Aston Martin has launched the Vantage in India. I don't know about you, but for me, Aston Martin is the personification of the word finesse. Their classy designs, unmissable grill, and hand-made nature all set them far apart. INR 3.99 Crore, that's much you would need to shell out if you wish to include this beauty in your garage.
How good does it look?
It's an Aston so it obviously looks good. If you want to know the details, then let's go front to back. You get a grill that takes up almost the entire front but leaves space for a couple of air intakes. It has a larger, rounder headlight with 3 LED DRLs. The bonnet has sharp character lines to make it aggressive. The side has new fenders and air ducts. Come to the rear; the new bumper, unique taillights, and diffuser will catch your eye. The car has broadened by 30 mm, which increases its appeal. Talking about the appeal, you have a couple of cool bits like frameless mirrors, and flush electronic door handles, too.
How heavenly is it Inside?
Remember we told you in the DBX707 article that Aston is now friends with screens but wants to keep those physical switches as well? That holds true with the Vantage, too. Step in, and you'll see a 10.25-inch screen taking centre stage. Aston has done away with all the Mercedes software in it. They've added their own interface with all the nitty-gritty like smartphone connectivity through their app, 3D live mapping, wireless smartphone mirroring and on-foot navigation. Aston's favourite physical switches are still there, controlling ESP, exhaust, lane assist, parking sensors, climate control and other essential parts. The instrument cluster is digital, too, which you'll notice after you admire the new steering. Aston Martin has done an excellent job in bringing the interior quality to the modern standards of Vantage.
Where does the power come from?
If you thought the Vantage was just a car that was good to look at, then you'd be very wrong! The long hood houses a Mercedes-sourced V8 in it. This 4.0L powerhouse, with its two turbos, can produce 665 bhp and 800 Nm of torque. What does that convert to in real life, you ask? The answer is 0-100 km/h in a mere 3.4 seconds with a top speed of 325 km/h. The transmission duties here are done by an 8-speed torque converter automatic gearbox, which sends the power to the rear wheels.
Aston Martin says they achieved these performance bumps through an "extensive" tuning programme that provided the motor with new cam profiles, tweaked compression ratios, improved cooling, and, most importantly, bigger turbochargers.
The Vantage now has a ''punchier'' in-gear acceleration and faster shifts, further aided by distinct characteristics in each drive mode. Its weight distribution is a perfect 50:50. It also gets adaptive dampers and an electronic rear differential. It stands on 21-inch wheels with Michelin Pilot S 5 tyres around them.
Aston Martin wants to electrify the Vantage in the future. They could take a page from Mercedes-Benz's book, as they recently launched a hybrid version of the AMG GT, the GT 63 SE Performance.
Would you buy the Vantage ahead of the Porsche 911 and Bentley Continental GT?
