• Standard V8 is nearly as fast as V12
• But V12 is much more special
• Both engines quite different to drive

V8

Mercedes’ twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine produces 496hp and 685Nm of twisting force (torque), enough for a claimed 3.6-second 0-62mph time and 195mph top speed.

Any shortfalls found in the interior are easily forgotten when you press the start button, waking up the engine with a roar and burbling away with menacing intent.

It’s a great power unit, with strong response from low down to make it an easy, relaxing car to drive at lower speed, especially with the smooth-shifting eight-speed automatic gearbox.

V12

The V12 wedges 680hp into the same engine bay, providing the Vantage with a serious performance step. On paper there’s not much in it, with the 0-62mph time being almost exactly the same as the V8.

But it feels more special than the V8. The deep swell of torque can be felt from much lower down in the rev range and the mid-range thrust makes the car feel truly effortless. Then there’s the richly textured tune blaring out the engine bay. It’s hard to truly convey, but it’s much louder, richer and deeper in tone than the V8. This will be enough of a selling point for some Aston customers.

What’s it like to drive?

• Agile and fun, but less so than a 911
• Steering could do with more feel
• Good comfort considering pace

The Vantage might use the same engines as the Aston Martin DB11 and produce almost identical performance, but it feels much faster. This is partly due to a 129kg reduction in weight versus the larger car, and also shorter gearing.

As a result the Vantage feels keen to gather speed almost anywhere in the rev range, giving it both easy flexibility for lower-speed overtaking and a thrilling run to higher up in the revs. The gearbox, similarly, feels more energetic, with more positive engagement from each shift, even if it can still feel smooth during relaxed driving, just like the engine.

Considering the generous performance and rear-wheel-drive layout, the Vantage puts its power down with impressive composure. There will be no complaints about the performance available, except perhaps from the traction control system. Get a little over-eager and the system quickly quells unruly wheelspin, although in wet, winter weather conditions, we did find the ESC light flashing away right up to fourth gear.

Turbocharged engines can suffer from a spongy throttle pedal and turbo lag when you accelerate, but the Vantage is crisp and responsive, giving it the immediacy a sports car deserves – and drivers expect. There are three drive modes available to alter the engine, gearbox and ESC ferocity, named Sport, Sport+ and Track.

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On the road, the Vantage immediately feels more aggressive than the mechanically similar DB11. The suspension is much firmer, there’s significantly more road noise, and the engine sounds more raucous too. It’s a sportier, less soothing companion than a DB11, if still perfectly usable, but the Vantage’s sharper focus also makes it a more enthralling drive.

Steering that offered more road feel would be welcome, but the response overall is superb and this doesn’t detract from the Vantage being an incredibly engaging car to drive over a challenging road. The chassis is extremely well set up with body roll quickly controlled, the brakes and throttle fizzing with feedback.

The Vantage is expectedly firm, given its sport suspension setup and 20-inch wheels, but the adaptive suspension does an admiral job of not shaking the occupants to pieces on rough road surfaces. As well as three drive modes for the engine and gearbox, there are modes for the suspension as well, but in short, you don’t really need it to be any firmer during daily use.