2016 Aston Martin Vantage GT Review

This is not the slick, highly polished Aston Martin you’re used to. Not that it’s rough around the edges, but this sporty Vantage GT is a bit more aggressive than the brand’s flashy Vanquish. If the V12 Vanquish is James Bond sidling up to a mark at a cocktail party, the V8 Vantage GT is Jason Bourne punching his way out of the closest embassy. And that’s a good thing.
2016 Aston Martin Vantage GT Side Profile

Dressed up with gauche stripes and gaudy accents meant to mimic the company’s racing cars, the 2016 Aston Martin Vantage GT demands to be driven with vigor. Bring the V-8 to life and relish the way it responds quickly to throttle inputs, then enjoy the way the exhaust note urges you to play the musical scales. Thrust the tall shift lever into first gear, give the engine a few more revs than you expect (the vague clutch obfuscates its bite point), launch the car, and run the sonorous V-8 toward its redline. In the style of old-school, naturally aspirated engines, the 4.7-liter mill’s output swells in time with its revs, with peak torque arriving fashionably late at 5,000 rpm.

2016 Aston Martin Vantage GT Cabin 02

As six-figure cars go, the Aston Martin Vantage is far from the most powerful, but its entertainment factor involves more than straight-line speed. Point the long nose toward an apex, and the Aston darts and jukes like, well, a sports car. The GT’s quick-ratio steering and uprated suspension respond instantly to our every input. We run the gearbox up and down its six ratios as we devour winding roads, smiling as we watch the tachometer twirl counterclockwise. Enormous brake discs burn off the speed in a moment. Nobody would accuse the V12 Vanquish of being a slouch, but this Vantage GT is a more lithe and nimble plaything. It connects more with its driver, especially when you’re shifting gears yourself.
All of which is fitting for the special-edition Vantage GT model, which offers drivers five different stripe and color packages to get into the racing spirit. Personally we would prefer a plainer, more elegant presentation of this Vantage, but the racing stripes do help remind us of this car’s sporting intentions. Meanwhile, the attention to detail that we expect from Aston Martin is evident here, including sensuous sheetmetal sculpture, gorgeous hand-stitched leather upholstery, delicate Bang & Olufsen audio tweeters on the dashboard, and the Aston Martin’s usual pretty (but not especially legible) analog gauges.
2016 Aston Martin Vantage GT Rear Three Quarter

More than any other model in the British carmaker’s lineup, the 2016 Aston Martin Vantage GT is all about driving. Think of it less as ultra-suave James Bond and more as the gritty, aggressive action-movie antihero. It’s neither the fastest nor the prettiest nor the most technically advanced Aston money can buy, but it’s the one that inspires us to drive, not cruise. This Vantage GT is all about winding roads, not valet parking.

2016 Aston Martin Vantage GT Front End

2016 Aston Martin Vantage GT Specifications

On Sale: Now
Price: $107,825/$121,340 (base/as-tested)
Engine: 4.7L DOHC 32-valve V-8/430 hp @ 7,300 rpm, 361 lb-ft @ 5,000 rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Layout: 2-door, 2-passenger, front-engine, RWD coupe
EPA Mileage: 14/21 mpg (city/hwy)
Suspension F/R: Control arms, coil springs/Control arms, coil springs
Brakes: Vented discs
Tires F/R: 245/40R-19 / 285/35R-19 Bridgestone Potenza RE050A
L x W x H: 172.6 x 73.4 x 49.6 in
Wheelbase: 102.4 in
Headroom: 36.7 in
Legroom: 42.8 in
Shoulder Room: 54.8 in
Cargo Room: 10.6 cu ft
Weight: 3,549 lb
Weight Dist. F/R: 49/51
0-60 MPH: 4.6 sec
¼ Mile: N/A
Top Speed: 190 mph

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