work. But there's nothing basic about this thoroughbred of British sports car, with its unique styling and a 503-hp twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 that is shared from Mercedes-AMG.
ENGINE & PERFORMANCE
The engine is the first collaboration between Mercedes-AMG and Aston Martin, it a transplant from the AMG-GT model variant, with a 503-horsepower twin-turbo V8 with 505 pound-feet of torque— the Vantage will do 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds. Most notably the engine sounds beautiful aggressive, starting with a low baritone rumble at idle and finishing with a high-strung shriek as it nears its redline. Not exactly what comes to mind when one mentions Aston Martin, but we must not forget, this is the car of choice by James Bond.
An eight-speed automatic is the sole transmission, an electronically controlled limited-slip differential and adaptive dampers are standard. The Vantage is tail-happy there’s no denying, but it is predictable and moves intuitively due to balanced weight distribution, the driver aids also assist greatly, notably the suspension is compliant enough for daily-driver usage including rush hour traffic, although harsh bumps will be obvious to passengers no matter which drive mode is selected for the adaptive dampers. The exhaust idle and soundtrack differs significantly between Comfort, Sport and Race modes but nonetheless is a beautiful orchestra.
INTERIOR
Though strictly a two-seater, the cabin is comfortable, unlike the DB line with it’s useless rear seating for anyone larger than a toddler. The interior of the Vantage is geared towards sport and very driver focused which gets no complaints from me. Those familiar with modern days Mercedes Benz vehicles will notice right away that the cabin architecture is shared with the German counterpart; from the centre console, the infotainment system and control knobs for example. The interior is cozy and the driving position is low in alignment with older generation Vantages, the sports seats are lined with leather and alcantara with power adjustments and memory settings as standard.
Aston Martin offers many options such as a full-leather interior, heated and ventilated seats, a carbon-fiber steering wheel and trims, various embroidered headrests, a self-parking feature, and several different options for interior trim, among many other features. If you want the ultime bespoke option. there is Q BY ASTON MARTIN
Q by Aston Martin - Commission. The second stage of our enhanced offering is 'Q by Aston Martin – Commission', a step into the world of the truly bespoke, individual sports car. A journey that involves a personal collaboration with our design team.
DESIGN
Getting down to the vehicle architecture, Aston delivers an all aluminum tub, and the exterior panels are a mix of composites, aluminum, and carbon fiber—and no steel. Many parts from the Vantage have been created from scratch and have not been shared from their other lines.
Then there's the look. First thing: There's no grille. Have no fear; there is a massive air intake mouth that carries the classic Aston Martin front design elevation. The rear of the Vantage is my favourite angle. the wide wheel arches and stance is offset by the narrow LED strip that follows the lines of the rear. A sexy ducktail trunklid combats front lift. Underneath, there's are aggressive splitters and diffusers that look right off a race car to direct airflow and reduce turbulence. If anything negative from the rear, I think the detailing of the exhaust pipes could have been better executed, otherwise there are absolutely no complaints from me. I honestly think the Vantage has one of the best looking rears in the sports car market right now. Up the front, the LED headlamps are small and disproportionate to the sheer size of the long calm shell bonnet (race car vibes) and the massive air intake at the front. The front end is less aggressive and appears to have adopted the “less is more” approach.
Another point worth mention is that Aston Martin is indeed aiming for a younger target customer with the Vantage line, young professionals who love driving ( think Porsche 911, Ferrari 812, AMG-GT owners). This stance is affirmed with the outrageous paint selections available. The Vantage launch vehicle was presented in the radioactive- paint "Lime Essence," which happens to also be the colour of the vehicle I am driving.
CONCLUSION
Aston Martin has priced the Vantage just above HKD$1.175000M/USD$150,000. That's a bit more than a comparable Porsche 911 GTS, and gets you a back seat. And it's about the same price as the Mercedes-AMG GT C coupe (which shares the same engine, remember) . Which raises the question: Is the Vantage a better car than the AMG? Does it have the daily driver chops of the Porsche? Or is it merely competitive?
2019 Aston Martin Vantage Statistics
BASE PRICE HKD$1.175000M/USD$153,081
VEHICLE LAYOUTFront-engine, RWD, 2-passenger 2-door hatchback
ENGINE4.0L/503-hp/505-lb-ft twin-turbo DOHC 32-valve V-8
TRANSMISSION8-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT 1530kg (dry)
WHEELBASE 2700mm
LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT 4.46m x 1.94m x 1.27m
0-60 MPH/0-100km/h 3.5 sec
Top speed 195mph/314km/h
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dress well, drink well. live well
L.M
