When I first drove the Aston Martin Vantage in Spain, it was quite lovely. Through a cloud of jet lag and unfamiliarity with Spanish road culture, it was evident then that the updated baby Aston had something special going for it. That something became extremely clear on my home roads during Cool Car Cup: The new Vantage is a true driver’s car.
I waxed my lyrics to a clear shine in our Cool Car Cup megapost, so I’ll save the soppy details–The Vantage is spectacular because it is unafraid. It will turn, and it feels like it might even turn too much. The crux of it is a robust front axle–That’s to say, the front tires will turn the car as much as you ask them to. Understeer is only at the very edges of the Vantage’s lexicon, and only happens if you rush it or drive it incorrectly. At its core, the thing will rotate as much as you demand of it.
It’s front-engined rear-drive bliss. Combined with the stunning sheet metal, new interior, and nuclear bomb twin-turbo V-8 engine, it’s something to behold. The only weakness is the gearbox, which I mentioned being good in the video, but doesn’t stand up on the track. But the overall effect was shocking, and in the distinguished company of the Porsche 718 Spyder RS, Lamborghini Revuelto, and Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, the Vantage truly stood the test.
