DRIVING the stunning NEW Aston Martin Vantage | Henry Catchpole - The Driver's Seat

A TWIN-TURBO V-8!!! 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 silver slice of Newport Pagnell or Gaydon’s finest, 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 - more so than the last generation - with classically Aston Martin design cues. And it is stunning. The engine is up the front, as you’d expect, albeit behind the front wheels. Predictably the power is going solely to the rear and it is a V8 providing the 656bhp and 590lb ft. More specifically it is a 4-litre, twin-turbo with its origins at AMG. 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 Henry 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 the Monteblanco circuit for some fast laps. Of course there was 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 percent increase in cooling helped the car cope with 32 degrees celsius (90F) temperatures.

At £165,000 or $191,000, 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. We hope you enjoy this review. Let us know in the comments whether you think the new Vantage is a Daniel Craig or a George Lazenby. If you fancy supporting the Hagerty channel then please do think about giving the video a like or even sharing it and of course there is a link below for the Hagerty Drivers Club. It’s much appreciated! https://www.hagerty.com/drivers-club/

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