James Bond owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to Aston Martin. Without his A.M, Bond would have died a thousand deaths and been most remembered as a sharp dressed man, possessing amazing luck with much-younger women. (It really was a different day and time when 57-year-old Roger Moore bedded 29-year old Tanya Roberts, wasn’t it?) Instead, though, Bond survived close call after close call, piloting his car (and usually a boat at one time or another, too) to safety. Aston Martin hasn’t forgotten. Set to debut in 2018, and fully inspired by Bond’s DB-10, introducing the new-look Vantage. Suckers for Bond and new cars as we are, Gildshire took a look.
2018 Aston Martin Vantage
As reported by Business Insider, the new Vantage is as much, or more, go as it is show. Under the Aston’s stylish hood rumbles s a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, shared by the Aston’s spendier DB11 V8 coupe and Volante convertible. In the Vantage, it produces 503 horsepower and is paired with a rear-mounted eight-speed automatic transmission. It isn’t a small car, by any measurement. That doesn’t matter. The 1.65-ton Vantage can hit 60 mph from a standstill in 3.6 seconds and reach a top speed of 195 mph.
Though it shares a name with the departed Vantage, roughly 69% of the Vantage’s aluminum structure is brand new. By setting the engine low and as far back in the chassis as possible, Aston, therefore, achieved a perfect 50-50 front-to-rear weight distribution. We expect it to belie its size and handle like a go-cart due to the superb weight distribution.
“Sure, 007’s cars looked great, but they were, really, all about what was inside. Can this Vantage deliver?” You think? All the bells and whistles reside inside its smooth operator cabin, which comes in several flavors. Luxury-minded versions get Aston’s traditional leather-and-wood treatment, while sportier interiors have a heavier dose of Alcantara and carbon fiber. The Vantage will also receive an 8-inch LCD screen running a Mercedes-Benz-sourced infotainment system.
Is it affordable? Probably, only if you are an international man of mystery or international woman of substance and means. The new Aston Martin Vantage arrives in US showrooms April-June 2018 with a price tag of $149,995.
