In a market getting more crowded by slick, but often soulless, performance cars the Aston Martin Vantage stands out as the real deal - it's a British brute with a sabre-toothed feel.
It isn't just another swift, sexy, but vanilla-flavoured coupe that's tame enough for granny to drive. Its suspension is firm enough to shake her dentures loose and its growl would startle her clean out of her home-knitted socks.
Not to mention brakes that demand commitment; this car stops in a hurry when you need to but the pedal calls for real leg muscle. Manly, is this car. Hardcore rock 'n roll, more Jimi Hendrix than boy band.
Which brings me to the Sportshift semi-auto gearbox that tests the hardcore theory to the limit. It's the same type of box that afflicts cars such as BMW (SMG) and Alfa Romeo (Selespeed) and keeps your left leg unemployed by having an automatic clutch.
One could argue that it's part of the manly character of the Vantage and it must be admitted that this transmission finds its groove when you're chasing on a racetrack or at full throttle on an empty mountain pass in eyes-narrowed mode. It bangs through the gears forcefully and slams you into the seat on each upchange and the way it blips the throttle on downchanges is pure rock 'n roll.
However, for the 90 percent of the time when you're commuting, the transmission rains on the driving-enjoyment parade in monsoon fashion. There's a momentary delay 'twixt throttle input and forward motion when pulling off from standstill, enough to, cause rollback and K53 test failure if you tried it on an uphill.
Once you're on the move, the gearchanges are so jerky that you want to track down the transmission's inventor and slap him.
The worst part is that this semi-auto version costs 70 grand MORE than the Vantage six-speed manual. Bottom line: buy the manual.
When we tested the 4.3-litre Vantage back in September 2006 it rocked our socks off but our enthusiasm was tempered by the car needing more than the 283kW and 410Nm inside its boxing glove to stay ahead of fast family cars of M3 and RS4 ilk. The 4.3-litre V8's inflation to a 4.7 has raised outputs to 313kW and 470Nm.
The extra punch has slashed the Vantage's 0-100km/h time (at Gauteng altitude) from 6.1 to 5.5sec, which should be just enough to nose ahead of ze wunderwagens at ze traffic lights. At sea level I reckon it should easily do the 4.9sec claimed by its makers.
ROCK-SOLID STABILITY
A bragging point for Vantage buyers is that Aston Martin isn't part of the 250km/h self-restriction club; the car will only run out of puff at 290, should you find a road long enough (and free of greed traps) to test it.
Figures are cool but even cooler is the inspiring gusto with which the 4.7 Vantage fires its V8 guns. The way it reaches high speeds with rock-solid stability, the way it flexes midrange muscle for effortless overtaking and, above all, its stirring snarl. The hedonistic holler raises the hair on your arms like Jimi's guitar riff on "Voodoo Child".
The Vantage, like all Aston Martins, is front-engined and rear-wheel driven in classic grand tourer tradition. It's not an especially light car and I suspect it would lose a dice around a track against a nimbler Porsche 911, but the Aston is nonetheless a very competent cornering tool.
The suspension in the new 4.7 has been tweaked to give better body control and low-speed ride quality though the trade-off tilts towards sharp handling over ride comfort. On a bumpy road the Vantage jiggles enough for Pamela Anderson to knock herself unconscious, if you catch my drift.
AUTOMOTIVE JEWELLERY
The Vantage's hand-crafted cabin has been improved with easier-to-read switchgear and it has inherited the glass key fob, dubbed ECU (Emotion Control Unit) of the flagship Aston Martin DBS.
It has to be pressed into a fascia slot to fire up the engine and fits flush so you can't see there's a key; just the Aston Martin insignia in its crystal housing - it's pure automotive jewellery.
Pammie would dig it once she regained consciousness.
Back in 2005, when it was launched, we described the Vantage as an exotic mobile artwork that would slot effortlessly into a jetsetter's playground such as St Tropez or Clifton. That's still applicable four years on and time is being kind to the two-seater coupé's styling.
It's practical, too, with decent head space and seats that move back far enough to accommodate long legs. A 300-litre boot accommodates a weekend's luggage or golf gear and there's a large rear shelf behind the seats for soft bags or briefcases.
Verdict
High on spine-tingling fun, this R1.92-million (without options) Aston Martin Vantage is a motorised shot of tequila and the soundtrack alone is worth the price. But get it in manual; you'll have money left over for holidays in Clifton where you can parade it to fellow jetsetters. - Star Motoring