Where the new Vantage falls short

It was such a close run thing. At times during the day I was convinced it would go one way, but gradually it became clear it really ought to go the other. And if you haven’t yet read Andrew Frankel’s Aston Martin Vantage group test and don’t want any spoilers here, you should head that way first.

It was clear quite early on that the Porsche 911 Turbo S wouldn’t be troubling the Vantage or McLaren Artura for class honours. I’ve always had a soft spot for the most powerful 911 (occasional GT2 RS interlopers aside) because of how they combine crushing cross-country pace with genuine every day, year-round usability. There’s still nothing quite like a 911 Turbo. When the apocalypse comes and my survival depends on me getting from where I am to somewhere very far away as quickly as possible, my first move will be to hijack a 911 Turbo.

But for sheer thrills on a great road – the stuff that makes us drag ourselves out of bed long before the early birds have bothered to do the same – it simply doesn’t get close to the Vantage or Artura. Frankly, it doesn’t even come close to the many other models in the sprawling 911 line-up. Every other fixed-roof 911 would have fared better in this contest.