Vanquished

A bright and sunny early morning with the roads of the Snowdonia National Park and mid-Wales all to myself followed by motorway to London and a schlep through the outskirts of the city: it all points to being the perfect road trip for getting to know the Aston Martin Vanquish courtesy of the lovely people at Auto Vivendi.

Let's get one thing out of the way straight away: my name is not Bond; not even James Bond, regardless of what anyone and everyone who admired the car might have said. Yes, it happens to be painted in a colour called 'Skyfall', but the latest generation Vanquish didn't appear in that film, nor any other starring Mr. Bond. It is a handsome and elegant beast though, with just enough carbon fibre accoutrements to remind you that all the body panels are in the same material – the splitter, rear diffuser, door mirrors, roof and even side strakes all show the magic black weave. Perhaps the only element that doesn't work well to my eyes is the rear spoiler (pun intended), but it's not visible from the driving seat so I can live with that.

Mmmmm .... Carbon Fibre

Spoilered

The interior is of the good standard that is expected from Aston Martin and is a pleasant enough place to be. There are some new bells'n'whistles in the haptic buttons on the centre console, but I'm not sure they add much to the experience once over the novelty. The B&O audio is all theatre with two of the thirteen speakers rising out of the dashboard top; it sounded great in the limited trial I gave it (my preferred backing track for the trip was delivered from two rear-facing pipes). The optional square (or is it quartic?) steering wheel coupled with paddles fixed to the steering column (rather than the wheel) means some awkwardness in navigating bends and simultaneously shifting gears, especially when pushing on. The seats too were a little bit disappointing in the support and location provided - I would have liked something a little more bucket seat-like - but are adequately comfortable for what is primarily a GT rather than out-and-out sports car.

Well Hello Allegro!

But the day was all about the driving, rather than the aesthetics, and it's certainly an enjoyable experience. Performance is on the fast side of brisk, as it should be with 565bhp on tap from the V12 up front. It is happy being hustled around the Welsh mountain roads, diving into and leaping out of corners (with LSD assistance) with the engine smoothly revving to 7,000rpm and beyopnd whilst delivering a magnificent bellow in the process. Less successful in my eyes is the gearbox: true to the GT pretensions, Aston Martin have chosen to fit an automatic 'Touchtronic 2' unit to the rear and offer paddle shift as well as a fully automatic mode. I will confess to not trying the auto mode at all (it's of no interest to me), but the paddle-initiated shifts are certainly lazier and more slurred than the single and dual clutch automated manuals on the market (even Aston Martin's own ASM III unit on the V12 Vantage S). Don't get me wrong - it works fine - but I think sharper changes would enhance the driving experience and provide that extra edge in downchanges to, and acceleration out of, corners. The carbon brakes are fantastic, repeatedly and effortlessly hauling the 1,700Kg+ down with good feel.

Snowdonia All to Ourselves

There are separate buttons on the steering wheel to selection 'sports' mode (which I assume sharpens the throttle response and allows the exhaust to make more noise) and to change the adaptive damper settings. I just left it in 'sport' or whatever the designation indicated in the dashboard was. Credit where credit is due: there is an option in the 'settings' menu to allow the 'sport' selection to be remembered after the ignition is turned off – a pet bugbear of mine on many cars. The ride was firm, but well controlled and the body was kept in check through the twisty stuff. I can only imaging that the more 'comfort' oriented mode would smooth out a few of the jiggles, perhaps at the expense of a little control.

Motorway travel is a cinch, although the Vanquish does seem to have a relatively small fuel tank for a GT long range cruiser. The length and lack of visibility of the extremes of the Vanquish mean that care is needed navigating, manoeuvring and parking in town, but nothing greater familiarity (and use of the parking sensors and reversing camera) wouldn't get over.

Reaction to the car is universally positive with plenty of admiring glances, waves and appreciation shown – it even got pride of place in a deck almost all to itself on the ferry to Holyhead, and the deckhands certainly approved of the noise echoing within the hull! This is unsurprising given the classic Aston Martin good looks and goodwill the marque seems to engender, though the Vanquish probably hides much of it's high technology light under a bushel: many won't be aware of the exotic materials and construction methods under the paintwork.

There'll Be A Welcome in The Hillsides

And so to the final reckoning, and the ultimate litmus test: would a Vanquish appear on my 'would like to own' list? For me probably not: the gearbox lets down the overall package (but I acknowledge that is a very personal opinion). However, a V12 Vantage with a manual 'box (even better with the Vanquish-spec. engine) would be an enticing prospect ...

That Was The (Ecurie25) Year That Was

12 cars.

30 days driving.

4,985 miles.

More than 5,700bhp.

£1,455,000 worth of metal.

For full sordid details and reports see below.

