How does the new Aston Martin Vantage stack up in the market?
The stylish supercar, now in Hong Kong with a HK$2.48 million price tag, is compared with two similarly priced competitors - the Porsche 911 Carrera GTS and the Mercedes-AMG GT R
If there’s one area of the car market that electric cars haven’t yet been able to conquer, it’s the supercar market. Diehard supercar fans live for that shudder of pleasure they get when they press the “engine start” button, that roaring of the engine when it’s pumped up to 6,000rpm-plus, and that distinctive smell of petrol and exhaust fumes beloved by all supercar enthusiasts.
And one stunning new supercar – the new Vantage from British carmaker Aston Martin – has just arrived in Hong Kong, bearing a price tag of HK$2.48 million.
Compared to other new mid-sized supercars in the under-4-litre engine category, the Vantage – equipped with a twin-turbo V8 engine from Mercedes delivering 510hp and a top speed of 314km/h (195mph) – may not be quite fast enough to impress some of the critics. The McLaren 720S delivers 720hp and a top speed of 341km/h, and the Ferrari 488 GTB offers 670hp and has a 330km/h top speed.
But the price differences between the Vantage, the McLaren and the Ferrari help explain these differences in power levels.
So what about two of the rivals of the Vantage that are available at a similar price?
First is the Porsche 911 Carrera GTS. Powered by a rear-mounted 3-litre twin-turbocharged six-cylinder boxer engine, the car outputs 457hp and is capable of a top speed of 312km/h – fairly close to that of the Vantage. Indeed, we would expect to see lower fuel consumption from the Porsche due to the 1-litre difference in engine size, as well as sexier control due to the rear-mounted engine and rear-wheel drive.