Aston Martin Vantage Roadster review: it’s a glorious mix of naughty and nice
Come on feel the noise: as Aston’s baby goes drop-top, a rock-God soundtrack you’ll miss when it’s gone
On days when good karma comes, life is all right. The sun is shining, I’m behind the wheel of a new Aston Martin Vantage Roadster and it’s wearing a registration number that stops traffic, literally. 1 AML doesn’t just identify Aston Martin Lagonda’s baby drop-top; it announces, in all its limited alpha-numeric glory, that what you’re driving is something close to the heart of the company.
And so, as the satin-finish light-blue bonnet stretches out beneath skies of a similar hue, and the fabric roof melts away, you realise you’re about to have the kind of weekend that teenage you dreamed of, even if – back in the 80s – you’d have had little idea of what it meant to be harvesting Instagram followers at every red light from Guildford to the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
The car – our car, for a scorching long weekend – was a show-stopper from 10 paces. A matt finish that drags the eye to one of the best-looking shapes that exists (Marek Reichman’s Aston design team is in the form of its life), it’s the colour of an expensive silk tie bought in Milan, the powder blue of a 1960s Playboy pool party. Paired with a dark navy leather interior that smells as though a dozen saddlers worked overtime just for you, the aesthetic is pure occasion. Aston Martin is selling theatre, and even before the engine turns over, you’ve got main character energy.
An engine with an Attitude
And what an engine. The 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 – borrowed from AMG but tuned by Aston’s engineers in the Gaydon factory to deliver more power and much, much more sound – erupts with a bark that sets off car alarms and sends toddlers into squeals of delight. You prod the starter, neighbours twitch curtains and, within seconds, you’ve confirmed that yes, you will be that person in the village today.
The brief was simple enough: a weekend of multiple runs to and from the Goodwood Festival of Speed, using the South Downs as a test track in all but name. Surrey Hills to Sussex with the roof stowed neatly (less than seven seconds to fold away) and a spectacular soundtrack hanging in the air.
By way of bonus, the Vantage makes you better-looking. Or at least it makes people look at you as if you are. Drive through any village, past any layby, through any set of temporary traffic lights on the A286, and 1 AML does its work. Windows roll down, phones come out, and suddenly you’re the subject of someone else’s story. It’s automotive drag, really – slipping into something that transforms how the world sees you, even if you’re still just you underneath your clothes.
Manners, muscle and precision
Not that it’s all for show. The new Vantage Roadster has a combination of manners, muscle and precision that Aston hasn’t always nailed in one go in years gone by. There’s 670 horsepower underfoot, which is more than anyone actually needs for the home counties, but more is more and more is good. The nine-speed automatic gearbox is a willing ally in getting that down and the steering is meaty but precise enough that you can direct with conviction as the tarmac snakes and rolls.
Over the South Downs, the Roadster is in its element. Trimmed for max attack with everything set to ‘sport plus’ (because why wouldn’t you?), it’s a sensory overload. Every upshift is a gunshot, every downshift a rolling thunderclap. You begin to take the long way around for the sheer joy of making noise across valleys or between stone walls. It’s childish, intoxicating, addictive. You realise at one point that you haven’t turned the music on once, because the V8 is your soundtrack. And it’s the best remix you’ll ever hear.
At Goodwood, parked among a sea of supercars and curiosities, the deliciously proportioned Roadster held its own with ease. People drifted over, phones out, and every conversation began the same way: “Nice plate…” Seems the right kind of registration is an invitation, a wink, a VIP wristband you didn’t ask for but will happily wear. Even in a crowd of McLarens, Lamborghinis and Porsche GT3s, the Aston radiated a kind of tailored charm that made everything else feel a little gauche.
A refined, elegant cruiser that would happily take you to the opera
And then, on the drive home between golden fields and through sleepy villages, the car softened. Roof up for relief from a long day of heat, air con blowing, gearbox in auto, exhausts dialled down, it became something else: a refined, elegant cruiser that would happily take you to the opera or the south of France without breaking sweat. The duality is the magic. Swagger one minute, Savile Row the next.
By the time we rolled onto the drive on Sunday evening, sun-tinged and still grinning, the Vantage Roadster had proved its point. This is not a car for those who want to blend in, nor is it for the faint of heart. It’s for those who want to feel alive, to be noticed, to embrace a little drama in their lives when the mood takes. It’s a car that flatters you, that turns every journey into an event.
At £180,000 plus change, it’s not cheap. But it’s hard not to feel that for a weekend of being the most interesting person on the A27, it’s worth every penny. Now to find a three-letter plate of my own…
This is from the Attitude Awards 2025 issue. Order your copy now or read it alongside 15 years of back issues on the free Attitude app.
