Call me a snob. Call me stubborn. Call me old-fashioned. But in a world where things like sophistication, elegance, and grace seem hard to come by, the Aston Martin Vantage Roadster is an automotive oasis of the rarest breed.
One could argue that with $191,000 in your pocket it’s easy to conjure up enough refinement to overthrow the local Olive Garden. But money does not always buy elegance. Consider the Lamborghini Huracan, which starts at $208,000. Is it fast? Yup. Is it sexy? You bet. But sophisticated it is not. Supercars rarely are. This is where Aston comes in.
In the space between luxury and performance, Aston is fulfilling that age-old promise of being handbuilt a gentleman’s car or a gentlewoman’s car. Why does that matter? We are now living in an age where, thanks to electric engines, horsepower and torque are becoming infinite. Hell, here are 10 cars with over 1,000 horsepower alone. When can you use all of that power? In your commute? The Starbucks drive-through? Yeah, pretty much never. But beauty, simple, unquestionable, undeniable beauty? That’s a rareity.
vantage roadster STYLE
This is a car that doesn’t need any aftermarket nonsense to look good. It doesn’t need to age to be cool. And it most certainly doesn’t need to be driven to be appreciated. I saw a Vantage roadster drive past me yesterday and I literally got chills. Now that the Vantage is available with the convertible top, it becomes even more beautiful.
My only complaint with the styling is that the buttons can sometimes look cheap, which wouldn’t bother me in other cars. But because everything else is so well done in this vehicle, the bar is just too high for plastic buttons.
THE DRIVE
Then there’s the drive. Smooth as silk, easy as pie, like butter, sure all of the automotive cliches apply. But what’s hard to articulate is how elevated all of the interfaces are. The turn indicator is engaged with a smooth whomp, like you’ve done something important, significant in fact, like your driving matters. Each time you step on the gas, it feels like you’re about to do something great. And trust me, you are.
Drive mode selection is simple, yet dramatic, as the the difference between Sport and Track makes you stop and wonder, “Am I ready to get a speeding ticket today?” If you’re not, switching back is, well, as easy as pie.
THE VERDICT
Unlike myself, there is no doubt in my mind that this car is going to look even better in 10 years. In 20 years, it’ll be a collector. The lines are just too good to ignore.
As a daily driver, it is absolutely a high-end contender. Though it is less enjoyable to drive than a 911S, the Vantage Roadster makes up for it in both interior and exterior styling.
THE VIDEO
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And don’t miss the James Bond story, because it’s a good one.