In this review of the new Aston Martin Vantage, Henry Catchpole ponders wherefore and how art the 656bhp baby of the range is like a James Bond film. Of course, we are familiar with 007 driving a fine silver slice from Newport Pagnell or Gaydon, but it’s far from the only predictable trope: music, gadgets, villains, M, Q, Moneypenny – all are expected. And so it is with the spec sheet of a Vantage.
The looks are instantly recognisable – perhaps more so than with the last generation – with classically Aston Martin design cues. And it is stunning. The AMG-sourced 4-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 is up front, as you’d expect, albeit behind the front wheels. Predictably, power goes solely to the rear wheels, all 656bhp and 590lb ft of it. It’s a script that is comforting in its recognisability.
It is also very recognisable if you have perused the particulars of the Aston Martin DB12 that was launched in 2023. In fact, save for a couple of seats and a very minor discrepancy in the power figures, they look like nearly identical cars. Even the Michelin Pilot Sport 5 S tyres are the same size, front and rear. So, one of the big questions for Catchpole was whether the new Vantage would feel markedly different to drive.
The setting for the test was the countryside near Seville in southern Spain, with the blood red Rio Tinto running through it. We also took a new Vantage – this time decked out in an F1 safety car colour scheme – to Circuito Monteblanco for some fast laps. Of course, we seized the opportunity to try out the handling with the new nine-stage traction control turned off, but it was also interesting to see how the Vantage’s 50 per cent increase in cooling helped the car cope with temperatures approaching 32C.
At £165,000, the new Aston Martin Vantage is in competition with the Porsche 911 Turbo S, the Mercedes AMG GT, the Ferrari Roma, and potentially the Maserati MC20. In other words, it has to stack up. Let us know in the comments whether you think the new Vantage is a Daniel Craig or a George Lazenby.
