Aston Martin Vantage Roadster - Confidence Booster

With the roof down, 30 degree heat mercilessly slapping me in the face, and a 4.0-litre V8 brapping its brappiest, there’s very little that could have beaten that morning in the north of France. You see, Aston Martin’s latest Vantage Roadster is not only a fine way to gad about, it might just be the finest for people in a hurry. 

It all kicks off with a 656bhp 590lb ft turbocharged V8. Sourced from Mercedes and hooked up to an 8-speed automatic ‘box, Aston’s engineers have attached all that to a set of quad pipes that, with the right mode engaged, sound like November the 5th is happening two feet from your spine. This is an excellent recipe. 

“Without a roof…it’s special”

As a garnish, the latest Vantage Roadster looks utterly astounding. Chunky, purposeful, suitably sporty, and frankly wonderful. Before you even think about how exciting its engine is, or how fast it is, you have the joy of looking at it. Aston has always done a fine line in elegance, with a hint of brutality thrown in for good measure. The Vantage is the smallest, scrappiest member of the Aston Martin lineup, which means the elegance: brutality scale is tilted well towards the angry end of things. Big haunches, a gaping maw, a stance so wide you’ll wonder whether it’s been taking lessons from John Wayne. The coupé is one of the best looking cars on the market right now, but without a roof… it’s special. 

Plenty of cars can be had without a top. They let you see the world, and smell it, which can be both good and terrible depending on the season and whether you’re driving past a farm, or if you’re driving through a sketchy bit of town come to think of it, but the Aston is different. You see, having the roof down in an Aston makes you feel different. It gives you the same feeling as if you’ve just been given the best news ever, or when you look at yourself in the mirror in a shiny new outfit. It’s a confidence boost. You look great, you feel great, and you know (or at least hope) that the world agrees. 

Interior

Inside, it’s a special place to be. Beautifully designed, with swoops, curves, materials that feel glorious to the touch, it even smells a cut above. The instrument binnacle is huge, giving you clear information, and it’s not overdone. There aren’t any needlessly jazzy fonts in there trying too hard. Its simplicity is its special skill. The infotainment, the same you’ll find elsewhere in the range, is smooth, slick, and easy to use, but Aston’s got another trick up its sleeve: Apple. 

CarPlay (and Android Auto) has changed the way a lot of people interact with their cars. The convenience of being able to plug your phone into your car and have the navigation apps you use, your music, podcasts, and other such things is a huge deal for a lot of buyers. Anecdotally, friends care more about whether their next car has carplay than how many airbags it has - Apple’s toy has made that big of a splash. There’s a new version of it - CarPlay Ultra. For now, only a handful of manufacturers are using it, but having had a play… others will probably follow suit. Ultra takes the place of the whole infotainment and instrument set up - plug your iPhone in and, after a slighty-too-long setup procedure, it handles everything. And it works well. Ok, in its earliest form there are a couple of glitches, but none of them killed the car, or really got in the way of fun. The graphics in the instrument binnacle aren’t quite as charismatic as Aston’s own, but they’re clear, concise, and do what you need them to - tell you things and not distract from driving. 

Driving experience

With a whacking great motor in the nose, it’s no huge surprise that the Vantage makes progress rather well. If you’re not careful the local constabulary will give you an award or two, but keep it measured and you’ll avoid ticket-y eyes. If you do want to press on, there’s torque in spades to make small numbers grow at an alarming rate. The quad pipes at the rear are, frankly, delightful. There was a spell where turbocharged engines lacked character; Aston Martin has proved those times are over. It cracks, growls, pops, and bangs when you ask it to, but otherwise it gently burbles you along, each cylinder making itself known to (hopefully) happy ears. It can be a joyful cacophony or a smooth symphony; either way, you’ll be happy. 

It turns in wonderfully when it's in the standard ‘Sport’ setting, which is all you really need on the road. You can switch it up for Sport+, or Track, which’ll stiffen the springs, make the drivetrain a little angrier, and make it generally more aggressive, but if I’m honest… bar making the exhausts louder (done by prodding a button on the centre console), you don’t need any of that. The steering is light, but still engaging, and it makes bouncing from corner to corner blissful. Add some chunky stoppers into the mix, and you get a car that can be a bit of everything - a gentle cruiser, and an angry apex hunter. The ride, even in its softest setting, can be a bit jarring, though. It’s Aston’s sports car, not a GT. You want soft and squidgy, go for a DB12.

“The world felt pretty damn good”

As I dashed through the countryside, I felt, well, smug. I knew that for a brief moment, I was probably the most content person in the world. No, the Vantage isn’t as sharp as a 911 GT3, it’s not as comfortable as an AMG whatever, but every time I looked at the wings on the ‘wheel, heard its pipes echo off buildings and trees, peered through the windscreen to see its snout, the world felt pretty damn good. The Vantage Roadster gives you moments to enjoy, moments to savour. And, weeks on, I miss them.

words: Alex Goy
pictures: Aston Martin