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SALT LAKE CITY — It's hard not to think of Agent 007 with a car like the Aston Martin. During the British spy's latest film, James Bond demolished seven out of 10 of the stylish cars created for the film.
The luxury car manufacturer has enjoyed a rich 50-year history with the popular film series. From Goldfinger's DB5 in 1964 to the all-new DB10 in Spectre, the elusive spy has been wowing moviegoers for decades as he races around in the classic sports car.
But according to Abdul Kisana, founder of Salt Lake's Specialized Sales and Leasing, Aston Martin represents much more than just the Bond films.
“Of course people see an Aston Martin and think James Bond, and that heritage is fun. But this car is both a luxury car and a performance car. It’s not just for show”, Kisana said.
In fact, the name Aston Martin itself pays homage to founder Lionel Martin’s success running the Aston Hill Climb in Buckinghamshire, England, in 1914.
I recently had the opportunity to test Kisana's claim when I drove the V8-powered Vantage S Roadster.
First impressions
The 2012 Vantage S Roadster sits low and wide and is white with a black, soft convertible top. Huge, chrome rear exhaust outlets at the far bottom corners of black trim rise up toward the white bumper cover. A spoiler tops the trunk.
Dark lower air inlets and a black and chrome grill sit between massive, elongated headlight covers that slope back and outward over the fenders. The Vantage looks fast, even standing still, and is not a tiny car.
While settling into the luxurious interior, I was given a lesson on the not-so-obvious startup process for the Vantage.
Instead of a shift lever, round buttons for “drive," “neutral” and “reverse” are situated prominently on the dash above the media controls. The seven-speed automatic transmission doesn't have a “park” gear but uses "neutral" instead. The fourth dashboard button is for “sport” mode. The long hand-brake lever sits to the driver’s left, rather than the right.
To start the car, the driver must raise the hand brake, press the release button and the lever will lower. With a foot on the brake, the transmission can then be placed in drive. When parking, the procedure is reversed and the driver must push the "neutral" button once the parking brake is applied.
The leather seats are very supportive and much more comfortable than many found in high-performance cars. Both driver and passenger are surrounded by leather and suede, and contrasting stitching stands out on the door panels.
The dash, split by the cascading center console and pop-up navigation screen, takes on a rounded shape and slopes downward toward the driver and passenger. The interior leans toward luxury rather than sporty.
Performance and handling
My wife was along for the ride, so I decided to take the Vantage on a drive to Park City for a lobster roll lunch and then a jaunt around town. A light rain was falling as we pulled away with the top up.
Immediately upon pulling away from the Specialized lot, I noticed the din. The Vantage is loud, not unlike many sports cars. The noise coming from the engine is constant but satisfying, and the exhaust note rumble is very pleasant but not overly loud.
The Vantage’s Achilles heel quickly became apparent while driving in auto mode. The single clutch transmission is, in a word, clunky. Every shift to a higher or lower gear creates a slight pause and then a lurch. Fortunately, putting the car in sport mode and using the column-mounted paddle shifters smooths things out, and shifting manually is much more satisfying.
The Vantage stops as well as it starts. The suspension is well-refined for a sports car, though there is some harshness. Body roll is practically absent in the corners, but the suspension adjusts beautifully and soaks up bumps and joints in the pavement well as the car gains speed.
The rain disappeared as we entered Parleys Canyon and the top came down after lunch. The din became louder with the wind, but the well-tuned sound system was made for top-down driving. The bass was able to drown out the constant noise from the car itself.
While the transmission is lacking, the steering is nothing short of remarkable. Aston Martin somehow manages both tight precision and a feel of ease that is unmatched. It’s not uncommon for performance car steering to range from unresponsive to exhausting. The Aston is neither and soaks up canyon curves without any trouble.
The car turned heads and elicited a few comments from passersby on Park City’s Main Street. The real fun, however, was the drive back down to Salt Lake City.
Conclusions
The 2012 Vantage S combines great curb appeal with very real performance. It's perfect for comfortable canyon cruising but also pushes the envelope anywhere else. Being thrown back in my seat on the freeway on-ramp was just as much fun as twisting canyon roads.
While the tranny and suspension are best suited for speed cruising rather than running errands in the city, the luxurious interior befits the car’s 2012 sticker price of more than $152,000.
Unfortunately, however, Q had not equipped this particular car with either ejector seats or machine guns.
Specs
Vehicle type: front engine, two-passenger, convertible coupe
Engine: DOHC V8, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Displacement: 4.7 liter, 289 cubic inches
Power: 430 Horsepower, 361 pound-feet of torque
Transmission: seven-speed auto with manual mode and paddle shifters
Performance: 4.0 seconds, zero-60 mph, 12.4-second quarter mile
Wheelbase: 102.4 inches
Fuel Economy: EPA estimated city/highway 14/21 miles per gallon
Price as tested for 2012 with 11,900 miles: $78,786
The car turned heads and elicited a few comments from passersby on Park City’s Main Street. The real fun, however, was the drive back down to Salt Lake City.
Conclusions
The 2012 Vantage S combines great curb appeal with very real performance. It's perfect for comfortable canyon cruising but also pushes the envelope anywhere else. Being thrown back in my seat on the freeway on-ramp was just as much fun as twisting canyon roads.
While the tranny and suspension are best suited for speed cruising rather than running errands in the city, the luxurious interior befits the car’s 2012 sticker price of more than $152,000.
Unfortunately, however, Q had not equipped this particular car with either ejector seats or machine guns.
Specs
Vehicle type: front engine, two-passenger, convertible coupe
Engine: DOHC V8, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Displacement: 4.7 liter, 289 cubic inches
Power: 430 Horsepower, 361 pound-feet of torque
Transmission: seven-speed auto with manual mode and paddle shifters
Performance: 4.0 seconds, zero-60 mph, 12.4-second quarter mile
Wheelbase: 102.4 inches
Fuel Economy: EPA estimated city/highway 14/21 miles per gallon
Price as tested for 2012 with 11,900 miles: $78,786
