Forza Motorsport 5: 2014 Corvette Stingray vs 2012 Vanquish at Long Beach

While I'm very impressed about taking a spin on the brand new 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray on Forza Motorsport 5 via the Bondurant Car Pack, I guess I would like for this machine to take on some of the finest machines of its class so what it's like for this car to take on a car that is so different, it will make comparisons a little more exciting...

 

This Aston Martin Vanquish should do the trick because both of these machines are categorized in the Class A category of cars and this should be a perfect sparring partner for the C7 Corvette.



Remember, the Vanquish has a four-cylinders more than the C7 Corvette and its a hundred horsepower more as well but the C7 Corvette is about 400lbs less than the Vanquish so it should have the upper hand on how fast can it get round the corners. Of course, since both of them are rear-wheel drive, I might expect some oversteering woes but mostly, it's the C7 Corvette that slides back while the Vanquish has little signs of oversteering.

In this technical place like Long Beach, both these machines will have to work through the tightest corners if they need to achieve the fastest time possible but at least the city backdrop makes it a nice touch to these modern grand tourers.



After their session at Long Beach, California, I had the result;

1:42.270 - Corvette C7 SR
1:42.828 - AM Vanquish '12

Here in this beautiful Long Beach track, looks like American engineering defeated the British revolution by a 1/4th of a second!

Forza 5: Aston Martin Vanquish

This is the Aston Martin Vanquish and this is probably one of my favorite Aston Martins up to this date. To me, this is by no means one of the most beautiful machines ever made because this car, between you and me, blends the elements from the two defunct Aston Martins; the hardcore DBS and the softer Virage. Unfortunately for me, this car made me as silly as the dog from the Beggin' Strips commercial.



It may not be quite a direct competitor against the world's modern grand tourers, especially the Italians such as the Ferrari F12 and the Lamborghini Aventador, but the "Power, Beauty, and Soul" is what made the Vanquish a pure Aston Martin. I know it maybe a DBS replacement borrowing some design elements from the million-dollar One-77 supercar but this car is worth begging to have the driver, especially those playing FM5 on their X1, to be on the driver's seat of this car.





It maybe lovely on the road but it's not brilliant on the track because it feels a bit dynamic for a beautiful car of this magnitude. It takes a gentle driving style to master it and when you do, this is the car that treats you with care, no matter the circumstances you're been. No wonder this car sustained the least shots in the game of Aerial Laser Tag but no matter. This is still the best Aston yet by a long way.

 

Aston Martin Rapide S

It's been awhile since Aston Martin launched their first-ever four-door premium saloon car, the Rapide, and even though it's not quite as aggressive as either the DB9 or the DBS, it's still worth it for a four-door saloon car that is quintessentially British, despite the fact that it's been made by the Austrians. Really? Austrians? Says here it's made in Graz, Austria, so this isn't quite British at all but happily though, there's a brand new version that is even more British than before...

2014 Aston Martin Rapide S

The brand new Aston Martin Rapide S looks pretty much the same as the old model but take note that everything's changed for the new model aside from the new front grille that looks unorthodox for the Rapide S. I don't know why but I think that new front view kinda spoils the beauty of this car. The new front grille kinda looks like...and I'm not joking...like a Hyundai because come to think of it, it looks more hexagonal shaped like any other current Hyundais and it seems that some of the designers had gone a bit succumbed to hallyu or the Korean wave.

Although with the stupid Hyundai-esque grille that spoils the new Rapide S' looks, there's some good news that this car is no longer made in Austria because it's now made to the home of the Aston Martins and in the same factory where they made the new Vanquish. Wanna guess where?

What I have here is an ATLAS and what I'm gonna do is flip the pages, and then when I see Europe, I head to United Kingdom, and one part of United Kingdom is Warwickshire, and one part of Warwickshire is a small village called Gaydon. That's right, it's now built in Aston Martin's Gaydon plant in Warwickshire, England and this is a great call because it's no longer been made by the Germans because if it does, it feels like a British was revealed to be a traitor and he came from its German opponents. We're talking about Anglo-German wars back there and if this was happened again, I don't really know what's going on in a great island we called Great Britain.

