<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"  On-Sale Date: June 2011  Price: $138,000 Competitors: Porsche 911 Carrera 4S; Maserati GranTurismo S  Powertrain: 4.7-liter V8, 430-hp, 361 lb-ft; seven-speed auto-manual, rear-wheel drive  EPA Fuel Economy (city/hwy): 14/21 (est.) What&amp;#039;s New: Aston reps say 40 upgrades have been made over the previous year&amp;#039;s Vantage. Notable changes include the &amp;quot;automated manual&amp;quot; seven-speed Sportshift II transmission, which is a single-clutch gearbox that&amp;#039;s operated by the computer. Drivers can choose from fully automatic operation or direct the shifts with paddles mounted on the steering column. The transmission&amp;#039;s design is 53 pounds lighter\u2014primarily because it doesn&amp;#039;t require a fluid cooler\u2014accounting for the lion&amp;#039;s share of the car&amp;#039;s 66-pound weight loss. In addition, a revised intake system bumps power to 430 hp, the suspension is slightly stiffer, the steering is quicker (15:1 versus 17:1), the front brakes are larger and the rear wheels are a half-inch wider. Tech Tidbit: The new transmission cycles through the gears about 20 percent quicker than the original Sportshift, and maybe just a tad faster when the Sport mode is engaged (just press the dash button with the big S on it). Driven aggressively, the gearbox bangs off shift extremely quickly. The downside is that this single-clutch automated gearbox feels a little clumsy when driving around town, especially when compared to a dual-clutch unit. An exhaust bypass really lets the motor sing.  Driving Character: The Vantage S yearns for the track. Yes, you can buy it in a showroom, and it looks sweet on the street (heads turn, fists pump, thumbs go up). But make no mistake, this sucker is a racing car\u2014and racing cars are made to be abused. With a professional driving instructor in the passenger seat on a 1.5-mile track near Las Vegas, I pushed the car as hard as I could\u2014watching the digital speedometer creep as high as 120 mph, and shredding the tires in the tight turns, stomping on the brakes as if I were killing cockroaches\u2014and only once did I feel like I might lose control. After I got a feel for the car&amp;#039;s limitations\u2014which is to say, after I figured out when and when not to mash on the accelerator\u2014I was amazed by its responsiveness. I&amp;#039;ve driven fast, heavy cars before\u2014including an Audi S8, a Maserati Quattroporte and a Mercedes S550\u2014but the Vantage S provides a completely different experience. Perhaps a Ferrari and even the faster Corvette models would kick the Aston&amp;#039;s can, but I took the Vantage S around the track at what I felt were absurdly high speeds, especially given the tightness of some of the turns, and the tires stuck to the road, rarely chirping. After cresting the hill on one turn at about 90 mph, the car hopped and leaned hard to the driver&amp;#039;s side but quickly regained its balance and square stance, allowing me to hit the brakes hard and transition quickly into the next turn. Off the start at full throttle, the Vantage offered no wheel spin at all; it just shifted up, up and up, reaching 100 mph effortlessly. Off the track, I ran the Vantage through a slow-speed obstacle course with a couple of slaloms, and it proved nimble and responsive. The power-assisted, rack-and-pinion steering was direct and precise, and the powerful brakes kept me always in control. Favorite Detail: The wheels are a thing of beauty, 19-inchers with a repeating V design and a lovely luster. The press release says they&amp;#039;re &amp;quot;cast alloy silver painted wheels with [a] diamond turned finish.&amp;quot; I say they&amp;#039;re sick. Driver&amp;#039;s Grievance: The GPS screen is small and sits at an odd angle, and the interface\u2014a combo dial/joystick\u2014is not as intuitive as I would expect in a high-end car like the Vantage.  The Bottom Line: The Vantage S is a driver&amp;#039;s car. I wouldn&amp;#039;t recommend it to anyone who is: A) afraid to spend a little money , B) afraid to go fast or C) looking for a sensible set of wheels for commuting to and from work. But despite its formidable weight (in excess of 3700 pounds, despite the weight reduction), the Aston provides an exhilarating, fast-but-in-control experience. And the new styling\u2014harking back to the James Bond DB5 glory days\u2014might make you think about dropping your six figures on the Vantage S rather than a more sprightly (and even more costly) Ferrari. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/reviews/a11789/2012-aston-martin-v8-vantage-s-test-drive/?click=main_sr>