Aston Martin Vantage: Sabre-toothed feel

A bragging point for Vantage buyers is that Aston Martin isn't part of the 250km/h self-restriction club; the car will only run out of puff at 290, should you find a road long enough (and free of greed traps) to test it.

Figures are cool but even cooler is the inspiring gusto with which the 4.7 Vantage fires its V8 guns. The way it reaches high speeds with rock-solid stability, the way it flexes midrange muscle for effortless overtaking and, above all, its stirring snarl. The hedonistic holler raises the hair on your arms like Jimi's guitar riff on "Voodoo Child".

The Vantage, like all Aston Martins, is front-engined and rear-wheel driven in classic grand tourer tradition. It's not an especially light car and I suspect it would lose a dice around a track against a nimbler Porsche 911, but the Aston is nonetheless a very competent cornering tool.

The suspension in the new 4.7 has been tweaked to give better body control and low-speed ride quality though the trade-off tilts towards sharp handling over ride comfort. On a bumpy road the Vantage jiggles enough for Pamela Anderson to knock herself unconscious, if you catch my drift.

AUTOMOTIVE JEWELLERY

The Vantage's hand-crafted cabin has been improved with easier-to-read switchgear and it has inherited the glass key fob, dubbed ECU (Emotion Control Unit) of the flagship Aston Martin DBS.

It has to be pressed into a fascia slot to fire up the engine and fits flush so you can't see there's a key; just the Aston Martin insignia in its crystal housing - it's pure automotive jewellery.

Pammie would dig it once she regained consciousness.

Back in 2005, when it was launched, we described the Vantage as an exotic mobile artwork that would slot effortlessly into a jetsetter's playground such as St Tropez or Clifton. That's still applicable four years on and time is being kind to the two-seater coup�'s styling.

It's practical, too, with decent head space and seats that move back far enough to accommodate long legs. A 300-litre boot accommodates a weekend's luggage or golf gear and there's a large rear shelf behind the seats for soft bags or briefcases.

Verdict

High on spine-tingling fun, this R1.92-million (without options) Aston Martin Vantage is a motorised shot of tequila and the soundtrack alone is worth the price. But get it in manual; you'll have money left over for holidays in Clifton where you can parade it to fellow jetsetters. - Star Motoring

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