ASTON MARTIN IS on a roll. Last year it replaced the good but flawed DB11 with the excellent DB12. Now it’s the time of the 2018-on Vantage, which received mostly positive reviews when it was launched, though its exterior styling wasn’t universally popular and the interior never looked as resolved as you might hope. The big glass gear selection buttons seemed dated, the transmission could get caught out and the steering was a little lacking in feel.
One thing it never lacked, as the sportier, lighter stablemate to the V12 DB11/12, was power from its 4.0-litre, twin-turbo AMG V8. So what’s the headline news here? More power! Yikes! 655bhp and 590lb ft translate to a 30% power hike, a 202mph top speed and 0-60mph in 3.4sec.
What else is new? The aluminium structure is stiffer, especially at the rear under cornering. The electric power-assisted steering has been tuned for greater feel and precision, and the final drive ratio has been lowered for punchier acceleration through the eight-speed ZF automatic transmission, which itself has been made faster-shifting. The electronics controlling ride, handling and steering now take advantage of new, faster processors.
What you’ll see immediately is the more characterful exterior styling and the much, much slicker interior (the dashboard, centre console and new DB12-style infotainment are transformed). Overall, the new car looks tauter and more muscular, with more styling features – such as the side strake on the front wings and the more sculptured rear bumper – along with frameless door windows and mirrors. The biggest difference, though, is the front end, which features a 38% larger front grille and extra intakes under the new Matrix LED headlights.
Turns out that the bigger grille was needed to cool the more powerful engine. To allow the increase in size while keeping the styling balance correct, the car has been widened by 30mm. Now, no-one wants a wider car these days, do they? So was it worth the increase?
Well, let’s just say that no-one will really need more power than this. On the tight, twisty Circuito Monteblanco in Spain, the power was almost a liability and acceleration betwe
