Clarkson: is the Aston Martin Vantage too good?
"It's a tremendous car. But I wonder if it isn't a bit too tremendous"
JEREMY Clarkson has quite the soft spot for the Aston Martin Vantage. As well as a glowing assessment of the twin-supercharged Vantage in 1993, he’s also spoken fondly of the V8 and V12 versions of the previous “baby Aston”.
It’s perhaps no surprise, then, that Clarkson was equally impressed with the latest Vantage in his most recent road test. Thanks to the “perfect” weight distribution, Jeremy claims “this new car feels so much more alive and dainty and responsive than the old one”, adding “this car is serious then. But also fun”.
Despite being the entry-point in the Aston Martin range, there also weren’t any concerns with the new Vantage’s performance. With a 503bhp V8 under the bonnet, it was always going to be quick. Clarkson quipped: “when you mash the throttle into the carpet, you are suddenly a long way away”.
That’s not to say the twin-turbocharged coupé is without fault, according to JC. Of the niggles that were pointed out, particular scorn was aimed at the Aston’s dim headlights, with Clarkson asserting “they give off less light than the fourth star along in the Plough” when in their dipped beam setting.
Perhaps his biggest issue, though, was that Aston Martin may have made its latest model too accomplished a sports car: “With the Vantage, Aston Martin has made a car that’s not only better than any equivalent Porsche but also better, all things considered, than [the DB11 and DBS Superleggera grand tourers]. I’m no businessman but even I can see that’s probably a mistake.”
See Clarkson’s full review of the Aston Martin Vantage here.
