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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.

‘Goldfinger’ Aston Martin DB5 Lego kit has fully functioning gadgets

Just as we predicted, Lego's James Bond-themed Aston Martin model kit is of the 1964 Aston Martin DB5 from "Goldfinger." A car that also featured prominently in other Bond films including " Casino Royale," "Skyfall" and " GoldenEye," among others. ( The real "GoldenEye" movie car just sold for a cool $2.6 million.) And while at first blush, it seems that the Aston's effortless class didn't quite translate as well to brick form as boxier vehicles such as the VW Bus and the Mini Cooper, we can easily forgive it. Why? Because it has all of the gadgets from the movie, and they all work! Working from the nose of the car, the turn signals drop out of the way to reveal the machine gun barrels. These disappear at the pull of the shift lever in the interior. Also in the interior are the hideaway tracking computer in the dash and the door-mounted car phone. Of course the best feature inside is the ejector seat. Pull on the rear bumper, and the roof lifts off and other mechanical bits fling the seat through the opening. Behind the rear window, there's the bulletproof shield that can be raised into position. Finally, all four wheels can have the tire cutters fitted, and the license plates swivel for different numbers. And for car enthusiasts, Lego has made sure that the model is simply a nice and accurate replica of a DB5. The hood is hinged at the front, and underneath is a detailed model of the car's double-overhead cam straight-six. It's modeled down to the triple carburetors. The doors open, naturally, as does the trunk, which has quite a bit of space. The Lego kit goes on sale Aug. 1 for $149.99. It consists of 1,290 pieces, and the finished model measures out to about 13 inches in length. Related Video: Featured Gallery Aston Martin DB5 Goldfinger Lego Kit View 41 Photos Image Credit: Lego Toys/Games TV/Movies Aston Martin Coupe Classics Lego aston martin db5

A high-performance Aston Martin DB11 is on the way

It was only a matter of time before Aston Martin prepped a hotter version of its DB11. The British Automaker did the same for the DB9 with the DBS, as well as the Vanquish, Rapide, and Vantage so a performance model Aston is as predictable as an AMG anything from Mercedes-Benz. And from the looks of it, this extra-potent DB11, which we'll call DB11 S, will follow the same formula of more power, and aggressive exterior upgrades. Most noticeable is the mega-sized maw at the front. There's a bit of white-painted mesh to break up the front grille, but it's still clear that the opening has expanded all the way down to the front spoiler. That spoiler has been changed as well, featuring points on each side instead of one big arch. Moving around to the side, the slender vent that extends from the wheel arch on the standard DB11 has been exchanged for something larger. It's shaped very differently as well, looking a bit like a shark's tooth or a Star Fleet badge from Star Trek. At the back is another significant change. The rear bumper now features a clearly functional diffuser for improved aerodynamics. Vents appear around the exhaust tips, too. However, the ducktail spoiler appears unchanged, as does the rest of the rear. There are a couple of interesting details inside as well. This prototype is fitted with Recaro race seats, which are pretty neat, but will likely be replaced with cushier, leather-wrapped seats developed by Aston. Just behind the seats is something even more fascinating. This DB11S has a roll cage. It's hard to say if this is just a one-off for the prototype, or if it will make it to production. Certainly other companies, such as Porsche, have offered roll cages in production cars. But in the case of Porsche, they've only been included on the most hardcore sports cars. However, we're not sure this Aston is the same type of track-focused car that Porsche's caged examples are. View 11 Photos As a bonus, we also have more photos of the upcoming DB11 Volante, due spring of next year. It's still sporting the '80s-grade shoulder pads to hide its haunches, but the rest of the car is pretty well exposed. Naturally, the little air scoop behind the rear quarter windows was lost with the switch to a soft top, but we expect everything under the fake steel panels will be very similar to the coupe, just like the rest of the car. Related Video: