Yahoo Autos Aston Martin Vantage F1 Edition Review: 9 Thoughts about the special edition Aston
AGOURA HILLS, Calif. – As if driving an Aston Martin Vantage isn’t special enough, this would be the F1 Edition, which isn’t just a special paint job and some stickers commemorating Aston’s return to Formula 1 back in 2021. It’s effectively a replica of the Formula 1 safety car, which itself isn’t just a special paint job and some stickers. The powertrain, chassis and aerodynamics are all upgraded to meet the increased demands of the job, upgrades that were transferred to the car you see here.
The AMG-sourced 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 gets an extra 25 horsepower for a grand total of 535. Maximum torque output remains the same at 505 pound-feet, but that peak is sustained longer. The eight-speed automatic’s shift times are decreased and its responses while braking are improved. As for the chassis, the underbody is strengthened, the dampers are reworked for improved vertical body control, and the rear spring rates are increased. The steering is altered for improved feedback as well, and the wheels are enlarged to 21 inches, up from the standard car’s 20.
Finally, it looks different due to the aerodynamic enhancements: full-width front splitter, front dive planes, underbody turning vanes, and just in case you didn’t notice it, a wing. Surprisingly, the big rear diffuser actually carries over unchanged. Also surprisingly, you can get the Vantage F1 Edition as a convertible, but as it was created to pace F1 and not the Indianapolis 500, opting for the Coupe results in the most faithful replica.
Unfortunately, I have never driven any other current-generation Aston Martin Vantage, so how much of a difference any of the above does is a mystery to me. I suspect the ride is worse given what I’ve read about the Vantage’s grand-touring capabilities, but I doubt you’re really trying to decide whether to check the F1 Edition option box, so here are the things that most stood out to me while driving the Aston Martin Vantage F1 Edition.
1. Oh man, the noise! Part I
Words can’t really do justice to how incredible this car sounds when you lay into it, and believe me, there’s something about driving an Aston Martin that makes you want to lay into it. And fire guns out of the headlights, but that’s a different story. There’s the rumbling wail from the exhaust. There’s the whirring V8, which definitely has a different tone than the AMG versions of the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, but it’s still clearly related. The Porsche 911 sounds brilliant, but this is better. Hooray V8s.
2. Oh man, the noise! Part II
On the other hand, when you’re just driving around, there is no rumbling wail. It’s more like a deep concussive whir around 2,000 rpm. It gets old. Also, in Track mode, the exhaust throws in crackles and pops on the overrun, but they don’t actually sound all that good. Very contrived. I wish I could engage Track mode for the transmission but leave the exhaust in normal. Between this and the wing, this particular Aston Martin doesn’t exactly fit into the admittedly old-school mold of “gentlemen’s motoring” I associate with the brand.
3. I could use a transmission setting between Sport+ and Track
Unlike with a Porsche PDK or Mercedes-AMG transmission, the Aston’s eight-speed torque converter automatic was not able to achieve “just leave it in auto” excellence. Sport+ wasn’t smart enough to downshift as readily and by as many gears as was needed. Track was, but it would then hang onto those gears too long, especially if you lift off the throttle suddenly at higher rpm. This wouldn’t be a problem when serving as a Safety Car given the higher speeds and more prolonged acceleration, which is perhaps the issue – I’d be curious to try a standard Vantage for this area in particular.
