RE: Aston Martin Vantage Roadster launched

[Wadeski]

DrDaveWatford said:

Pretty! Reminds me a lot of an F-Type, not that that's a bad thing of course....

Kind of is when the Aston is 120 large.

[ate one too]

Beefmeister said:

ate one too said:

Terracotta is too kind ... I think that shade is called "Germolene" ... apart from that it's a good looking car - at last !

Germolene is pink, and comes in a blue tube. You may want to see an optometrist.

I think it is you who has CVD.

Sample of Germolene :



AMV8 in blue and pink :

[Cold]

It's a shame you can only buy this car in blue, with a germolene interior, black wheels and a square steering wheel.
You'd have thought they'd offer some different options.

[Cannyjock]

Lovely exterior, but that interior? Maybe it's better when you're sitting in it, but it looks hideous in these pictures.

[Beefmeister]

Cold said:

It's a shame you can only buy this car in blue, with a germolene interior, black wheels and a square steering wheel.
You'd have thought they'd offer some different options.

[911Thrasher]

As special as a jag, dash/interior is way over designed, shame as materials are good as one would expect.
They’ve lost it in terms of exterior design since the original Vanquish and the DBS, and inside probably peaked with the DBS too.
Shame, they don’t make me dream at all, last on my list along a Jag

[GTdrive]

jsc15 said:

That new grille looks MUCH better, and stops the ridiculous "floating numberplate" of the earlier cars. Should be available as a retrofit option ASAP

Indeed. But it still not as nice as Astons usually are. It looks like a catfish! The old Vantage front and specially the DBS Superlegera front look 1000x better.

[Type45]

Much improved front end on the ragtop and a move in the right direction. Next, get the proper gills fitted to the sides...Coke wouldn't change font to Arial from their globally recognised script, why does AML want to throw out one of their most recognised signatures?

[rootsandculture]

Seems I’m the only one that thinks that new grille treatment looks significant worse?

To my eyes it alters the poise and makes the stance feel awkward. In fairness, that maybe exacerbated by the loss of the c pillar. The zagato version of the previous generation also felt a bit wrong too me for similar reasons.

Looks to be a growing failure amongst much current premium car design (see Bmw’s recent atrocities and the new f type), that the task is just reduced to definition of brand through the grill and headlights only. As if ‘the face’ is the only way we’ll be able to tell them apart. Like reducing architecture to front doors and windows.

[ZX10R NIN]

I have to say that for once I actually prefer the convertible.

[JxJ Jr.]

NFC 85 Vette said:

A reminder of Autocar's rankings...

Top 5 Super Sports Cars:
1. Vantage
2. 570S
3. DB11
4. NSX
5. F-Type R

Top 5 Super GT cars:
1. DBS Superleggera
2. DB11
3. Conti GT
4. Wraith
5. 812SF

So if the Astons, as you referred to them, are inferior....the alternatives must be awful, or the motoring journos who have some experience of cars, are all wrong, who knows.

Quoting Autocar as an objective source when it comes to anything Aston Martin or JLR related.

[delta0]

They need to start again with that interior. Just horrendous.

[ManyMotors]

NFC 85 Vette said:

ManyMotors said:

If this was the only "high performance" vehicle you could buy, I guess it would be fine. There are better ways to spend money on vehicles. Aston Martin understands this though hopes for some miracle.

In the sub £120k, genuinely hand built, 500bhp+ 2 seater sports car sector, what are the better options you alluded to?

Of course, apparently the products Aston makes are 'inferior' (I think that's the term used previously). A reminder of Autocar's rankings...

Top 5 Super Sports Cars:
1. Vantage
2. 570S
3. DB11
4. NSX
5. F-Type R

Top 5 Super GT cars:
1. DBS Superleggera
2. DB11
3. Conti GT
4. Wraith
5. 812SF

So if the Astons, as you referred to them, are inferior....the alternatives must be awful, or the motoring journos who have some experience of cars, are all wrong, who knows.

Is it a case of not appreciating that one's own opinion isn't always representative of a wider view, or just a failure to acknowledge that a small car maker is making outstanding cars despite financial issues in an uncertain economy?

GM182 said:

With AMG going to four-pot hybrids this might be the last V8 generation of small Astons...?

The M177 V8 was an interim step. A home brewed V6 is being readied to take over - designed and produced in-house. At that point the complaints about AMG origins are null and void.

Jon,
Thank you for reading my post even though I think you put forth too many premises to make your argument - keep it simple! Plus, Autocar is likely a bit of a flag waver when assessing vehicles.

I'd recommend, to anyone shopping for a "sports car", to look at offerings from Porsche, Audi and MB - they have a rainbow selection. The NSX is interesting if switchgear from a Civic is acceptable and you don't need to transport more than your wallet. There is also, if poofy leather isn't as important as horsepower, the C8, various curb-slapping Mustangs for the ham fisted, some Jaguars and why not a Camaro.

Nice Vette you have there though obvious it is for a purpose. For twenty one years I ran a Buick Grand National - no where near a heavy roller race car - though it did get low 12s at 116. The drag strip always had gracious, smarter and interactive participants.

[komakino]

Lacks the class and timeless beauty that the previous Vantage had in 2005. Now looks like a drug dealers car, with the worst thing that ever happened to motoring - the black alloy wheel in full effect. Aston - what has happened to you?

[Neil1300r]

komakino said:

Lacks the class and timeless beauty that the previous Vantage had in 2005. Now looks like a drug dealers car, with the worst thing that ever happened to motoring - the black alloy wheel in full effect. Aston - what has happened to you?

Other wheel colours are available from Aston

[anonymous-user]

I'll go against the grain here, as I think it's a visual mess. Shape's not great, and it has loads of tacky details, it's a dreadful interior, and the new grill makes it look like a freshly caught fish.

Sadly, the coupe hasn't met sales expectations, and I really don't see this changing that.

[Rotrax]

Or an F Type R with £40K or so still in my pocket?

[Chubbyross]

I’m astonished that an interior like that gets the nod from the top brass. Aston interiors often let the whole car down. If they were a nicer looking place to sit I might just be tempted to jump ship from Porsche, but that’s just a mess as usual. The rest of the car looks stunning though.

[fortfive]

Looks a great car, colour, interior finish and wheels you choose as a buyer so why criticise this one? I'd definitely be interested as long as there is enough interior space for me and the windscreen top isn't 2 inches from my face.