© Adrian Mugridge (2018)
Aston Martin Vantage
Time for something different
After
6
years
of
Noble
ownership
it
was
time
for
a
change.
Whilst
I
loved
the
Noble,
in
the
end
it
was
it’s
practicality
that
meant
it
had
to
go.
The
trouble
is,
with
no
boot
space
(either
front
or
rear),
it
made
going
away
in
it
somewhat
of
a
hassle.
Stuffing
squashy
bags
behind
the
seats
was
getting
too much. I was always having to limit what I was packing.
Looks good, sounds good, but…
The trouble was, what do get ?
So
I
went
for
a
Vantage
V8,
it’s
quite
fast,
looks
great,
sounds
great,
but
somehow
something
is
missing.
A
criticism
often
levelled
at
the
V8
(especially
the
earlier
4.3)
is
that
it
was
underpowered.
Well,
it’s
380bhp
and
302 lb/ft, but in a car that weighs around 1700kg it’s not that much really.
The
other
problem
is
maybe
it
being
normally
aspirated.
So
there’s
no
kick
when the turbo comes in, it’s all very linear - it lacks aggression.
18 months of ownership
So
after
only
18
months
it
went.
Somehow
I
never
really
got
on
with
it.
It’s
quite
unusual
that
Aston
owners
get
bored
with
them,
but
that’s
what
I
got
-
bored.
Another
problem
was
maybe
coming
for
a
Noble.
The
M12
is
bonkers, it fires you up the road. The Vantage does not.