Mini Cooper vs Aston Martin Vantage

What's the difference?

Can it be possible that, between 1959 and 2023, there have only been four distinct generations of Mini? 

Besides the 1959 British Motor Corporation (BMC) original, it’s just been a trio of hatchback versions under BMW stewardship – the R50 of 2001, 2006’s R56 and the 2014 F56.

Now, in 2024, that number has suddenly jumped to six. 

The F56 has morphed into the lightly restyled and solely petrol-powered F66 Cooper range in F66 three-door (3DR) and coming F65 five-door (5DR) hatchback guises like before.

Meanwhile, the completely new and electric-only J01 Cooper 3DR joins the fold, along with its J05 Aceman 5DR crossover spin-off.

Despite their shared name and similar styling inside and out, the British-built Cooper and electric Cooper from China are two different cars. You can read all about the latter in another review, as this is about the petrol-powered Cooper range.

More of a thorough makeover and less of a total redesign, has it changed enough? Let’s find out. 

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.