A new Aston Martin Vantage, it's about time...
The original has been changed multiple times of course. It got special editions, it got facelifts,
but basically, it was a car from 2005.
And that's old for a car in a time like this. A time in which cars get replaced more often,
get updated more often, and where the amount of technology keeps increasing.
Aston Martin is now in a different era of course. Back then, they were still owned by Ford,
but now they're an independent manufacturer, and they're doing well.
Finally. The special editions earned them a budget.
Think of a GT8 or a GT12... Even the Vulcan, which was €1.700.000.
They were all limited and they were all sold out incredibly quick.
That gave Aston Martin a little financial room, so that they could start building production vehicles again.
First, they launched the DB11, and it's doing well.
The sales are up, they're higher than Aston Martin had hoped really.
That's why it's time for the next step; a new Vantage.
Slightly cheaper, thus more important because Aston Martin will sell even more of these.
Also, they're built to be eye catchers.
The DB9 and Vantage have been praised for having the best designs ever, the incredibly sharp lines by Henrik Fisker...
It isn't exactly easy trumping that design, so what did Aston Martin do?
They've pulled them apart. The DB11 might be a little more agressive than the DB9 was,
but it's still a quiet GT-coupé. If you take a look at the Vantage however,
it isn't exactly quiet... Just look at that nose,
how extreme it's become.
Very small headlights and a huge grille, which flows directly into the front splitter.
They're all part of a design concept which started at the DB10, which we still know from the Bond-movie Spectre.
If you combine those lines with the nose of the Vulcan, you basically get the front of this Vantage.
And if you think the front is extreme, you should take a look at the back.
Previously, you'd only find this on a GT8, on a track day version,
but now you can get it on this car as well. A huge diffuser, and this is just a base model.
It makes you think what they've still got in stock for the Vantage...
Very remarkable. If you looked at the aerodynamics of the DB11,
you had those openings at the back. The air went in at the D-pillars,
and it came out of these vents. The Vantage doesn't have any of that,
because it's simpler on here. You get this ducktail-spoiler and the huge diffuser down there.
If you want, you can get more exhaust pipes as well,
and the diffuser will suck the car onto the tarmac.
So what did Aston Martin want with this? Well, they said it's now incredibly clear which choice you've made.
If you choose a DB11, you can clearly see it's a GT,
and if you choose a Vantage, you can clearly see it's a sports car.
Let's move on to the hardware, because there's a lot to tell about the engine.
That's because it's a biturbo 4.0-litre V8, all the way back there.
But why is that interesting you ask? Well, you might recognize the engine.
It's an AMG-engine. The same 4.0-litre as found in the AMG-GT and C63,
and so on and so on. It produces 510 horsepower as well,
and is that a bad thing? I don't think so.
The engine is great, and a small company like Aston Martin is able to profit from great engineering.
Just like in the AMG-GT, the engine is very far back.
The nose is here, but the engine only begins there.
Why? It's because it's now a mid-engined car really.
The axle is here and the engine is behind that, and that's always good news.
Of course, the added value of an Aston Martin is partly in the interior.
That has to make the difference when compared to a Porsche 911.
And indeed, if you get in here, you get into something special.
The finishing is very good. Manufacturers like Audi and Mercedes-Benz are coming close as well nowadays,
but you really get tucked in. Partly because of the middle console.
The color is optional of course. The buttons remind me of the AMG-GT,
but they're a tad different. The buttons feel- and look good,
just like the climate control. In front of you,
you've got a digital screen just like in the DB11. A part of me thinks that's too bad,
because the old Aston Martin-dials were very cool, but this digital instrument cluster is completely in flow with the current technology.
This button is also very nice.
When you start it up, you'll immediately hear it's a slightly different engine than in the AMG-GT.
When you're underway, you'll notice Aston Martin has pulled the same trick on the drive...
as they did with the exterior. It's become a much wilder car,
which takes a bigger step away from the DB11...
than the previous Vantage did from the DB9.
It really is a sports car, there's so much sharpness to it.
I was able to drive it on a circuit already, and Aston Martin let us do whatever we wanted to.
We were allowed to go out on our own, to drift, to go sideways,
to do whatever we wanted really.
There barely was any understeer.
If a normal production car almost doesn't produce understeer on a circuit, that's good news for everyday traffic.
Yep. It's incredibly eager to pull the nose inwards when you're cornering,
even when you're in the most comfortable mode. You don't even need to be going fast,
you can have incredible amounts of driving pleasure by driving it smoothly.
That's mostly because of the 50/50 weight distribution, because the engine is this far to the back.
That's why they've been able to achieve that. The weight is just above 1.500 kg,
which isn't too heavy for a car like this. That means it's in the perfect shape to rival an R8, a 911,
an F-Type or an AMG-GT. The steering is very direct and very light as well,
a little bit like Ferrari really. It's not hyper-nervous,
but it's a little bit nervous. It does take some getting used to.
Because the chassis is this responsive, you'll get used to it in no time.
You'll be able to drive the car very precisely.
When it comes to the drivetrain, it's a very good thing that Aston Martin was able to use AMG-engines.
We've praised that engine multiple times, and in here, it produces huge amounts of torque as well,
despite the fact it's an engine which likes to rev. A very nice combination.
What's funny about the drivetrain, is that Aston Martin has written the software themselves,
only the hardware has been provided by Mercedes-Benz. That's why the personality is different.
Especially the sound it makes, and I didn't expect that difference.
It doesn't have that typical muscle car sound from AMG-cars, but rather a performance car sound.
It's a difficult difference to explain, but it's got a different note to it.
It isn't better or worse, but it's different and that distinguishes the personality of the Aston,
and that's pretty important in this segment.
I do have something to note about the drivetrain though, because the automatic gearbox isn't beyond decent.
Porsche has their PDK, Mercedes has a new double clutch gearbox which is really good,
Audi has a new clutch which works incredibly well, and Aston Martin has the fully automatic 8-speed ZF-gearbox.
The same one as in the F-Type or the Audi RS6. That's a good gearbox for power saloons like that,
but in a sports car, especially compared with the competition,
there's a lack of sharpness. Especially on a circuit, especially when you're pushing it to the limit.
When you're doing that, you want an incredibly sharp automatic gearbox when you change down.
You'll notice it mostly when you're changing from third to second... It just takes too long.
I wouldn't call it horrible, but it is a downside compared to the competition.
If we add it all up, because of that great balance combine with that sublime engine,
we've got an incredibly pleasant and very good car.
If I'm honest, I think it's even better than the DB11.
Sure, that's a GT and a very good one at that, but it misses that wild edge...
This Vantage does have that edge. It gets incredibly close to the best cars in this class,
think of the 911, R8 and AMG-GT, so you could actually consider this car if you like the design.
If you like the interior for example. And the fact that a small brand like this is able to get this close to its big rivals,
that's worth a big compliment.
And if you do choose for an Aston, you'll be driving something which you can completely personalize...
Something which gets this much attention, which has such a cool personality...
Just think of it, an Aston never looks bad,
and I can't say that about any other brand. 114 00:08:14,753 --> 00:08:02,752 And if I look at the sales figures of the DB11, I'd say Aston has struck gold with this Vantage.