Aston Martin Vantage goes from old school to cool new generation



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DAVID LINKLATER

First Kiwi runway outing for the all-new Vantage from Aston Martin.

ASTON MARTIN VANTAGE
Price:
$ 249,000
Power Train: 4.0-liter twin-turbo-petrol V8 (375kW / 685Nm). Automatic eight-speed, RWD. Combined economy 10.5 liters per 100km, 0-100kmh 3.6 seconds
Body style: Coupe.
Available for sale: Now.

Small but noisy, compact but crazy-fast, with a bit of James Bond: The all-new Vantage sports car from Aston Martin was launched in New Zealand

Make me an instant expert: what do I need to know?

  The all-new Vantage has the traditional Aston Martin grille - if you look pretty low.

DAVID LINKLATER / STUFF

The all-new Vantage still has the traditional Aston Martin grille – if you look pretty low.

buckle the loop, there is a little talk about here Vantage is a big problem because it is the entry-level model of Aston (if a machine d & # 39; 39, a quarter of a million dollars can be called such a thing). The Vantage of the previous generation recorded more than 300 sales during its lifetime in New Zealand

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Remember, it took time to get there. The outgoing version is now 13 years old, which is another reason why a new version is very important.

In fact, the latest Vantage is the second of a new model from Aston Martin to launch seven new vehicles over seven years (the first was the DB11).

  Adaptive shock absorbers, e-diff at the back. But Vantage feels very pure and natural on the track.

SUPPLIED

Adaptive shock absorbers, e-diff at the back. But Vantage feels very pure and natural on the track.

It is based on Aston's new aluminum architecture and also benefits from Aston's technical partnership with Mercedes-AMG. Which is a polite way of saying that it is powered by AMG's excellent 4.0 liter V8 biturbo engine (with some changes, including different turbochargers) and also benefits from electronic systems. of Benz – including infotainment and this funny touchpad that you still see in Mercs

To answer the obvious question, yes the Vantage is closely related to the DB10 created for the James Bond film Specter . The movie car was created from prototypes made for the Vantage of the time, but the film version went in a different direction and was rushed, while the Vantage continued its cautious development trajectory [19659009]

    
        

     Driving Astons on a race track: it's the stands

DAVID LINKLATER / STUFF

Driving Astons on a race track: that's the stands

Exclusively on the Hampton Downs circuit in Waikato. No, it's not a track car, but it's very much at home and where can you get an idea of ​​the capabilities of a coupe that's 0-100 km / h in 3.6 dry and 314kmh?

Yes, it would be interesting to take a ride on the road too. But let's not look at a gift horse in the grille: it was really just a taster because we were gatecrashing an Aston Martin customer event. It's not often that we have the opportunity to drive a specialized model like this in anger; It is only this time because they are factory cars (some DB11s in the mix) delivered for various events, both static and dynamic.

  Vantage drives DB11 V8 on the track: same engine, very different cars. 19659030] DAVID LINKLATER / STUFF </span>
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Vantage drives DB11 V8 on the track: same engine, very different cars.

It's probably stupid to compare the new model with ye-olde-Vantage, but the previous version was compact, strong, very fast and incredibly catchy, while feeling a raw and scary twist.

The news is compact, noisy, very fast and extremely adherent, but there is a level of communication and compliance that is at the next level. So, it's more usable and accessible, but also ultimately a lot more capable too.

This is the first Aston to have an electronic rear differential ("e-diff" if you like) and it also has sophisticated adaptive dampers, but it does not have the impression of being in a better position. strongly support these kinds of things. It's a very fast and endearing sports car

What stands out the most?

  Curvaceous

DAVID LINKLATER / STUFF

The curvaceous "blade of light" is the distinctive feature at the back. 19659014] Like everything feels well sorted. If the previous Vantage was the best kit car in the world, this new is a high-end product perfectly polished.

This should not be surprising when you consider the people involved. Aston has recruited ex-BMWs and Ferrari for its new-generation models, while the Vantage chassis was designed by Matt Becker, the former Lotus. From where the smoothness to go with this wild performance

Why would I buy it?

  Custom made for most cockpits, but you can not ignore the Mercedes touchpad.

DAVID LINKLATER / STUFF

Custom-made for most cockpits, but you can not ignore the touchpad of Mercedes

It seems incredible and Aston finally lost that thing where he has to make every model look like all other models. In fact, the boss of the company, Andy Palmer, has decreed that each new Aston must be unique. Things start well.

Vantage has one of the best V8 engines in the industry and this sounds amazing. It's great to drive too, at least depending on our track experience. This is well done and inside the cabin, everything is at the cutting edge of technology and everything works. There was a little glitchy in the good old days, without any mistakes.

Since it is essentially a rival of the Porsche 911, Vantage looks more exotic than it should be for the price

I buy it

  Works as a driver day-to-day, although it is still low enough to go in and out.

DAVID LINKLATER

Works as a driver day-to-day, although it is

Because it's still not as practical as a Porsche 911 and that's # It does not offer the same multiplicity of models;

Or maybe because driving an Aston Martin with a Mercedes-AMG engine and Benz's recognizable interior parts hits your old-school sensibilities. But have you read a bit about how everything works?


– Stuff

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