When my friends
found out I had scored an Aston Martin Vantage S Roadster test drive, I got a lot of James Bond references.
I’m not a huge fan of the Bond franchise, but I do appreciate
a fast car.
If Bond isn’t your thing, maybe you’ve heard of Harry Da Souza, the criminal fixer played by Tom Hardy in Guy Ritchie’s crime thriller
series “MobLand.” Da Souza drives an Aston Martin DBX in the show thanks to a recent deal the automaker brokered with Paramount+.
Extending the partnership beyond
the screen, Aston Martin and “MobLand” came together at the Formula 1 Pirelli Gran Premio d'Italia at Monza, where an Aston Martin DBX emblazoned with the shows tag line “Chaos
Reigns” took to the circuit for a series of high-speed demonstration laps.
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This is the kind of marketing deal that hits the ultra-luxury automaker's sweet spot: aspirational
marketing focused on brand heritage, high-impact motorsport integration, digital personalization, and exclusive VIP experiences rather than mass-market advertising.
Back to my test
drive. It’s not every day I drive a car with a sticker price just shy of $250k. That’s probably a good thing, because while I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, I was a tad anxious every
time I got behind the wheel.
One problem was the seemingly endless stream of cars that nearly ran into me while their drivers were rubbernecking. I also encountered more than
a couple of vehicles whose drivers wanted to race me.
It was kind of laughable, since there isn’t much on the road that can keep up with the 670 hp 4.0L Twin Turbo
V8 that’s underneath the hood of this Vantage model. I barely needed to touch the gas pedal to take off like a rocket and put some distance between me and the wannabes.
Besides that issue, there was also knowing how expensive everything around the vehicle costs. For example, consider the key fob. The distinctive end cap is made of sapphire crystal with a
laser-etched Aston Martin wings logo inside. If cracked, it costs upwards of $1,000 to replace just the crystal.
The striking red seat belts are optional equipment and cost
$1,000. The powerful Bowers & Wilkins audio system will set you back $10,000. The satin black wheel covers are $5,800 (so I was definitely staying far away from any curbs.)
The
12-way heated front seats with 3-position memory come standard, but adding the ventilated feature is an additional $1,900.
A word about the seats. I was fully expecting to
have to fall into the car and then climb out, which is the case in most sports cars. But this vehicle sits higher than I expected, which made ingress and egress pretty easy.
A truly
brilliant feature was the swan-wing doors, which open outward and upward at a 12-degree angle to prevent scraping.
My favorite thing about the Vantage (other than the power)
was definitely the exterior color: an exquisite Malachite Green.
My least favorite thing about the Vantage (other than being afraid of getting anything on the seatbelts) was the
fuel economy. That big beautiful engine sucks gas, getting 15 city and 22 highway for a combined 18 mpg. And of course it takes premium fuel, which is going for $5.49 a gallon at Costco and upwards of
$6 everywhere else.
But it’s like someone reminded me about the key fob — if you can afford an Aston Martin, those things are mere chump change.