2014 Aston Martin Rapide S

Anyway, enough about WWII jokes because anything more than that and it's game over for us. Let's move on to the way it drives and how it feels to be as a driver's car. Anyway, while this is an updated model, there's something else about its dynamics and let's start at the engine. Like any V12-powered Astons of today such as the DB9 and the Vanquish, the Rapide S still has the same 6.0L V12 engine but now, it's boosted from 477HP to 558HP of power output while torque output is now 457lb-ft of torque. 558HP of power... That's about 35HP more than the new Maserati Quattroporte GTS' 3.8 V8 and of course, it still has the same 6-speed flappy paddle gearbox which is just right rather than the overloaded 8-speed gearbox from the new Maserati Quattroporte. It's also 38HP more than the Porsche Panamera Turbo but let's not forget that in the straights, the Panamera Turbo can easily smoke both the Rapide S and the New Quattroporte by a margin and on the track, ditto.

In terms of top speed, the Rapide S was now improved from the old model's 188 mph to 190 mph, which is quicker than the old model but as a warning, it's 1mph short than the Maserati Quattroporte GTS and annoyingly, matches the same top speed as the facelifted Porsche Panamera Turbo which comes with a double-clutch transmission which is unpronounceable in German. What was that called? Dopple? Dopplekupling...um...doppelkupplungsgetriebe? Oh yeah! Doppelkupplungsgetriebe! Anyway, Rapide S, like any other Astons, doesn't had that because it sticks to its TOUCHTRONIC 2 6-speed flappy paddles.

2014 Aston Martin Rapide S interior

What's annoying about the Rapide S is its weight gain and because it spends too much dinner parties, it now weighs 1990kg, 40kg more than the old Rapide, but despite the added weight, it's still as vicious to drive as the late punk rock icon Sid Vicious, who was from Sex Pistols. With the right weight distribution, low centre of gravity, double wishbone suspensions, and with lower polar moment of inertia, it still works just as fine and for the real fun, you might spend the whole hours performing burnouts on an open space. This is exactly what it feels like when Sid Vicious died from overdose at his young age and if those tires got blown, you know what this is, don't you? He he he...

2014 Aston Martin Rapide S interior

And like any other Aston Martins, it's quiet and comfortable and the new Rapide S really drives beautifully, making it one of the most epic 4-door grand tourers made for everyday uses. You can use it while going for a dinner party, going to the shops, on a date, or you just wanna do anything for business and leisure. After all, because with all of the tweaked stuff for the new model, the Rapide S from Aston Martin is definitely one of the best four-door supercars ever made, probably because of its promising theory that it can provide the comfort of a luxury car with the dynamism of an exotic. Still, if you're a selfie, you just really wish you want to drive one of those...

Photo: Aston Martin

Forza Horizon: Rated ZAGATO

In reality, when a restaurant is labeled "Rated ZAGAT", then you'll know that it's a kind of restaurant that passed the likings from ZAGAT. Here in Forza Horizon, I wanted to give this game a "Rated ZAGATO" because not one but two Zagato models arrived on the party. One is pure British and the other one is half-Italian, half-American, if you know what I mean... But first...

This car feels like it's ZAGAT rated

Let's start with the V12 Zagato. Although, I maybe familiar with that car because I drove one on Forza Motorsport 4, the V12 Zagato is all about the power, beauty, and soul of an Aston Martin, enveloped with the timeless beauty done by a coachbuilder, Zagato. It is one of the most potent rides I have ever driven, not by the fact because it's an V12 Vantage underneath it but it is because the V12 Zagato, in racing-spec form as seen on Villa D'Este in 2011, feels like it's a wild party diguised as an intimate get-together. Get it? Intimate Get-Together! Now where did I heard that word? From a kids show that I often watched?

V12 Zagato is movin' to the beat

Because the V12 Zagato, as I explained, as a wild party disguised as an intimate get together, it sure knows how to move in to the beat and unlike any other Aston Martins that are a bit too dynamic for my tastes, it feels a bit normal, a bit well-behaved, and it really tickles me hardcore. This is the same feeling I'd expect on other Italian supercars but with a bit of "tea party" spilling through my driving fancies. This car will make you as fancy as an village idiot from a family of geniuses.

A dynamic point of view

I love this kind of Zagato machine so what on Earth have been thinking when this coachbuilder's joining forces again with Alfa Romeo when they made this?

Combination of Italian design with American powertrain

This is the TZ3 Stradale Zagato. This car is part of the April Top Gear Pack on Horizon and by the looks of it, it's not half bad, knowing the fact that it looks more like a modern equivalent of the Giulia TZ2 Zagato from the past. Good thing, the producers did the right thing, featuring an Alfa Romeo that was never been taken by a rival video game and that's the result. I'm starting to feel that I like this more than the Giulia TZ2 Zagato from a rival game but more importantly, it's a Dodge Viper underneath it!

Timeless beauty

Really?! This car was a Dodge Viper underneath it?! So this must be the first time I drove an Alfa Romeo that combines the design of Italian coachbuilder with the powertrain of an American sportscar. Sure, Chrysler was owned by Fiat so this is the cunning result of what happens when two worlds collide. Therefore, it still has the same V10 engine from the Viper, the same 6-speed manual from the Viper, the same interior from the Viper, and overall, the same dangerous driving feel that I can expect on the Dodge Viper SRT-10. Interesting...

Beat it, kid! Mine's more valuable than yours!

For car with an awkward-looking design, this car requires a skilled driver to master the fundamentals of the TZ3 Stradale and unlike the V12 Zagato, the TZ3 Stradale is a monster of a machine with the same dynamic and challenging driving feel of an V10-powerer American sportscar. It can kill even the most unskilled driver when fallen to the wrong hands but with enough practice, this is more rewarding. It's really really, that rewarding when you're careful.

Those ZAGATO-designed cars are just one way that even in Horizon, there's still some time living the fancy life because of its rarity, its unique looks, its driving feel, and everything that treats you like royalty. If you were Colorado's Ridge, Rave, or Rage of a racer, those two really know how to change courses because they're both fancy cars for the speedo boys living the fancy life in car heaven. Oh, just don't get fancy too much because it's going to be quite a disgusting feat.

Forza Horizon: VANQUISHing Horizon

You might imagine that driving the Aston Martins offered in Horizon such as the DBS, the Virage, or the V12 Zagato is somewhat an appreciating feat for an Aston Martin enthusiast like you. Sadly though, it's 2013 and the year 2013 marks the 100th anniversary of Aston Martin. Everybody's got their birthday present to the brand and because the Vanquish became the starring role of this birthday party, it even got a chance to be at the helipad of the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Also, James May drove this one at Top Gear Season 19. This is really the most beautiful car I have ever seen but where's the Vanquish? All I want is to drive this beauty in Horizon just to find out how Centenary Spectacular this is when the Vanquish is on a video game like this...

Now, however, thanks to the April Top Gear Car Pack, the last DLC Car Pack to be covered on Horizon's Season Pass, the new Aston Martin Vanquish has arrived and it's about as interesting as an old-school video game they called R4. Ridge Racer Type 4 to you.

Helter Skelter

That is my idea of a perfect Aston Martin in a video game but it is very difficult to explain why. First of all, the car costs about a mind-blowing £189,995, which sounds a lot of money but in a game of Top Trumps, you can't use it to bash the likes of the Ferrari F12berlinetta, the Lamborghini Aventador, the McLaren MP4-12C, or the Ferrari 458 Italia. Let's just remember, even though it has a new 6.0L 565bhp V12 engine, it does 0-60 in 4.1 seconds (which is quicker than the Jaguar XKR-S) and a top speed of 183mph, that's about less than the outgoing DBS.

Wonder Hill

But don't be fooled by the headlines because this is the most graceful car I have ever driven in ages. Despite the fact that James Bond ditched this new one in favor of the DB5 in last year's Skyfall movie, this should have been the perfect Bond car for that film. Maybe next time, they'll feature it but never mind about that, because there's a sheer sense of beauty hidden in the already-beautiful design of the new Vanquish. That sheer beauty of the new Vanquish can be an equivalent of...three Chihaya Kisaragis...two Amy Ponds...and Ridge Racer Type 4's RTS Assoluto Bisonte.

Edge of the Earth

Out of Blue

Let me put it this way, being attacked by bisons is the sort of feeling when you are in an overpowered Italian exotic rampaging through the roads but here in the Vanquish, the only thing you're bothered is being tapped in the head by Puchimas' Chihya. She'll keep tapping your head as long as she wants but if you're prepared for the worst, you'd better be awake because savage bisons are coming to hurt you more than a bull run in Spain.

What's exactly wrong with this new Vanquish? Well, even though it's not as quicker than the old DBS, it doesn't really matter whether the things that were right were balanced out with the things that were wrong. Besides, this new V12 engine is a masterpiece. A true masterpiece classic when it comes to its exhaust note and its craftsmanship. It's also agile because it's 19mm lower than the DBS, every single panel was made out of carbon fiber so it's very light. 25 per cent stiffer than the DBS thanks to its new chassis. It's so aerodynamic! However, don't be fooled about being a suitable driver's car because when you really let loose, this car's too dynamic and a bit less grippy, meaning you can pull some amazing angles but difficult to exit. Whoa!

Phantom Mile

Brightest Nite

You know what this is like? It's like a Ridge Racer machine. It's like either an Racing Team Solvalou Assoluto Bisonte or a Bisargento with a Chihaya Kisaragi livery on it. You can almost call it crude. There's so many reasons why you don't want a Vanquish but there's one why you would because this is just fantastic. It's as harmonious as Asami Imai's voice but as savage as a wild boar. I love that. I really love that styling which nods to other Aston Martins. I love its V12 engine. I love its interior. I love the man who made it. I love Great Britain. I wanna move there and I wanna be The Doctor's companion or a Top Gear presenter...

Heaven and Hell

I also love the way that it feels like an Aston Martin, apart from that...and that...and that...and apart from the launch control and it's One-77-like interior, it feels normal. It kinda feels like Tekken's Lili because she maybe beautiful but she's definitely a bruiser that you don't want to get your bones crushed by her.

Shooting Hoops

There are so many cars in Horizon for those who want to be sensible but the new Vanquish is made for people who don't...

Gran Turismo 5: The Aston Martin Vanquish

It maybe a grand tourer but is it raw?

I still remember the Aston Martin V12 Vanquish because ever since I first played GT3 A-Spec on the PS2, this was a prize car that you have to obtain it after meeting certain criterias. Well, long story short about this, here I was, driving one of Aston's ultimate grand tourers. Also, when this car was appointed as the Bond Car for Pierce Brosnan's final Bond film, Die Another Day, in 2002, I was so glad that this former Bond actor really put the V12 Vanquish into good use during a duel against a heavily armed Jaguar XKR driven by a villain named Zao. It was the best scene I've ever saw and I think this is much better than the remote controlled BMW 750Li from Tomorrow Never Dies.

Let the good times roll, eh?

This is somewhat how James Bond feels like when
he drove this

But this Vanquish is more than just being a Bond car, and despite the fact that Pierce Brosnan has one in real life. What I really don't understand is that it was desingned by the same man who was currently the head designer of Jaguar, Ian Callum, and this was essentially a beefed up version of the Aston Martin DB7. Look closely and you'll noticed that the Vanquish was just a DB7 on steroids but this car is also just more than that because this is essentially a production version of the 1998 Project Vantage Concept as seen from the 1998 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan.

Despite being a bigger brother of the DB7, the Vanquish is still an elegant looking grand tourer. It's still the perfect car you would like the bring it out at the South of France and still gather much crowd as possible because even by modern standards, it's still a head turner.

It's all about elegance in every direction

The typical six-litre V12 engine that you can normally see in most Astons is fitted on the Vanquish. With this, it develops about 460HP of power, 0-60mph in five seconds, and an alleged top speed of over 315kph. It maybe the kind of car that welcomed through the 300kph elite club but the Vanquish is just too darn perfect. The interior, the badge, the fact James Bond drove one, the Britishness, everything that what makes the Vanquish one of the best grand tourers from the last decade.

Oh, this is more fun!

Mind you, the Vanquish may have been a perfect GT car from the last decades but sadly, it was the last car to be ever built from Aston Martin's Newport Pagnell factory in 2007. Even though the Newport Pagnell factory was shut down, this site was still used as Aston's Works Service department, providing maintenance, tuning and restoration facilities for Astons of all ages. About that old Newport Pagnell plant, the first car produced in 1958 at this factory was the DB4 and during its 5-decade tenure, about 12,000 cars were built.

An instant classic

For decades, the Aston Martin Vanquish V12 is definitely a future classic and a collector's item not only because it was the kind of car for those who are a big fan of the James Bond movies but it's because it was made from Newport Pagnell with pride. It was the last car to be built on this place and it has been an honor to drive one of those masterpiece classics from Britain.

Forza Horizon: Barn Find DB5

A Special Agent infiltrating Horizon?

Ever since the iconic Bond car, which is the Aston Martin DB5, made a stunning comeback in the Bond film, SKYFALL, which stars Daniel Craig reprising his role as Agent 007 James Bond, the world really amazed a surprising reunion with the best secret agent in the world and what we think of it as the best Bond car for over five decades. Well, I guess that's how the Bond 50th anniversary really made it special by bringing back the best Bond car on the best Bond movie with an Academy Award winning theme song by Adele.

If you have already found the DB5 as a barn find, you'll be glad to know that you are driving the best Bond car in the decades. Just don't tell everyone that you became a secret agent trying to infiltrate the underbelly of the Horizon Festival!

Forza Horizon: Can you find thrills on Horizon?

An open world driving game called Forza Horizon can sometimes be a thriller because most players have a million ways to get themselves a thrill in Colorado such as racing against each other or tunnel runs or car chases or I-70 runs or whatever they want to get them thrilled. That's how a gamer wants but what cars made some thrills on Horizon? Can you get thrills on driving the fastest supercars on Horizon? I'm not sure but there are some candidate for thrillers out there...

A true V8 road runner

Hmmm... I drove the Maserati Granturismo S coupe on Horizon and that seems fine for a V8 road runner that feels as sublime as a fancy restaurant but for sheer thrills, the Granturismo doesn't offer that. Sure, I once read stories about the Maserati history, about how the racing career became historical, and everything related to Maserati but sadly though, in the Granturismo though, it feels like it's a well-civilized being, feels like there was some university life going on around here. It was made as a grand tourer, not a thrill seeker that tickles my fancy. Sorry.

A true thoroughbred

What about the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione? This maybe a candidate for a thrill seeker. With big brakes, carbon fibre body, the same V8 engine that powers the Maserati, double wishbone suspension, and the fact that it was built on the same factory as the Maserati Granturismo, the Alfa Romeo 8C seems to be a thrill-seeker's preference but as I drove one on Horizon, (sigh) it doesn't made me feel the thrill. I mean look at it, the skies, the mountains, the roads, ruined by this car. Even though it was classified as a supercar, it doesn't feel a bit supercar-ish. It reacts, feels, and sounds like an American muscle car and sometimes, this car seems to be too uncomfortable enough to tickle my fancies. Despite its faults, the 8C is still one of the best Alfa Romeos ever built.

Pure Elegance

This is the car I found on the December IGN Car Pack. The Aston Martin DBS. Even though this is an invalid choice because the new 2013 Vanquish is supposed to be on Horizon, not this, this is still a proper thoroughbred car. Let's not talk about the faults okay? Not even the Volvo-sourced sat-nav system, okay? What it feels here on the DBS is pure thrills. Sure, it has the same German-built 6.0L V12 engine as the DB9 but the engine output produces 510HP of power while being mated with a 6-speed manual transmission. Also, I can expect the same architecture as the DB9 as well.

Despite the fact that it's just a DB9 that has been on breast implants, the DBS really shivers my excitement. Thanks to its Pirelli P-Zero tires developed specifically for the DBS, this car dances excelentlly and with the reworked suspension, the DBS sure seems to be more fun to drive than the 8C or the Granturismo.

