I got my start at Jalopnik by blogging about the production of the 2015 Bond movie, Spectre. That movie introduced a new Aston Martin concept design, dubbed the DB10, which did not go into production, but instead previewed the now-current Aston Martin Vantage. So for me, driving this car has sort of been a six-year journey.
This one comes with the wide-open grille the car was introduced with, though a more “traditional” grille face is available from the factory now, too.
Objectively, this car seems to be positioned as the obvious choice against a Porsche, with its selection of vibrant colors and Aston’s customization options that are competitively-matched to what Porsche offers.
I’m driving a 2021 Aston Martin Vantage Roadster, and the weather is lovely for it. It’s dipped in the beautiful Ceramic Blue paint job, a $1,900 option, which is matched perfectly with $5,300 all-copper tan leather interior with blue-matched stitching. An AMG-sourced 4.0-liter V8 worth 503 horsepower is tucked under the sculpted hood paired with an 8-speed automatic, with paddle shifters equipped if you use them.
According to the sticker, the suggested retail price before all the optional and customization goodies are tallied up is $147,000, but this spec comes out to a total price of $199,186 including transportation and handling. Is a car in this class worth that much money if it isn’t a Porsche? Do you find the front end really that bad? What’s one thing you would absolutely expect from this Aston Martin? Let me know!