The newest Aston Martin is a near-perfect blend of beauty, poise, an interior to die for - and just enough power

Sometimes, less is more. Checking out of a famous, formal and expensive palace hotel in northern Italy once, I spent the next night at a humble put perfect agriturismo in the mountains and breathed a great sigh of relief at the simple perfection of the little farm hotel.

In motoring terms, the Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster would hardly seem to be the equivalent of that agriturismo. It will set back its lucky buyer the price of a small beach house in Croatia. But it is a surprising car.

The world of luxury motoring has been taken over by a horsepower race. Mainstream manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz and BMW are producing cars with the performance of exotics like Lamborghini and Ferrari. But do you need all that speed? I drove a BMW M6, which is capable of 200mph (320km/h), across Britain earlier this year and ended up wondering if it wasn't just pointlessly rapid.

By contrast the Aston Roadster has one immediate quality that the BMW, and indeed few other cars, have: sheer beauty. Unlike, say, a Ferrari, it doesn't impress by its size and menace. It's a relatively short (4.38m long) car with perfect proportions. Even with the roof up, it's gorgeous; drop the top and you have the prettiest car this side of a 1960s E-Type Jaguar.

Its interior is just right too. The metallic silver instruments are lovely (though a tad impractical), and the stitched leather and metal bars in the cabin look very chic. It's the sexiest car cabin I have ever sat in. Fire up the engine, flip the paddleshift into gear and set off. The V8 engine sounds gently crisp at low speed, but when you pass the 4,000 rpm mark you get a shove in the back and your ears are caressed with a bellowing howl that makes you feel happy to be alive.

But - and here's the point - it's not that fast. The howling engine will soon demand another gear, and another, all giving you rapid but not eye-popping progress. If you're spending a six figure Euro sum with max acceleration in mind, your money's better spent on a BMW M6 or Mercedes AMG: in a race, the Aston would struggle to keep up with a BMW M3, at half the price.

What the Aston does have, apart from beauty to the eye and ear, is agility and thrill. Unlike so many cars these days the steering feels sharp and alive. Whip it through a roundabout and its short wheelbase makes this heavy car feel like a go-kart. Shoot a series of S-bends and it feels taut, perfectly balanced, honed. This is a car engineered for soul, not just for statistics.

So the Vantage Roadster looks wonderful, drives beautifully and sounds like a dream. Its only vice is that it makes the Aston DB9 - its considerably more expensive sibling - feel a little clumsy by comparison. Who said less is more? - Darius Sanai

www.aston-martin.com
LUX RATING: 19/20

 

ALTERNATIVES

BMW M6 Convertible

Ferocious acceleration when you wind its 5-litre V10 engine round to its limit, and fantastic roadholding. In performance terms, the M6 is a match for almost any car on earth, but engine lacks low-down punch, steering is dull and it lacks soul.

www.bmw.com
LUX RATING: 16/20

Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet

Wonderful engine and thrilling handling make this a perfect car for Porschisti. It's more comfortable than 911s of old, too. Objectively maybe a better car than the Aston, but is the Porsche becoming too mainstream?

www.porsche.com
LUX RATING: 18/20