Modena Madness

Having previously gently waltzed with the Dancing Donkey in the form of the 430 Spider, it was time to dive into the mosh pit with the real deal: a hardcore 430 Coupe courtesy of ecurie25

This thing means business: stiffer than a stiff thing, and snarlier than ever, with carbon fibre race seats and roll cage you know you’re in for a treat. And it doesn’t disappoint: with brutal acceleration and scalpel-incision handling this is the car (like many) that is way, way beyond the driving speed (and comprehension) of a depressingly high proportion of those on the road today. However, venture out late enough, and deep enough into the countryside and the true delights of the Italian steed can be realised; the tenor bark from the V8 as it spins to 8,500rpm and steadfast roadholding are a delight, but it is not without a degree of playfulness. Ensure the manettino is in ‘Race’ (or above) and the ass’s tail can be made to do more than flick the flies away …

Even at a standstill this is simply a great place to be. Only here can the view in the mirror be dominated by two bright red intake plenums, with just “rarri” visible, confirming that which lurks just behind your left ear. Everything else is functional, with not a spare ounce of flesh spared on frippery, electric motors or cappucino holders. The seats look great and provide good location, but don’t expect to drive continuously for long periods without a need to stop and restore circulation to the derriere. I wish I could report on the radio, but not once was there a need for additional musical accompanyment.

So coupe or spider: no competition I’m afraid - the coupe is more handsome from all angles, as well as being dynamically superior, so wins every time (unless, of course, there is a suntan required). The harder question is which of the two Tricolore stables to pin one’s colours to: the 430 or Gallardo. It is a close run thing, but I’m afraid that Sant’Agata wins the day for me: the 430 front view is still unresolved in my eyes (too high amongst other things) and simply not as attractive as the young bull. And good though the V8 is, it can’t match the sheer event that is the mechanical symphony of the Lambo V10 powerplant. Guess I’m just one of those Lamborghini types of guys …

Continental Cruiser

Three friends to take out for a swanky celebratory dinner in deepest, darkest Berkshire? Look no further than Crewe’s latest drop-top (via Wolfsburg). The ecurie25 blue beast looked exactly the part, but could I persuade the passengers to go al fresco?

There isn’t really too much to add to the many reviews of the Continental GTC; it pretty much does, goes and performs as reported. There is plenty of space for four fully grown occupants (and comfort in the rear even with the front seats occupied by two 6 foot plus-ers and the roof up), there is every toy imaginable available inside and it goes like stink with a wondrous bass rumble for accompanyment. The ride is excellent, and the (adjustable) suspension copes admirably with the beast’s lardyness in delivering excellent handling. Naturally the suspension was wound round as far to the ’sport’ end of the scale, but even then there wasn’t any undue harshness. As might be expected there isn’t a significant amount of feedback provided, either to seat-of-pants or through the tiller, but that isn’t the point of a GT cruiser like this.

And the bad points? Most noticeable was the sat nav that appeared to be from a bygone era; it managed to provide directions OK, but the user interface and graphical display were significantly lacking by today’s standards.

Did we get the roof down? Alas the girl’s coiffure apparently wouldn’t withstand the buffeting, so the only convertible time was limited to when I was in the car alone - and I can highly recommend the experience.

Mmmmmm Three

It dawned on me that in all my years, I’d never actually driven a BMW. Of any type. Anywhere. Ever. So ecurie25’s new M3 (the E92 model for those of you into artificial preservatives) seemed as good a place to start as any.

It is certainly a handsome beast, but does have something of a heaviness and slab sided-ness to the looks to my eyes, although the gorgeous roof does a great job in diverting one’s gaze. That bonnet bulge and attendant ‘nostrils’ provides a very American muscle car look, but mysteriously there didn’t seem much of a need for it in terms of squeezing the V8 under the hood (but I guess pedestrian impact safety requirements might have dictated its design). Inside is a very comfortable place to be, with all of the latest gadgets and knick-knacks that seem to festoon today’s automotive offerings, including electric seat belt helpers for the hard of reaching! I found there was plenty of space, and a comfortable driving position was easy to arrange. A curious arrangement of key that plugs into the dashboard and a starter button gets things rolling, with the variable red-line indication as the engine warmed up a nice touch.



The engine is a real peach - free revving and with plenty of punch, if lacking a little in the V8 growl stakes. It seems that the boys in Bavaria haven’t yet mastered the automatic exhaust valving that others have used to great effect in giving voice to their big bangers. The chassis is also great and provides a very sporty driving experience, albeit with noticeable weight to manage, with a most definite oversteer bias to the handling which is very welcome (but, I suspect, waiting to catch the unsuspecting out). The servotronic steering is a disappointment though, feeling very over-assisted (I couldn’t tell you if the assistance was variable) and providing little feedback from the front. I only tried it in the one mode (’Sport’), but can’t imagine that ‘Normal’ was any better.

Talking of modes, you’d need to spend an awful lot of time driving your M3 to try out all of the permutations and combinations of the EDC, steering, power and DSC settings: does it really take four suspension options, three power, three stability control and two steering options to allow the driver to tune the car to their liking (I make that about 72 different setups)? It is certainly not something you’d want to try and change on the move through the iDrive labrynth (although some of the options are also available through their own dedicated buttons). The ‘M’ button on the steering wheel can be programmed with your favourite setup, but infuriatingly once pressed isn’t persistant - once the car is started again it has to be pressed again. To be fair, this is the same for many other manufacturers, but why?

