I hate to say it but over the past few decades Great Britain has lost a lot of the things the makes it so great. Gone are the industries of which this country were built upon, vanquished is the hunger to be the worlds best. All of this is very sad for people who say they are “proud to be British” and long for the days when Britannia ruled the waves to return. Well people of the United Kingdom stand fast as Aston Martin has heeded your call.
Aston Martin are one of the only companies in the automotive sector that remain British. Though subsidised by a few foreign investors, each car is designed and crafted at their HQ in Warwickshire, but more importantly, each machine is constructed with a true British “stiff upper lip” ethos. The company over the past have suffered many blows but their ingenuity and fantastic craftsmanship have triumphed in the face of adversity. The Aston Martin V8 Vantage is their best selling model and for very good reason.
Sitting upon the tarmac is nothing short of a master piece. This is the Aston Martin V8 Vantage, not so much a car, but an automotive sculpture. It truly is glorious to look at with its bold lines and aggressive stance. The sheer attention to detail really affirms the Vantage as a premium product. Everything from the door handles that sit flush to the body, to the precision of the side vents all give this car a sense of depth, a sense that this is more than just a machine to ferry footballers to and from training.
Inside the beautiful mastery of materials continues with hand crafted leather and comfortable seats. The cockpit is a snug affair feeling like it literally wraps around you, cocooning you with both luxury and functionality. Visibility is rather good for a car of its caliber and though lacking the rear seats, if that’s what you want to call them, of its direct competitor of the Porsche 911 the Aston never feels cramped.
Turning the key brings to life the cars 4.3 litre V8, 380BHP beating heart. The sensation that rushes through your ears is akin to a a lions roar. The noise of this machine is simply biblical. 0-60MPH is completed in 4.8 seconds and the V8 Vantage wont stop until it hits its top speed of 175MPH. Unlike a lot of modern performance cars, our test car was equipped with a manual gearbox which suited the demeanor of this machine perfectly. In motion this Aston is not a machine that will let you lie back and do everything for you. It requires a driver not just to push buttons, but to take it by the scruff of the neck and make it dance. You get as much out of the V8 as what you put in. Turn-in even in difficult conditions is sharp and precise thanks to steering that offers good levels of feedback. Tickle the throttle upon the exit of a corner and the back end comes out to play in a manor that brings nothing but a smile to your face. Putting your foot down is met with a symphony of pure power that echoes booms around the surrounding landscape and when it comes time to slow down the rotors on this coupe are more than capable. With each downshift of the extremely satisfying gearbox the car pops and bangs adding to the drama.
Though it is clear that the Aston Martin V8 Vantage is meant for those continental blasts to France and not really spend its days pounding a race track, nothing stopped it from being anything short of impressive. It is refined yet capable, relaxing yet exciting. This V8 Vantage shall not only be remembered as one of Astons greatest creations, but also one of the best cars money can buy.
British innovation has brought the world many things… The jet engine, television, the umbrella and water proof fabrics to name but a few. Though this list is impressive, it is nothing in comparison with what British innovation has just let out of the workshop. The Aston Martin V12 Vantage. Not just the best Aston Martin ever, but in my opinion the best car ever produced! Now being a journalist means that to a certain degree I must remain impartial but for this one occasion, I am breaking the rules. This car is exactly how I would have built it… Big V12 in the front, wide tyres at the rear and one of the best furnished cabins in the middle. Ok, so let’s start with what first meets your eye when you are introduced to this legendary machine.
The exterior has a distilled aggression about it, yet still maintains an elegance that is much a part of Aston DNA. Every crease, curve and vent placed in a strategic position to invoke the reaction of breathlessness. The muscular lines that form its silhouette ensure that every living things attention is 100% focused on it. It doesn’t assault your eyes, but much like a leopard shows its teeth as a warning, the V12 Vantage with its 19” razor-like rims gives you the same reminder to respect it.
Below the carbon-fibre vents lurks one of, if not the best, engine ever built. A handmade, 12 cylinder, 6.0 litre, V12. This mechanical masterpiece is not only capable of accelerating the car to 190MPH with the aid of 510 horses of pure power, but it also creates the world’s most intoxicating noise. It takes no prisoners, the reverberations that enter your ear are not only enough to shake your soul, but leave you craving more. Birdsong, Beethoven and even the legends that make up Queen take a backseat in comparison with this.
When you enter the cockpit the polite anger, the drama, the air of caution all stop. You are confronted by beautifully upholstered carbon-fibre seating and alcantara roof lining, a speedometer and rev-counter with opposing needles lay dormant. The only reference to what site preceded you before entering the car are the vents that slope off into the distance… That is until you push the starter button.
At low revs the car trundles along emitting a deep rumble that is a pleasant cue for bystanders to face the majesty that graces their streets. When the time comes to unleash the true potential of this fabled creature, you had better be ready for one of the best motoring experiences you are ever going to have. The surge of power is relentless, and the sound of its V12 heart pounding adds further to the already electrifying sensation that is coursing through every atom of your existence. The seats grip you tight as the car takes one look at the horizon and goes for it! Around tight bends the V12 Vantage is agile and extremely responsive, giving the driver the courage to use this car for what it was built to do. That is the problem with a lot of supercars, owners become afraid that there pride and joy will become tainted the second sunlight hits the bodywork, and as a result the cars rarely meet tarmac. But the Aston Martin V12 Vantage is so addictive and so willing to play that owners will clock up the miles that this car craves.
So there you have it, British innovation at its best. The Aston Martin V12 Vantage.
This car being based on the DB9 “that we loved” will perform as well as it looks. The car boasts 0-60 of just under 4.1 seconds and will go onto a top speed of 191MPH. It has huge nostrils on the bonnet for when it inhales cool air and large racing exhaust pipes for when extrudes its deadly rumble.
This car is a completely different kind of animal to the DB9. In the 9 you got two hand crafted leather seats and a grate sound system, yet in the S you get two buckets to sit in and a sound system you cant hear! But there’s a very good reason why you cant hear it, the growling of the V12 up front more than makes up for radio 1! The sound is ferocious, assaulting every living organism with ears! Its deep roar is yet another signal for everybody to look towards you and what could be one of the most beautifully crafted GT’s ever let lose on the road…
However it’s not all about the power and the manly styling. When you have finished smoking the tyres and making fatter skids in your pants than Meat-Loaf ever could, you can settle down and turn the beast into a beauty. The engine settles, the gears loosen and you sink into the padded seats like a dog in sinking sand. “It’s just like you were Bond returning from a mission, knowing that your work is done.”
When this car races by you get that light butterflies feeling mustering in your stomach, the same kind of one you get when your proud of something you have made, and well that’s because we did. Yes this car was made by British people, with British money in Britain. This car stands for every thing we are capable of, it just makes you sick how few English car makers there are left.
