A slew of track-centric changes add suitable drama and appeal to Aston’s two-door coupe, but how does this F1 special-edition translate to Aussie roads?
The Aston Martin Vantage isn’t a vehicle you’d typically deem short on performance. Armed with a snarling Mercedes-AMG-sourced 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, the coupe and convertible two-door exponents from Gaydon, Warwickshire, find themselves in elite company. Now, the Vantage has a new friendship circle.
Win on Sunday…
There’s a case in arguing the best-sounding machine at the 2022 Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix won’t be at the pointy end of the grid – rather, it will be behind it.
The new 2022 Aston Martin Vantage F1 Edition goes to agonising lengths to justify its connection with the world’s premier four-wheel racing category, used as the series’ official safety car and bolstered by an assortment of go-fast tweaks.
Never mind that: it’s clear that old-school drama and liveliness are what make this special-edition stand out from other Vantage models in the showroom.
The F1 Edition is purported to be an angrier, faster and louder version of Aston’s two-door sports car.
It’s the one we’d have, without a doubt.
Grid position
The 2022 Aston Martin Vantage F1 Edition charges a $25,000 premium over the existing Vantage coupe first introduced in 2019, priced at $325,876 plus on-road costs.
The hero model justifies the premium, foremost, with a series of underbody enhancements, including a modest bump in power which we’ll get to later.
Cosmetically, the F1 Edition stands out by wearing the same Racing Green as Aston’s AMR22 machines, and is replete with excessive F1 badging across its exterior and interior.
Some may call it tacky; either way, you won’t mistake this as any other Vantage.
Our car’s green hue is made even more striking by a matte satin finish which allows carbon-fibre inserts to gleam across the body, together with new 21-inch wheels and a fixed rear wing on the back.
Combined with a full-width front splitter, front dive planes and underbody turning vanes, Aston says the alterations deliver 200kg worth of downforce at its 316km/h top speed – so the cosmetic bling isn’t simply for show.
A vaned grille, unique graphics and quad exhaust outlets complete the exterior look.
The same race car cues transcend the cabin in the form of Alcantara, fabric highlights which run the length of the doors and seats, and, naturally, more carbon-fibre.
In equipment terms the F1 Edition mirrors the regular Vantage with a rotary-dial-driven centre display, digital instrument cluster and an antiquated layout of physical buttons and dials.
You only get the bare basics even when shelling out some serious coin; there’s no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, no touch-screen capability or head-up display.
Similarly, the Aston Martin Vantage misses out on the latest driver assist tech including autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert or lane keep assist. But you do get a reversing camera…
The Aston Martin Vantage is covered by a three-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty.
Servicing? Some might say, ‘If you need to ask, look elsewhere’ and that may hold some truth. We tried getting the numbers for transparency – on three occasions – from Aston Martin’s Australian PR arm and are still awaiting a response.
The engine bay
Aston proudly calls the F1 Edition the most powerful Vantage ever – though it’s immediately clear it has some supporting strengths.
Aimed at those owners who use their car for track days – yet still purportedly compliant enough for road use – detailed underbody modifications on the 2022 Aston Martin Vantage F1 Edition include revised adaptive damper internals to increase their effective force range, improving vertical body control without reducing low-speed compliance.
Elsewhere, increased rear spring rates and lateral stiffness help sharpen turn-in, increase traction (especially over bumps) and match the more responsive front-end, Aston claims.
There’s also a stiffer steering column which complements said changes.
The only other dynamic change is the shift from 20-inch to 21-inch wheels and tyres for the first time, with lower-profile Pirelli P Zero rubber fitted.
Then there’s the front-mid-mounted engine.
Just like the official Formula 1 Safety Car, changes are led by an 18kW increase in peak power – from 375kW to 393kW – from its Mercedes-AMG-sourced 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8.
Peak torque remains unchanged at 685Nm, but Aston says it is “sustained for longer to further increase tractability and in-gear urgency”.
