What's the difference?
Aston Martin says the 2024 Vantage is designed to put the brand back where it belongs. And by that, it means thrust into the same conversation as Ferrari and Lamborghini when it comes to the ultimate in driver-focused supercars.
Which is why everything – and I mean everything – about this new model has been tightened, tuned or turned way the hell up in pursuit of performance.
Really, it has been a no-stone-left-unturned approach here. And the result, the brand reckons, is a car that delivers not just more power and more torque, but a near-telepathic connection between car and driver, too.
Well, that’s the promise anyway.
So how does the Vantage stack up in the battle for supercar supremacy? I was quite looking forward to figuring that out, to be honest.
You like performance, love a bit of luxury and fancy a traditional sedan. The budget is healthy and there’s a surprising amount of choice. But Mercedes-AMG believes it’s created the car that perfectly answers your new-car brief.
The Mercedes-AMG E53 Hybrid 4Matic+ is a fresh expression of an established high-performance sedan formula mixing internal-combustion power with electric punch and all-wheel drive.
We were invited to its local launch, so stay with us to see if this newcomer is ready to fill that primo European performance car shaped space in your garage.
It’s either a comfortable race car or a bonkers grand tourer, but it’s that best-of-both worlds positioning that makes this new Vantage so appealing. Think of it as like a supercar for proper grown-ups, and one you don’t need to grunt and groan to extract yourself from.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.
The Mercedes-AMG E53 Hybrid 4Matic+ is a superb blend of high-tech hybrid muscle and cossetting top-end luxury. Value is competitive, it looks (and feels) the business, despite the conventional sedan configuration it’s surprisingly practical (except for the modest boot), fuel-efficiency is a key benefit and safety is stellar. The ownership proposition is okay for the category but that’s not top of mind when an enticing series of corners ranges into view. It’s an impressive package.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.