Simply Abu Dhabi XXXI

2 6 8 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I That Henrik Fisker design, as lovely as it was, desperately needed updating and as a string of subsequent models have looked quite similar, it was time to make the brave decision and give Aston Martin a new design dNA without compromising its heritage. Add to this that the 2019 vantage very quickly follows the dB11 v8 to market with an engine that’s not entirely British but a product of a partnership they enjoy with Mercedes- AMG. So, inmany ways, this is probably the bravest departure Aston Martin has made from an engineering/styling perspective in living memory. The engine is a 4-litre, twin-turbocharged v8 you will find under the hood of the AMGGT, which amusingly also makes it the vantage’s closest competitor as well as the ‘63’ branded Mercedes models like the C63, E63, S63 etcetera. As the first car on a wet track, it was incredibly slippery with instructions to stay off the painted red and white curbs that were like ice. With 503bhp under the right foot and in ‘track mode’ that allowed a little more wiggle in the rear, I was playing it cautiously, but one thing immediately came tomind. This car had tons of grip. I mean copious amounts that was no doubt aided by the Pirelli P-Zero tyres made especially for the vantage, but still, it was an ice rink out there, yet it stuck like glue. Speaking to senior engineers later who were happy to receive my compliments about its grip, it was Aston Martin’s chief engineer and all-round good driver, Matt Becker who let me in on a secret as to my ability in the car and its supposed grip levels. The driver sits in the new vantage precisely in the middle, equidistant from the front wheels to the back wheels so that car effectively pivots around you which in turn gives youmore feel for its movements, therefore arguably more control. It had to play some part in the overall job as a few of us seasoned hacks later commented on the bus back to the hotel that it was an easy car to drive very quickly. When it did step out of line, its electronic rear diff, which is linked to the car’s stability control system, read the car’s behaviour and reacted instantly to direct power to the relevant wheel.