I know, the Aston Martin DBS brought me more thrills than the Maserati and the 8C but in overall thrills, you can do better. There are so many thrills to find on Horizon, just not this car, okay? Take your time, the thrills are all around you and feel free to enjoy.

The other Aston Vantage

An Aston Martin made for grand touring

Following Ford Motor Company's acquisition of Aston Martin in 1987, Aston Martin unveiled the V8 Vantage at the 1992 Birmingham Motor Show and it is essentially a high performance version of the Virage.

The base model comes with the 5.3L V8 engine that produces 344HP of power while the Vantage added two superchargers at the 5.3L V8 so it generates over 550HP of power and 549.7 ft-lb of torque. It's mated in either a 6-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic. Despite its 2-ton weight, it can go 0-100kph in 4.6 seconds and a top speed of 300kph.

For stopping power, the V8 Vantage comes with the large-diameter AP brake discs; the 362mm diameter front rotors were among the largest ever in a road car.

The V600 model boosted the supercharged 5.3L V8 engine to 600HP of power.

Production of the Vantage V8 commenced in 1993 and continued up until 1999. In 2000, Aston Martin's "Works Service" unit built nine bespoke Vantage Volantes (convertibles), one of which was built to long wheelbase specifications.

The Vantage and the R33

Unlike any other past model Astons, the V8 Vantage from the 1990's is not exactly more of a show-off but with the fighting stance of a street fighter, this car's always on the offensive rather than the defensive side. The outside though, I find it very confusing that if these came from the Nissan Skyline R32 or the R33 perhaps. If you put them on the same place, you'll know that they're highly identical in design terms.

The supercar of the old-school

What surprised me is the sound of its supercharged 5.3L V8 engine. It sounds like a combination between Pavarotti and the roaring noise of the fictitious Assoluto Squaldon from Rage Racer. What I'm saying is that the engine sounds like Pavarotti while the supercharger whine sounds like Rage Racer's Squaldon. Let's not forget that when it was launched in that decade, this is Aston Martin's most powerful production model they've ever made.

As you may remember, in a classic Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson reviewed the V8 Vantage but only the engineering prototype because Aston Martin can't lend him the finished production model for some unknown reasons. Unlike the finished product, the prototype that Jeremy tested has its rear lamps wrong (looks like it came from the Virage), the rims are wrong, and there are no rear seats but Jeremy doesn't really matter because he enjoys it. He called this V8 Vantage "it's a Rolls-Royce with attitude".

To see all this poetic violence the V8 Vantage does, I devised a little test...

It came from the Satan Pit

The devil's bottom

This is the Lamborghini Diablo SV, one of the most well-known sportscars of the 1990's, V12 engine at the middle, no traction control, no anti-lock brakes, and a Stig to handle the beast below...

This is what happens when you pit against a Diablo

...and he's facing against the V600 V8 Vantage, which is driven by a fat bloke in slacks. Stand by, ladies and gents, for a quarter-mile race at the Top Gear Track...

Diablo PWNed the V8 Vantage!

So, the V8 Vantage lost the drag race but now let's see how good they really are by putting them at the Top Gear Test Track for one full lap at the circuit. This should be interesting.

The Diablo SV done it in 1:23.023 while the V600 V8 Vantage did it in 1:26.319, meaning that the V600 lost the bout despite the V8 Vantage V600 has more power than the Diablo SV's. Sure, the V8 Vantage V600 may have lost the fight against the Diablo but in every intangible way, the V8 Vantage is a better alternative to the Diablo because unlike the Lambo, the Aston V8 Vantage V600 has room at the back and it has proper doors unlike the Lambo's scissor doors that others find it a bit of a show-off.

No matter what, the V8 Vantage has the pecks of the chippendale and the stance of the street fighter...

