2021 Aston Marton Vantage: Stunning, Fast, Flawed
There’s no way around it. Something’s not right with the 2021 Aston Martin Vantage. And what would James Bond have to say about it?
Sean Connery as Agent 007 was often portrayed escaping from criminals and saving the world while driving an Aston Martin. But how could anything but perfection be the vehicle of choice for the epitome of espionage elegance?
Bond film aficionados know the secret agent often drove an Aston Martin DB5 in films, although the tuxedo-wearing purveyor of cool drove other models, including the Vantage.
As awkward as it may read, the Vantage is the British carmaker’s entry-level vehicle with a top-line price of about $200,000. The MSRP is $147,000 and all the options, including a literal reality check of $3,086 for handling and transportation, bring the tally to $199,086.
The 2021 edition includes all that’s right with Aston Martin. The Vantage coupe shares an eye-catching exterior design with its more expensive siblings.
For the first time, it has a power soft top. It folds flush behind twin roll bars, meaning a cover isn’t required. It
retracts and raises in less than seven seconds, which the carmaker claims is the fastest-operating cloth roof in the industry.
With its top-down and the rear glass screen and the side windows up, the Vantage Roadster is at its best. But here’s where things go askew.
Operating the soft top is among the vehicle’s oddities. Why is the actuator button located low on the inside of the driver’s door? It’s an area usually reserved for levers to release the trunk, engine hood or fuel door.
The Vantage Roadster is equipped with a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 with 503 horsepower and 505 poundfeet of torque. It accelerates from zero to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, a thrill best experienced while shifting gears on a country road on a warm, sunny afternoon and with the top down. Exhilarating driving freedom is what Aston Martin is all