At first glance the latest Aston Martin Vantage “might appear to be little more than an extreme and expensive new version of a car we already know and mostly love”, says Steve Sutcliffe in AutoExpress magazine. “But in reality, it is a sign of things to come under the new regime at Aston Martin, and it’s a good sign.”
The luxury car brand re-entered Formula One just over a year ago as a manufacturer in its own right, having taken a break from 1960. It has also appointed Tobias Moers as its new boss. It felt right, then, to “launch a new version of an existing road car” to commemorate both events. The Vantage F1 has been made “sharper, quicker and more focused than the V8 Vantage on which it’s based”.
And it’s far from just a “stripes and fancy paint special edition”, says Adam Towler on Evo. A myriad of structural improvements have delivered a new “calmness and precision” to the way the F1 changes direction “that simply wasn’t there before”. Drivers can feel “genuinely connected to the car now”, accurately placing it on the road thanks to its stable steering, “which in turn makes you... enthusiastic about dispatching a sequence of curves with gusto”. Although “barely different on paper”, the engine “certainly feels more energetic” and gear shifts have become more sophisticated. This upgrade has made it “a lot less intimidating, while simultaneously being much more effective and enjoyable at the same time”.
MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
It is “a thorough dynamic revision of a car that was already pretty well sorted”, says Matt Bird on Piston Heads. Anyone who “feels a modern sports car lacks a sense of occasion owes it to themselves to drive an F1”.
Price: from £142,000. Engine: 3,982cc, twin turbocharged V8. Power: 535bhp at 6,000rpm. Torque: 505 lb ft at 2,000-5,000rpm. Top speed: 195mph; 0-62mph: 3.6 seconds.
-
Could your family be at risk of an unexpected tax bill? How to keep your loved ones in the loopMany families are out of the loop when it comes to planning the financial aspects of both retirement and inheritance
-
Rightmove: Glut of homes for sale in southern England drives asking price dropAsking prices are 0.1% lower than a year ago, according to the property website, driven by challenges in affordability-stretched London and the south
-
The alcohol industry is suffering as consumers sober up – is it still worth investing in the sector?Changing consumer tastes are rocking the alcohol industry, but the best players are adapting their strategies. Buy them while their shares are still cheap
-
Giorgio Armani: the irreplaceable Il SignoreGiorgio Armani started his fashion business in 1975 and built it into the world’s largest private luxury brand. Where can it go without him?
-
8 of the best properties for sale with mountain viewsThe best properties for sale with mountain views – from an Arts & Crafts house with holiday lets in the Carding Mill Valley in Shropshire to a highland lodge with wood-burning stoves near the Rogie Falls in the Scottish Highlands
-
Review: Puerto Rico – embrace the spirit of BoricuaTravel Natasha Langan discovers why the indigenous name for Puerto Rico has come to define this Caribbean island’s vibrant culture
-
8 of the best beachside properties for saleThe best beachside properties for sale – from an Arts & Crafts house in Hampshire with 128 metres of beach frontage, to a 16th-century house in Norfolk, just 300 metres from a Blue Flag beach
-
A voyage of discovery through the Baltic countriesTravel Max King explores the rich history, culture and cuisine of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
-
Are wealthy whisky enthusiasts leaving Britain?Collectables Wealthy whisky enthusiasts are heading to tax-friendly countries such as Dubai, where there is more disposable income to spend on collectable luxuries like rare whisky.
-
8 of the best properties for sale with kitchen gardensThe best properties for sale with kitchen gardens – from a 17th-century timber-framed hall house in Norfolk, to an Arts & Crafts house in West Sussex designed by Charles Voysey with a garden by Gertrude Jekyll
