THE VERDICT
THINK WHAT YOU WILL OF THE Vantage’s looks, there’s no denying it attracts attention, while its performance is in another league to the old version, V8 and V12-engined. It also feels far more sophisticated than before, plus it’s genuinely engaging and entertaining to drive. Up to a point. What happens when you push the car harder ultimately undermines its bid for victory. Because, where our other three contenders up their game the more you ask of them, the Aston gets into a muddle as the chassis clearly struggles to keep a handle on the car’s mass (why oh why is it so heavy?).
Further demerits are the poor visibility, an occasionally truculent gearbox and some niggling doubts over build quality. You can sense there’s a really good car lurking within the new Vantage, but it feels as if further development is required before it will show itself – much as is happening with each new DB11 variant.
Finishing narrowly ahead of the Aston is the Audi. Much of its appeal lies in that magnificent engine, which delivers the sort of music and motive force no other car here can match – this unit will surely go down as one of the all-time internalcombustion greats. Yet there’s more to the R8 than that. It is a car shot through with so many streaks of high-adrenaline brilliance, and in direct contrast to the Vantage it gets better the harder you go, delivering staggering cross-country pace and composure and, steering aside, a drive
that’s as involving as it is intoxicating. The fact the Audi can feel a little ordinary when taking it steady will be either a blessing or a curse depending on your point of view.
‘Ordinary’ is not a word you could use to describe the Mclaren. It gets the heart racing before you’ve so much as touched a door handle. It looks like a genuine supercar, a feeling that’s merely intensified as you slide yourself into that driving position. It drives beautifully, too. By paring back on some of Mclaren’s more high-tech systems, the 540 (like the 570) is more touchy-feely from behind the wheel and can be enjoyed at more real-world speeds. It’s just a shame it’s undermined by an engine that, while brutally effective, is short on character and sophisticated delivery. It’s a small thing maybe, but it’s enough to let the Porsche in to steal victory.
In GTS 4 guise the 911 is arguably the most complete sports coupe you can buy. Practicality and usability are givens, as is the muscle of the blown flat-six and the ability of the chassis to offer up dexterity and delicacy in one uniquely delivered package. Here is a car that feels just as special mooching as it does monstering the most testing roads you can throw it at.
As for Aston Martin, it clearly has some work to do. The Vantage’s inconsistent abilities in different environments, combined with how it requires the driver to adopt a prescribed style to realise its undeniable potential, are factors that need attention sooner rather than later.