Aston Martin V8 Vantage S. REVIEW. Dubai, UAE

As demonstrated by the ‘standard’ Vantage, response from the Aston Martin 4735cc V8 is mightily impressive, though you may not notice the first few times when discretion is the better part of valour in a brand new $150k sportscar. The throaty unit continues to pull almost impossibly high, showing no signs of lag. Considering peak torque doesn’t kick in until you hit 5000rpm, this really is a unit to grab by the proverbials and administer a thrashing. It’s tempting to do so on our run through the Hatta mountain range, but the reality is that hitting peak horsepower on these winding roads really isn’t an option, the corners appearing too thick and too fast for all 430bhp to be let loose.

Having said that, it’s through the corners that the balance and the handling of the Vantage S comes to the fore. It really is very good, the steering weighted just enough to make us really have to put the effort in. Coupled with the grip from the front tyres, the front end is impressively pointy with not even a glimpse of understeer on this tricky terrain. Keep the throttle nailed through the corners and perfect weight distribution and a low centre of gravity mean clinging to the apex is very do-able in this short wheelbase little monster. Kick the V8 unit hard enough and the rear will begin to get a little twitchy, and while the traction control can sometimes nanny unnecessarily, we recommend getting your full eight hours of sleep beforehand if you decide to switch the DSC off entirely.

It’s all mightily impressive on the twisties, the bigger ventilated brakes proving particularly responsive and not too snatchy. And while a racing car on these roads is what you really want to make the most of them, there are still a few issues. The suspension has been stiffened for more effective road holding, and the ride is pretty hard as a consequence. Visibility can also prove problematic, for although the sweeping windscreen offers plenty, the low roofline, small rear window, enlarged B-pillars and small wing mirrors mean wading through city traffic can be hair raising.

The blue ribbon though goes to the Sportshift II gearbox. The single-clutch system, and I quote from Aston Martin, requires ‘modulating the throttle pedal to achieve the desired type of gear change’: if you’re curious, that translates as ‘lift off the throttle when you upshift if you don’t want to get punted through the windscreen’. At top revs the system is beautifully effective.  Lower down though, the lurch as each gear is slotted home is quite incredible, and not exactly comfortable in stop-start city traffic. Smooth(er) changes require a balancing act of throttle off, throttle on when shifting, and after 500km and five hours of driving, I was no closer to taming this particular racing car.

And therein lies my main concern with the Aston Martin V8 Vantage S. It’s beautiful beyond measure and produces a sound I’d happily use everyday as my ringtone. But the balance between racecar and road car is sometimes too aggressive, the ride and gearbox being two notable examples. Taming the S on a track would no doubt provide hours of entertainment, and any Aston Martin execs reading this can happily ask us to prove that. But bring the dial back down from ten tenths, as you would do on the road, and life with the S might cause some considerable heartache, as well as backache.

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