No bones about it, the Vantage is the most important Aston Martin in a generation. Yes, the DB11 was critical, but we already knew the firm could produce very fine grand tourers. The Vantage is all about reminding us that it can do sports cars, too - and not just of the bruising, old-fashioned sort, but one with the kind of tip-of-the-spear ability to challenge the buying habits of anyone with a high-spec Porsche 911 on the driveway.
Following multiple pre-production drives of the V8-powered coupe, we were confident that Aston had built such a car. And now, for all the reasons that Matt mentions below having experienced it on both road and track, we're convinced. Enjoy.