Sorry to miss you, Andy. More thoughts on the Vantage, please. I had one for a fortnight and formed some opinions hence will be interested in what you made of it.
it was a great day Adam. The boys just loved being at Silverstone and made even more special as they were in the pits and the wing building.
I think driving the new car in the track may not give a full understanding of how it is daily on the road but it certainly is a different driving experience to the older V8 Vantage.
Taking the way it looks away first and concentrating on how it went as I know lots don’t like the way it looks.
In everyway this new car is an improvement and a better sports car then the old V8. It’s performance is on a different level which maybe why it went up in price when it came out. That AMG engine is some much more responsive than the old V8 and has so much more depth. There is so much torque which gives that instance shove and huge reserves of low down pull. The old V8 engine is a classic but you do need to work at it to get the best out of the engine where as the AMG unit is instant and makes it faster on the track and more exciting. The gear box is a massive step over the old one and that electronic rear diff makes the car lightening fast to react.
Handling is pretty much spot on...Such an eagerness to turn in with plenty of feedback where you could feel that front end grip. Definitely gives you confidence to push on but can be playful if you wanted it to be.
It’s hard to compare the old and new as I love the old V8 and it is still the most beautiful car on the road for me but as a drivers cars the new car for me just better as I said in everyway. The looks are subjective but I love it and when up close to the car it looks so purposeful and squats down as if it is ready to pounce. The old interior is less fussy than the new one with all those buttons splattered in the console but I love the way the car wraps around you but could see how some may find it claustrophobic...That has always been the way with Aston though with the high waist line and ranked windscreen.
All in all I absolutely loved the way the car behaved on track, fast, great handling and exhilarating. Aston for me has nailed this car as a replacement for its driving experience. A very different experience to the old car but still an Aston. The only bit they may not have improved is the noise. It’s sounded great as all AMG engines do but the old unit had more voice.
As said this is more how it reacted on track. I would love to drive one on the road to see how it performed off track.
