One of the biggest reveals in the automotive world this year was the new Aston Martin Vantage. The new British 2-seater changed from its core, leaving naturally aspirated mills behind and stepping into the present, using a 4-liter turbocharged V8 instead. Developed by Mercedes-AMG and refined by Aston Martin, the mill delivers plenty of power for a car this small. Therefore, would comparing it to the new F90 M5 be fair?
“Not really” would be the short answer. The problem is, the M engineers did such a great job with the new car that it is now being compared to almost everything on the planet. The guys from Motorsport Magazine in France, took it to their traditional Magny-Cours GP track and did a fast lap with it, to see how it stacks up against other cars. The clock showed a lap time of 1:58.39, making it just a bit faster than the M2 Competition (1:59.78) and slower than the BMW M4 CS (1:56.07).
Then, earlier this month, the guys also took an Aston Martin Vantage out to the same track to see what it can do. That fancy new V8 delivers 503 HP to the rear axle along with 498 lb-ft of torque. The car is also light on its feet compared to the F90 M5, tipping the scale some 400 kilos earlier at 1,590 kg (3,505 lbs). That said, the Aston does 0-62 mph from standstill in 3.6 seconds, a bit slower than the M5 which has the all-wheel drive advantage in this case.
Nevertheless, on the track, that sprint time means close to nothing as technical track demand more in the weight and braking department, where the Vantage should have the upper hand. The lap posted below shows that it did win but only by 19 milliseconds, the two cars being way too close to call a certain winner. When the proper rival for this car will come out, the M8 to be more precise, I don’t think things will be as close.
