Accelerating gently down the pitlane of Circuito Monteblanco near Seville, the fastest, most driver-focused Aston Martin Vantage ever surges forward on a wave of turbocharged boost as a richly sophisticated burble floods from its quad tailpipes.
It’s quite the handshake given my relatively modest speed, but then the pitlane limit lifts and the true scale of this towering performance comes into sharp focus. Low-down urge morphs to a more visceral kick, the exhaust note hardens to a racier edge and this two-seat sports car hunkers down over fat rear Michelin tyres. Now we’re talking.
The burst of energy continues past 6,000rpm, I click a paddle shifter fixed to the steering wheel, keeping my foot planted, and suddenly this generously wide racetrack squeezes under the intensity of it all. Tyre walls seem nearer, gravel traps less generous and even straights appear to shrink dramatically.
The previous Vantage was already endowed with relentless performance but there’s no question this is next level. Just how next level it is becomes clear when I meet Aston Martin’s Director of Vehicle Performance, Simon Newton, back in the pits.
Newton has lavished obsessive attention on the new Vantage throughout development, creating ‘the definitive front-engine, rear-wheel drive sports car’, not to mention an authentic ‘brother in speed’ to the new Vantage GT3 racecar.
‘We wanted everything to be best-in-class, not just the numbers, but the rest of the capability that complements that,’ he sums up.
Peak power of 665PS for the 4.0-litre V8 engine represents a huge 30 per cent increase, while torque jumps 15 per cent to 800Nm, unlocking a 3.5-second zero-to-62mph time and performance that doesn’t let up until 202mph.
But it’s the chunk of speed in the middle that’s most fun and Newton’s chassis updates are a big part of that. The Vantage’s bonded-aluminium structure is 7 per cent stiffer, there are new Bilstein shock absorbers, plus new Active Vehicle Dynamics software to help everything from brakes to suspension and even the new eight-stage Adjustable Traction Control system predict what’s about to happen, rather than simply react to it.
Andalusian sunshine pinging off its taut surfacing in Circuito Monteblanco’s paddock, the Vantage’s proportions are instantly recognisable, yet everything except the roof and doors is new – slightly wider bodywork shrouds purposeful 21-inch alloys, an inch larger than before, there’s more sculptural definition to the lines, and new jewel-like details too, Matrix LED headlights among them. Gorgeous.
Before my track session, I settle down low in an interior that marries traditional luxuries like Bridge of Weir leather and machined physical controls, with the very latest technology.
Capacitive switches feature on both the centre console and new steering wheel, while slick twin 10.25-inch screens provide the foundations for a bespoke infotainment system developed entirely in-house.
Scrolling over 3D mapping on the central touchscreen, I spot a squiggly strip of road threading north into the Sierra Morena mountains. Perfect.
With the Vantage’s default Sport driving mode selected, local towns glide by thanks to fluid steering, compliant suspension and a gearbox that slips discreetly between ratios, and before I know it I’m stretching the Vantage’s legs on a road cutting arrow-straight across parched flatlands, then into the hills on that squiggle of road that coils like a streamer.
Sun beats down, I lower the windows and a sweet, dry scent from Eucalyptus groves washes through the cabin, so too does the deep, indulgent burble of V8 performance.
Sport mode still works well up here, but when I select Sport Plus, the Vantage palpably flexes its muscles – more heft to the steering, more support for the body and just more noise and response from the powertrain full stop.
It makes for an intoxicating fusion of stability and agility as I flow over this landscape, easing into a fast-paced rhythm as the road flicks left and right, and heaves up and down before I finally stop to catch my breath at Mirador Berrocal with its stunning views over the Rio Tinto river that’s dramatically stained red and orange from iron ore. Drives rarely get better than this – unless you’ve got a private racetrack at your disposal.
A couple of hours later I’m back at Circuito Monteblanco, dropping into a different Vantage with figure-hugging carbon fibre race seats, then scooting down the pitlane and onto the racetrack.
I select Track mode to all but eliminate body roll and unleash spine-tingling crackles from the exhaust each time I lift the accelerator, not to mention feisty pops that mechanically punctuate each gear change.
Laps pass in a hedonistic blur of speed, noise and g-force, the Vantage’s ideal 50–50 weight distribution and super-accurate steering giving me the confidence to push until the tyres squeal through even the fastest corners. Jumping on our car’s optional carbon-ceramic brakes at what feels like the last second, their awesome power leaves me in no doubt I could’ve braked later still.
Naturally, such a powerful rear-wheel-drive machine can powerslide on demand, but Adjustable Traction Control is a reassuring way to exploit its exuberance. I initially lean into its safety net in setting five, gradually winding it off until by setting eight it’s hard to detect the system intervening at all – not least because I can see wisps of smoke coiling off the Vantage’s rear tyres in my rear-view mirror. I’m still grinning when I return the Vantage to the pits.
Simon Newton leans in and spots the traction control in its most lenient setting. ‘Nice!’ he smiles. A couple of years ago, the Director of Vehicle Performance set out to hone the definitive front-engined, rear-wheel-drive sports car. Mission accomplished I’d say.
