Aston Martin Vantage Coupe has great styling, sizzling performance
Woman at the Wheel,
Aston Martin Vantage is a two-seat premium luxury sport coupe, easily recognized by James Bond fans, with the stated purpose to “overwhelm the senses with world-renowned design, agile performance, and dedicated craftsmanship.”
Three-dimensional forms present an athletic stance, with rugged flanks, and wide hips highlighting agility and capability.
Part of the second generation introduced for 2019, the 2020 Vantage offers two standard trims and one limited edition: Base (8-speed automatic), $152,995, AMR Hero (manual), $179,995, and AMR 59 Edition, $204,995. Only 200 sevenspeed manual transmission AMRs will be built, with limited exterior/interior color combinations available. The last 59 AMRs are dubbed Vantage 59, with special color/option combinations celebrating Aston’s 1959 Le Mans win. Manual transmission will be available on the base Vantage later in 2020.
My Onyx Black ($1,829 extra) Vantage was powered by a 503-horsepower 4.0-liter Twin Turbo V-8 engine, producing 505 foot-pounds of torque and a visceral Aston Martin roar.
EPA rated for 18 mpg city/24 highway/20 combined, my Vantage would go from zero
to 60 in 3.3 seconds and reach up to 200 mph -- so I’m told. Driving mostly on two lane roads, with occasional revving for effect, I averaged 19.9 mpg.
Three driving modes – Sport, Sport Plus, and Track – take the Vantage from street to track with buttons on the steering wheel. Sport mode is a little slow with the throttle response, but the ride is pleasant.
Sport Plus growls a little louder and produces a slight shiver, then holds shifts longer. Cruising in Sport Plus produces a spirited rumble. On deceleration, the exhaust gives a charming little pop.
Moving to Track mode –
which I didn’t, I don’t have a track available – holds the gears longer and produces a louder rumble.
The three suspension modes are more subtle, with Sport Plus being slightly stiffer. Standard adaptive suspension dampers control vertical movement of the wheels in relation to the body, keeping all wheels flat on the ground.
Lines of the wide one-piece clamshell hood flowed down into the front fascia, which opened with the massive black mesh grille. Full LED headlights with integrated daytime running lights, side lights, and cornering lights occupied a
small area under the outer hood.
The side crease of the hood continued down the side of the vehicle, under the windows to the rear quarter panels. Lines from a large sculptural fender vent swept back to fade out on the door panel. Flat door handles flipped out by pressing the ends. The rocker panel was sculpted and flared for rear stability.
In the rear, the hatch swept up in harmony with the wrapped rear quarter, forming a wave from side to side. Signature ultra-thin LED taillights followed the