Flair Magazine Aston Martin’s new twin-turbo, 503bhp 4-liter V8 super coupe is a beaut. Designed by Mark Reichman, the new Vantage supercar aligns itself with Aston’s famous 007 style but also takes it to a whole new level. It performs with an acceleration of 0-62 mph in 3.6 seconds and an impressive speed up to 195 mph. While an eight-speed automatic is the sole transmission, a seven-speed manual is in the works. Everyone is wondering if it is a worthy rival of the Porsche 911. We think it most certainly is.
The new Vantage rocks the spotlight with high-tech and contemporary sportswear-looking veneer, especially the Vibrant Lime Essence official launch color. Surprisingly, it has almost nothing in common with its predecessor and features over seventy percent of new components over the DB11. Only thirty three percent of the car structure is shared with a DB11, which is 274mm longer than the Vantage and 2mm narrower.
Dubbed “the archetypal hunter”, the Vantage has a flick in the tail and the lowest nose Aston has ever produced. It also has a maximum of 2 doors and 2 seats. The exterior is a mix of aluminium and plastic composites, with a dry weight of 1530kg, including the lightweight options provided. Signature ultra-slim rear light graphic irradiates the full width of the tailgate, highlighted by the flick in the Vantage’s tail. “The design is very functional, with a strong emphasis on aerodynamics” explained Reichman. “It has much stronger athletic lines than the DB11. It’s more aggressive. If the DB11 is a samurai sword, this is a scalpel.”
Concerning the chassis, the Vantage has a double-wishbone suspension at the front, a multi-link at the rear and adjustable dampers all-round with torque-vectoring by braking. While we’ve seen all this before, this is the first Aston car to have a new electronic diff which beats the purely mechanical LSD by going from fully open to 100 per cent locked in a only a few milliseconds.
The carbon fibre interior gives you the impression that you’re in a cockpit, which is exactly what you want from a beautiful sports car. This is emphasized with the lower driving position that causes a more immersive and engaging experience for the driver. The infotainment system isn’t a touchscreen so it is operated with a touchpad, a rotary input device and voice command, and since the voice recognition software is Mercedes technology, it is nothing less than premium. To say the least, we are very impressed.
By Sarah Guirguis