The standard eight-speed ZF transmission has had its software tweaked to deliver snappier changes, with less torque cut on upshifts and new algorithms on how the car shifts down under deceleration. No manual is available.
The F1 Edition plies its power via an active differential, and naturally features a louder exhaust.
Real-world driving
Never mind that the 2022 Aston Martin Vantage F1 Edition is most at home on the world’s premier racing circuits. What we want to know is whether it makes for a better all-round Vantage.
The unequivocal answer, based on a 300km road test south of Sydney, is yes.
The Aston makes its sportier intentions known more or less from the moment you depress the starter button.
The exhaust note here is raucous and cathartic, even at idle speed, while the firmer underpinnings conspire to deliver a more focused drive.
Meatier steering and tauter body movements – particularly in the front-end – help the Aston feel better connected with the surface underneath, complemented by the stickier Pirelli P Zero rubber (255/35ZR21 front and 295/30ZR21 rear).
Crucially, it does so while retaining composure and civility over everyday bumps, to the point where you could comfortably justify it as a daily driver – some interior quirks notwithstanding (more on that shortly).
Slotted rotors on our test car emit a distinct thudding noise through the cabin upon pressing the brake pedal. It’s a strange anomaly to what is otherwise a refined and liveable affair – potentially the result of track driving earlier in this vehicle’s life.
Then you swap the driving mode to Track and novel idiosyncrasies become a distant memory.
The Aston Martin Vantage F1 Edition gains confidence and grace with speed. It eschews the bobbing and minute mid-corner movements of its donor to deliver a more convincing and tractable experience.
Weight is transferred to the outside wheels more succinctly, whereupon the F1 Edition simply hunkers down and feels more immune to mid-corner bumps.
On regular driving modes, there are times where you could hypothetically double the speed limit through bends – we didn’t – which gives a good indication of the car’s dynamic ceiling.
With all that said, the F1 Edition’s boisterous V8 is the true calling card here. Characterful, charming and tractable, it makes a neat centrepiece and emits an engine note that would be the envy of any F1 pilot.
Although the 0-100km/h time is the same at 3.6 seconds, the power delivery is nicely differentiated from the regular Vantage and delivers the kind of drama and theatre a supercar ought to.
Similarly, the active differential – with two electronically controlled clutch packs to vary the torque split – seems to take its job more seriously than the regular Vantage, ensuring excellent straight-line passage and no awry moments.
The torque-converter automatic probably isn’t as sharp as it could be, particularly through a series of fast downshifts, yet the low-speed amenity afforded goes some way in making up for that in our eyes.
Likewise, the stability control suite feels quite eager on test, even in Track mode. That’s all well and good for the road, but may prove a hindrance on track…
Showing its age
The 2022 Aston Martin Vantage F1 Edition isn’t perfect.
Make what you like of the exterior enhancements and badging – we didn’t mind it at all – but what cannot be overlooked is the ageing interior and technology.
For a $325,000 supercar, the Vantage uses an antiquated Mercedes-Benz-derived infotainment system that goes without a touch-screen (rotary dial only) and infotainment appointments that are commonplace on a $15,000 city car.
Similarly, the cockpit is festooned with buttons and feels about 10 years behind the pace.
For a vehicle that claims to align with Formula 1 – a series at the cutting edge of engineering, design and technology – those interior shortcomings sure do stand out.
Then again, the physical connection here to Sebastian Vettel’s AMR22 is minimal.
That doesn’t change the fact that you can still feel like him when behind the wheel.
How much does the 2022 Aston Martin Vantage F1 Edition cost?Price: $325,876 (plus on-road costs)Available: NowEngine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo petrolOutput: 393kW/685NmTransmission: Eight-speed automaticFuel: 11.6L/100km (WLTP)CO2: 264g/km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Not tested
Keyword: Aston Martin Vantage F1 Edition 2022 Review