I can also see how the ‘BMW-driver-lack-of-indicator-syndrome’ stereotype has come to be perpetuated: for such a simple control they seem to have made it unfathomably complicated. I’m not sure I can explain how it works, but the stalk seemed to detemine - based on a number of almost random variables - whether it was going to flash the indicators three times, keep the indicators on, automatically cancel them with the steering or not cancel them until you had moved the stalk again (invariably involving turning the opposing direction signal on in the process). It was much easier simply not to touch the damn things …

So to the hot debate: M3 or RS4? I’d still plump for the one with four rings on the front (not as a saloon mind you) as it seems to be a more focused performance tool, not so encumbered with the electric frippery and computer gadgets as the Beemer. I think there is a great opportunity for a really stripped down and lightweight CSL version of the M3: replace the fatboy recliners with CF shelled race seats, ditch all of the unnecessary electric motors (I’ll grab my own seat belt, thanks), leave the iDrive at the factory and tweak the steering feel and it could be a much closer thing.

Hopefully it won’t be so long until my next BMW experience, for the M3 certainly was a great driver’s car. Before then though, I need to work out how to open the boot - never did find the button …

Ferrari Fidelity

Apparently I’ve done this all the wrong way round; earlier in the year I experienced ecurie25’s Ferrari 430 Spider but have only just got around to trying it’s predecessor, the F360 Spider. Regardless of the step back in time, this was a thoroughly entertaining driving experience, and one that has probably endeared me to the way of the Dancing Donkey more than managed by the 430.

The current ecurie25 fleet car has the F1 automated manual gearbox (which regular readers will know that I’m not the biggest fan of generally), but apart from a few infuriating characteristics (see below) it didn’t spoil the encounter with what turned out to be a lovely balanced, responsive and engaging car. It certainly has a feel of lightness and ‘pointiness’ to it that I don’t remember from the 430. Of course it could all be psychosomatic, with the sports exhaust on the 360 overwhelming all other senses and indeed my memories - but I’m not complaining!

It was a truly memorable experience on a clear, cold autumnal night to have the roof down and heater on and be able to launch a late night attack on the finest country lanes my locale has to offer: the high revving, barking motor sat directly behind me with exhaust note bouncing off the surroundings whilst I tried to exploit the enchanting handling characteristics by braking hard and late into corners, simultaneously coming over all F1 by rapidly flipping downchanges. There seemed to be the perfect balance of power and chassis capability; neither overwhelmed by the characteristics of the other.

However, these reports wouldn’t be complete without adding further to the compendium of F1 gearbox madnesses: in this instance it seemed to include not being able to reverse with the door open (it automatically flipped back into neutral); making the driver look like a second lesson learner when pulling off by wildly slipping the clutch and letting the revs flare; and finally a kidney-punch change from first to second gear for no apparent good reason. OK, I did have the car permanently in ’sport’ mode (who wouldn’t), but on the gearbox front at least I can see there have been massive strides in Modena.

As you can probably tell, I was completely surprised by how much I enjoyed the 360; such an alive and communicative drive, made all the better by the intimate connection to the surroundings with the roof down. And doesn’t it work well in silver as opposed to the more usual Rosso - bellissimo! 

Topless Touring

Having experienced ecurie25’s Lamborghini Gallardos on a couple of previous occasions it was time to try one with more: more power, more noise and more fresh air. Their ‘06 Gallardo Spyder provides it all, with the added bonus - given my flappy paddle and automatic gearbox phobia - of having a manual shift.

This later car apparently also has revisions to the chassis setup and gear ratios, but to be honest it is too long since I drove the previous versions to be able to identify and describe exactly the differences. What is apparent is that this one is loud. Gloriously loud. Almost embarrassingly loud when strafing quiet country communities - but what a noise: simultaneously spine tingling and laugh-inducing, it absolutely makes the driving experience (Audi, take note for your R8 step son).

The superlatives applied to my experiences of the Gallardo coupe apply equally, if not more so, to the Spyder: this for me is almost the ultimate in practical supercar experiences. The absolute event of just starting that powerplant, to say nothing of the poise of the chassis and brutal power deliver make this must of driving experiences for every petrol head. I’m pleased to report also that Audification hasn’t removed some of the Italian supercar idiosyncrasities: the method of checking the oil level (and the contortions required) is laughable compared to the electronic measuring systems of others.

Everything else was as before: near ideal. Heck, the sat nav even worked! Not only is this one stupendously quick car, but (to my eyes at least) it looks absolutely stunning, and it’s proportions are in no way out of kilter with the world today (unlike for example the Murcielago’s width restriction-, car parking space- and NCP-challenging dimensions).

Criticisms are hard to find, most coming down to personal taste. For me I wouldn’t chose such a flambouyant car in an understated colour; this grey to me was a Mardi Gras dancer in a grey suit - give me a pearlescent yellow or orange any day.

And to the ultimate question: spyder or coupe (because the fact that it has to be a Gallardo is out of the question). I think the jury has returned narrowly in favour of the coupe despite enjoying glorious sunshine in the spyder, again down to and entirely subjective view that the coupe is more handsome than the spyder (hood up, or down). Either is brilliant, though, and mandatory to try at least once in a lifetime.