If we’re being honest, the Aston Martin Vantage, which launched in 2018, was a bit lacklustre. It was underpowered, and dynamically it never felt that settled—not an ideal proposition for a two-door sports car that was meant to be the brand’s most engaging offering.
Well, it only seems to have motivated the team in Gaydon to bring out their best, because the Vantage’s facelift (from RM2.37 million), announced last year, was a whopper. Its hand-built twin-turbo 4.0l V8 has been extensively tuned and optimised, with new cam profiles and compression ratios, as well as larger turbos and better cooling. It has resulted in an incredible 30 per cent uplift in power and 15 per cent in torque. The final figures are 656bhp and 800Nm, respectively, which is good enough to send the new Vantage from 0-100km/h in 3.4 seconds and to a top speed of 325km/h. The handling upgrades are also significant. The bonded aluminium chassis is stiffer than before. It has new intelligent adaptive dampers that are smarter than ever, providing much greater control over force distribution for a more capable and controlled ride. Its frame is 30mm wider, while the front grille is some 38 per cent larger to accommodate the additional cooling.
As a result, the Vantage feels impeccable to drive. There is plenty of power on tap through the snappy and seamless eight-speed automatic transmission. In the corners, it is precise and controlled, but also engaging. Like the DBX707, it manages to feel deliberate, responsive, and well-connected, even during the simplest and slowest of traffic-ridden manoeuvres. There is a reassuring, athletic heft to its steering wheel and pedal action, and has that blissfully classic layout of front engine and rear-wheel drive—and 50:50 weight distribution, as well.
The reality is that, though the Vantage does not feel like it has any shortcomings, a direct comparison reveals that it does lag behind its competitors. It is powerful, yes, but far from the most powerful. It also will not be setting any record lap times—not at a dry weight of 1,605kg. But is that a problem for an Aston Martin? Yes, racing pedigree is part of its history, the Vantage itself has found success as an endurance GT racer, and it still does have a Formula 1 team. But it is also uniquely associated with elegance, heritage, and refinement—the sort of car a British super spy might cruise around in. There’s a reason that the DB5 is the brand’s most iconic car, it being the lengthened, more well-appointed evolution of the DB4.
The Vantage is not billed as a grand tourer, but it could function as one. There is no ‘Comfort’ drive programme; it starts off instead with ‘Sport’, and though on the firm side, it adapts surprisingly well to bumps in the road. One thing the Vantage is missing is a lift function for road bumps—because it does not need one. The cabin is not cramped for a two-door sports car—you may even call it roomy. There is a proper, feature-filled centre console between the seats, with plenty of buttons and a pair of cup holders. There is a sense of fineness to the interior, from the suppleness of the leather trim to the solid switching of the gear lever. The 10.25in central infotainment touchscreen is fairly sizable, and the operating system is responsive and in keeping with modern expectations. The optional Bowers & Wilkins sound system delivers 1,170W through 15 speakers, and the parcel shelf behind the headrests is actually quite usable. Even the boot, which has a capacity of up to 346 litres, could fit a couple of cabin-sized suitcases—or you could even finagle a golf bag in there. It makes the Vantage a genuinely viable option for weekend getaways. And if you had to drive for hours to get there—well, not only would it be a pretty fun time, but you’d also arrive in pretty good condition, too.
So, no, the Vantage is not the leanest or meanest car that one can buy. Although it may be beaten out by its rivals on the track—off it, it feels like it has much more.
