What's the most popular television series right now? Probably Stranger Things, a show that positively permeates with nostalgia. So you could say that the Aston Martin Vantage from the 80's is just as much a star of this review as the all-new model.
The British automaker was very kind in putting together with four-car configuration. In fact, the earliest model belongs to their CEO, none other than Andy Palmer.
The Vantage nameplate was brought to life in 1977 as the first British supercar. Now, we're not saying it's better or worse than the Italians of its era but look at that sexy body and tell us it's not a dead ringer for Bullitt.
A successor appeared many years later in 2005. It used a naturally aspirated 4.3-liter V8 which gave it a 0 to 60 time of 4.8 seconds, about the same as today's Focus RS.
Mat Watson's vlog makes fun of the Volvo and Ford parts that were used in the Vantage but admits it's one of the best sports car shapes ever put together. The next car in the lineup is the GT8 derivative from 2016. Honestly, we don't know why the brought it, but perhaps the added aero makes the brand new 2018 version seem more like a transition.
As you might have heard already, Aston partnered with Mercedes-AMG and got their 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 under the hood of the Vantage. People are even saying it sounds better than in the German GT.
The 0 to 60 sprint takes 3.7 seconds. If 510 horsepower sounds like too much for you, the Brits are even considering the 435 HP 3-liter from the CLS 53.
Seeing all four Vantage models together gives us a much better understanding of the evolutionary design. Something about the general proportions has been kept without leaving a nostalgia aftertaste. The interior is also a bit like that of the AMG GT, thanks to buttons and switches taken from the German automaker.
Unfortunately, you'll have to wait a few more days for the full driving review.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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