A Real Motorsports Feel To Me

My new little project car/daily driver/track car. A 1997 BMW M3. I love the look of this era of BMW. The lines are classic and subtly aggressive. A real motorsports feel to me, probably due to the success of the cars in a golden era of racing. It's a great driving car, a wonderful mix of rawness and refinement. Every day a new rattle it seems, and some part is likely need some work at any time, but that's all part of the experience. As I think I heard someone describe them, they're durable but not reliable. I don't mind working on a car, it makes it feel like it's mine then. And this thing has been super fun in the short time I've had it. My favourite part is the front end, it just looks so right. They nailed the design, blunt, faceted, low, simple and aggressive, with class. Not trying so hard like so many cars today. I've fixed and replaced a few key parts, like the steering wheel, shifter, and a whole lot of worn out stuff, and there's lots more coming. But the car is overall in great condition, it's really tidy. Feels tight, and I've got rid of all but one little rattle. The steering is fantastic, absolutely no dead play, and although a bit slow for my taste, it's communicative and rewarding. So lucky to have some epic roads to drive and locations to shoot in just minutes from my place. And you just can't beat that LA weather! Got a few track days and autocross and stuff coming up. Also looking forward to doing little (and sometimes big) stuff to the car to get it tidier and give it more performance.

On test, the Vantage sprinted from 0-60mph in 4.2 seconds, not helped by a lack of traction compared with the Porsche - even though the E-Diff does its best - and slower gearchanges. This showed accelerating from 30-70mph, where the Aston was half a second slower through the gears, taking a still impressively rapid 3.2 seconds. It鈥檚 the shift quality that鈥檚 more noticeable; the changes don鈥檛 slice home with the precision of the Porsche鈥檚. On occasion you also have to wait for downshifts in manual mode, but it鈥檚 a consummate, smooth cruiser in auto. This is a minor flaw in an otherwise well-executed package, enhanced by the Aston鈥檚 GT credentials. On the road in the softest of its three suspension settings the Vantage flows, riding with fluidity that belies its sporting intent. There鈥檚 plenty of suspension movement, but it鈥檚 comfortable, rounding off bumps and harsh ridges with a good degree of grace.

However, up the pace and this vertical movement becomes a problem. The dampers鈥?Track mode is too firm for the road, and in Sport it pogos around; increase your speed on a typical British B-road, and the body control ebbs away where the 911 remains resolutely tied down. There鈥檚 still lots of grip and you can lean on the chassis hard, but you鈥檒l find it鈥檚 not quite as poised nor as rewarding as the Porsche, although it鈥檚 still thrilling. 鈥?Infotainment: Vantage gets the last generation of Mercedes鈥?infotainment. It works well enough, but trails behind more up-to-date systems. 鈥?Transmission: Gearbox lets the side down, because the shifts aren鈥檛 as slick as in the Porsche, which hampers performance. 鈥?Cabin: Quality of materials is an improvement over recent Astons, but button-heavy layout is a little confusing. For: Incredible performance, huge reserves of grip and agility, surprising usability. Against: Not as exclusive as the Aston, lacks some of the Vantage鈥檚 effervescent character. This is because of its performance first of all.

Our GTS 4 PDK model streaked off the line from 0-60mph in a staggering 3.0 seconds; that was 1.2 seconds faster than the Aston, which was far from slow itself. Although part of this is due to four-wheel-drive traction, the 911鈥檚 excellent launch control and PDK box mean it simply slices through the ratios with stunning speed where the Aston feels a little hesitant. The powertrain isn鈥檛 the extent of the 911鈥檚 talents, though. In fact, the chassis is easily its equal. Its damping is sublime, which means the GTS always feels composed and planted, even on undulating, bucking B-roads. The level of grip will challenge your bravery, while the feedback from the steering inspires total confidence to do so. Its poise and balance edge it ahead of the Aston. Even the 911鈥檚 firmer Sport mode for the dampers is still usable on the road, more rigidly controlling body movement and tying the chassis down to retain its composure over challenging stretches of tarmac.