The Vantage evolution

Aston Martin V12 Vantage Roadster and AM310 Vanquish

2013 Aston Martin V12 Vantage Roadster

Here it is. It looks like the Aston Martin V12 Vantage, the one that Jeremy Clarkson got emotional in the Season 13 finale of Top Gear, only this time the roof is off. This is the V12 Vantage Roadster but I prefer to think of it as...Chihaya Kisaragi's gone topless. It still comes with the same 6.0L V12 engine from the hardtop V12 Vantage that produces 517PS of power and always ready to rev to the tune of 眠り姫. Also, I'd still expect the worthless Volvo sat-nav of other Astons and buttons that I can't read in the sunshine. Lastly, I'd still expect the only transmission available on the V12 Vantage, that is a 6-speed manual transmission and that's good.

However, aside from having her haircut, she also expected a carbon fiber materials. Something that Chihaya Kisaragi would dress for the concert. There was carbon fibre side strakes, a carbon fibre front splitter, carbon fibre rear diffuser, carbon fibre mirror caps and carbon fibre rear lamp infills. What an overload of carbon materials for the V12 Vantage Roadster!

Sadly though, the convertible's a bit heavier than the hardtop model due to its strengthening needs. The hardtop V12 Vantage can do 0-60mph time of 4.1 seconds but for this Roadster version, 0-60mph time is now 4.5 seconds. Still, both the hardtop and the convertible versions of the V12 Vantage can reach a top speed of 190mph.

2013 Aston Martin V12 Vantage Roadster

When it comes to fun factor, you can really smoke her whatever you want and with such dynamic handling, it's great if you want to handle the V12 Roadster in style but sometimes it could be somewhat difficult to regain grip because it's a challenging machine for beginners. On normal roads, it's surprisingly an epic grand tourer for those who want to go out for a long distance cruising, something that the new Ferrari California 30 couldn't guess what comes next.

This car costs about £150,000 RRP and they'll be making up to 101 units. Because it's a limited production model, a false mistake may cost you dearly. Smuggle one and you've wasted it. It appears that this is the final Aston to use the old 6.0L V12 engine. So, let's move on from ALLONS-Y to GERONIMO...

2013 Aston Martin Vanquish

Welcome to the all new Aston Martin Vanquish. The original one was used by Pierce Brosnan for his last Bond film before his retirement, Die Another Day, in 2002. The cool bit was the one that Q BRANCH gave it body panels that render the car invisible. Now that the name has been resurrected, I was quite surprised that this car served as the replacement to my ever-favorite DBS and now, there's more to this comeback.

2013 Aston Martin Vanquish

2013 Aston Martin Vanquish

It seems that the people from Aston Martin were attracted to the design from the mega-expensive One-77 and they decided that they will use the One-77's design as its language to create future Astons and this new Vanquish was one of them to wear the One-77's clothing. I just noticed something, the front looks like the Virage while the back really looks like the One-77. On the interior, it does really look like the One-77 for sure and like the Virage, it no longer has a Volvo sat nav of other Astons. It comes with the one that works.

I was impressed but what about performance? The newly developed 6.0L V12 engine was now positioned lower for added agility and this time, it produces 565bhp of power and 457lb-ft of torque. That's more power than the outgoing DBS or the V12 Vantage but top speed is now 183mph, less than the DBS' top speed. Never mind about that but the transmission is now a 6-speed paddle shift transmission.

What's also clever is that the new Vanquish is the first Aston to come with launch control. Push it, turn the TCS off, build the revs and when the light is green, you'll be ready to yell GERONIMO through a loud haler. 

This new model marks the new chapter of Aston Martin's history and while this carmaker is gearing for its centennial anniversary next year, this new Vanquish became an omen, a sign that warns us that it is coming. However, the new Vanquish really has a noble heart that can perform better and as delicate as a piano concerto. By making it better, this is the best Aston I have ever seen in my life. I would gladly ditch the DBS and the V12 Vantage in favor of this car.

Photo: Aston Martin

Aston Martin prematurely kills the Virage to make room for DB9 successor

Aston Martin Virage

Whoa there, it may be out last year but Aston Martin prematurely killed the Virage coupe and Volante to make room for the DB9's replacement. Now who would have thought of that but whatever, some say that the replacement for the DB9 will sport One-77 designs as seen on the new Vanquish. Seems like that the Aston Virage is going to be a rare collector's item in the near future.

Scoop: http://paultan.org/2012/09/04/aston-martin-virage-to-be-replaced-by-new-db9/