I don't think that we are looking at the same car....

 

I'm in auto service industry & I see lot of cars & drive lot of different cars. This new vantage for me is just another car. I saw it in person @ Galpin last week. IMO-it's not Aston like it's more of like another trying to hard to impress, too aggressive which means it has lot same kind of lines as many cars out there. some people say it's like mazda, jaguar, toyota or whatever. I was board with front look in a minute. Rear end is ok, it's got some elegance, side view is whatever. So, IMO- it's a pass.
Every time I start thinking about selling my 2013 Vantage & then I ask myself question what do I replace it with that has same kind of elegance...... maybe another Aston?
Bottom line, I'm keeping mine.

 

Meh, not for me.

 

I love the side view and the rear. The interior is fricking amazing. I love it. Then I get to the front end and I cry. Its so bad. The headlights look they came off a 92 Viper and that big hole just looks weird. I was really hoping this car would give me something to trade off my Gallardo on but now if I get an AM it will be the current style. Oh well. They tried. LOL.

 

Initial Impressions:
- Interior looks good. More modern without going crazy.
- The top half of the rear is okay, but the way the diffuser curves up at the outside edges wrecks it. Needs more rear bumper there, and less diffuser - a straighter line across.
- Like the side view, until you get to the aforementioned diffuser area that wraps toward the rear wheels
- The front... it just feels like it is missing something. I won't go so far as to say I hate it, because sometimes one or two small changes make a big difference, but there's just not enough there.

That said, in a different colour with less contrast between body & accents it might feel different, and in person is way different than pictures.

 

Here's MotoMan's review. I like how thorough he is.


But as I predicted... butterface.

 

I was anticipating this reveal for 2 years now. First thing this morning I went through the Am website and configured, played around with colors, etc. There are definitely some lines and angles to the car that I like, but the front feels like a missed opportunity. The bonnet lines don't grab me, and the head lights are just bad. The day time running lights have ZERO character, which is really disappointing given the out going Vantage's lights being so distinctive.

There is more around back to love for me, but as someone else mentioned the unfinished exhaust tips are another inexcusable miss. This is not a Ford F150... its an Aston Martin, and that unfinished exhaust tip feels like a lack of attention to detail.

Interior I can't really give an opinion on, that's one of those "I have to sit in it" to really assess how I feel about it. The car as a whole in person may provide more presence in person than in pics, but I guess that will have to wait until next year.

HOWEVER, all of this is moot and pointless, because with no manual option, I will not buy the car. So if 2019 MY is auto only, then its not an option for me. Again, AM wants to position this as an aggressive sports car to enthusiasts, and you debut with no manual option? BIG miss.

Last thing, for pricing, I don't recall what the last outgoing Vantage starting price was, but it was well below 150K US. Optioned up to most people's buying preference, I'm guessing this new car is approaching 170K, maybe 180K? Struggling with that value proposition.

 

When I first saw this two weeks ago I felt ashamed. I hope it helps our current Vantage values

 

Just watched the Motoman video... Sweet jesus, what did they do with the exhaust note? Granted its just revving sitting still, but its sounds way more Jag F-Type R than Aston. Now I'm sad...

 

You know when you open up the box of something you have just purchased, say a phone or a laptop, and it has protective plastic molding around it for protection, that is what the front and back look like to me. It seems like they left the protective plastic molding on when they took it out of the box. Alternatively, it could be that they forgot to take the car off the robot trolley that transports it around the factory during the build. Either way - yech!

The front grille is hideous, like a lot of them are nowadays, but even Toyota is toned down compared to that.

The upper rear 3/4 view has elements I quite like, but otherwise I agree that it is F-type influenced, but with some Nissan and Mazda thrown in.

They can't stagnate, so it is important to move with the times, but the pictures don't have that "jaw drop" factor for me.

Just my opinion and perhaps it might eventually grow on me... after they do their first freshening cycle of this design.

 

It sounds like a manual trans is coming next year, so I'm not gonna sweat the transmission stuff.

I have the same gripes about the front, but I think what disappoints me most is how much of a missed opportunity it was. The Vulcan gets my heart racing... I see they were trying to capture the same effect, but they missed by quite a lot. If they had kept the headlights from the Vulcan (and the side strakes, for that matter), it might have worked... but it is Miata-esque with the arrangement it got. Edit: CarAdvice said they were going for Vulcan + DB10. Should've left the DB10 part out and they might've had a winner. lol

As for the exhaust tips... I can understand why current owners would be bothered by them being unfinished, but it does look more race-y with them unfinished. Some of the most extreme supercars that show up to my local Supercar Saturdays (specifically, Lamborghinis and R8s, which seem to get modded more than others) have unfinished titanium exhaust tips, and I think it works well, if extreme is what you're going for.

We'll see what future face-lifts have in store.

 

When I saw the car two weeks ago I told them the back reminds of a F-type. I ask them about the 8 speed and their answer is that they are looking at attracting a different crowd instead of enthusiast for the initial release.

When you really start specing the car it is approaching 570s. No thanks as I will take the the 570 spider for sure

 

Also the exhaust sound is meh to me. It does not sound like the AMGs but I think the NA v8 sounds better. Worst is when you leg go off the throttle it has a terrible to me snap/crackle, probably dumping fuel on purpose like the new Porsches.

 

Isn't this just 95% of the movie prop DB10 with a switch to mesh grill with protruding 'lip' work a-la Vulcan? Slightly rounded headlights. minor tweak to hood lines.. and taller traffic legal side mirrors?




She is nice on the inside and I bet has a great personality!

 

With some cars it's an extra-cost option. But the new Vantage is an entomologist's dream!