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The last gunfighter | 2017 Aston Martin V12 Vantage S First Drive

Here's a deliciously subversive thought for you: Stats are ruining enthusiast cars. We use them to rank the latest models, critique them, and deify them. Sometimes the numbers happen to align with a bunch of intangibles, and the car becomes transcendent – like the Ferrari 458 Speciale, a very special thing indeed. There are cars with great numbers and very little charisma; I've driven many of them. And then, there are the number-based narratives that mislead us. For example, the hoopla around the Mazda MX-5's horsepower, or the continuing lack of a Toyobaru with a turbo – frustrating crosstalk about purist platforms better understood on track than on paper. The 2017 Aston Martin V12 Vantage S is flawed, old, and weak – so say the insidious numbers. A mechanical watch doesn't keep time as well as a quartz one, the numbers say. A tube amplifier produces an inferior sound, the numbers say. The way to fight back is to stop this slavish devotion to the stats and go wind the thing out on good roads in imperfect conditions, which is to my mind the ultimate test of a grand tourer's competence. Southern California was rocked this winter by wild weather – much of the Angeles Crest Highway that dances along the spine of the San Gabriel Mountains was closed due to heavy snow. So much for Plan A. Some roadside rerouting led to some promising roads, so I pointed the Aston into the curves. The V12 roar is a profound part of this car's appeal. Uphill and building steam, the Vantage is a symphony's brass section playing the sounds of wolves on the hunt. Downshifts yowl and snarl like a pack crashing through the underbrush in search of prey. Under deceleration, it sounds like lupine static, unearthly and resonant; wound out it's a frenzied whir. Every stab of throttle brings an immediate response: sound and acceleration in equal measure. If you have even the barest appreciation of joy, you can't stay out of the throttle. This is soulful, warm, analog – but merely honest rather than consciously retro. There's nothing here trying to simulate an authentic experience – it is an authentic experience. It's all right there, under the long and delicate hood – twelve cylinders displacing 5.9 liters. And inside the cabin, a seven-speed manual gearshift lever that moves through a dogleg pattern. This watch requires winding; it's a tactile experience that the quickest, most sophisticated dual-clutch automated manual can't touch.

Weekly Recap For 7.8.16 | Autoblog Minute

Senior Editor Greg Migliore recaps the week in automotive news, including a look at the new V12 hypercar coming from Aston Martin and Red Bull Racing. Aston Martin Jeep Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video autos Red Bull Racing hypercar am-rb 001

Aston Martin DBX SUV officially enters production

On one hand, now is the perfect time for Aston Martin's very first production SUV to roll off the assembly line. Because there's nothing like an expensive luxury sport utility vehicle to rake in some cash when the going gets tough, as has been the case for the premium British automaker since it launched its stock IPO in 2018. On the other hand, even a flashy utility vehicle faces major headwinds in these difficult times as the coronavirus pandemic continues to dominate headlines. In any case, the Aston Martin DBX has officially entered production at the automaker's facility at St Athan in Wales. The first model was painted in a lovely hue that the automaker calls Stirling Green and that otherwise adorns Aston Martin's racing vehicles. The company says it has received more than 2,000 orders for the DBX so far, and the first deliveries will begin later this month. A milestone moment. Just over four years since we announced our investment in a brand new manufacturing facility at St Athan in Wales, the first Aston Martin to be “Hand Made in Wales” – DBX - has been driven off the production line.#AstonMartin #DBX #BeautifulIsRelentless pic.twitter.com/nI5V7BaZWr — Aston Martin (@astonmartin) July 9, 2020 Marek Reichman, executive vice president and chief creative officer, said from the launch, “We are incredibly proud of our first SUV, which is as much of an Aston Martin as any one of our sports cars. From my design team to the engineers, the vehicle dynamics team and all the experts who hand-craft this beautiful car, here at St Athan, the DBX has become the car that will drive Aston Martin into a bold new era.” Here's hoping Reichman is right and that Aston Martin can turn its fading fortunes around. Related Video: