The Vantage Affair: A Hot Car, but Cool in the Right Places

Sometimes, when your boss is too busy to attend an event, you get a chance to ride in a car worth several hundred thousand dollars — and catch the vibe of a James Bond girl.

Test-cry

I ended up there by accident. I wasn’t supposed to be there. I didn’t even have all the necessary documents to properly register for the long-awaited test drive of the new Aston Martin Vantage Roadster — one of the most desired and most powerful sports convertible in the world.

The fact that I wouldn’t actually get to drive it and make my own “vroom-vroom” sound devastated me. But they promised I’d have a safe driver to take me through the entire scenic route, so I would still have the experience. I agreed — and cried it out in the soft bed at the Ritz Carlton in Rancho Mirage, where we stayed the night before the presentation and the promised test drive.

The morning at the hotel turned out to be more optimistic than expected. Walking to breakfast through the beautiful hotel courtyard built on a hill, I couldn’t shake the feeling that somewhere beyond the boundaries of the Ritz Carlton, there had to be an ocean. That’s how vivid my mirage was.

But beyond that fence, only the desert awaited us — along with the scenic road we were about to take. And him — the beautiful, luxurious, most powerful, fastest, and very first sports car and convertible in my life.

Don’t we all tend to give our cars human personalities? For some reason, I was certain the Vantage Roadster was a he. But to be fair, what did I really know about sports cars at the time...

Olga Trehub

Top-End Dream

They didn’t keep us long at the presentation. They explained what makes this car unique, how Aston Martin caught one’s bluebird of happiness and claimed a niche somewhere between luxury and performance. How their previous models "weren’t necessarily competitive in this performance space” as where they wanted to be, and how all of that has now changed.

“Lawrence’s vision was really to take those cars from this sort of top end of the premium sector where we were previously and really take us to the top end of the performance bracket. So that means class-leading performance and class-leading dynamics,” said Kevin Watters, Director of Communications Aston Martin.

Lawrence Stroll, who became Executive Chairman of Aston Martin Lagonda in 2020 and has often talked about transforming Aston into something akin to a British Ferrari.

The brand didn’t want to copy anyone, but they definitely wanted to become a dream car for the average ultra-rich driver — someone who values both speed and comfort in everyday conditions, whether it’s winding mountain roads, freeways, or busy city streets.

“Vantage is no different, no exception," states Simon Newton, Aston Martin's Director of Vehicle Attributes & Performance. "We're up 30% in terms of power, 15% in terms of torque, and there are improvements in top speed across the board compared to the previous generation. But it's not just about the numbers — it’s very much about the character of the car."

Around ten men with focused faces listened and jotted notes into their notebooks. Honestly, I was the only woman there — never having attended anything like this before — and I was just enjoying the British accents of the speakers.

Olga Trehub

It Has a Face!

Then we went to meet the beauties up close. As a photographer, I was dreaming of jumping into the one with the red interior. I had a plan for a stunning photo shoot. And they say blondes look great in red.

Marek Reichman, EVP & Chief Creative Officer, explained the design and engineering process — how each product is viewed throughout its life strictly through the lens of the product line. In the case of the Vantage, it’s all about the dominant line — and why that is the very embodiment of beauty.

He also explained (and showed) that this car has a literal face!

“Of course, we’re lucky within Aston Martin to own a grille — we own a fabulous grille, which has been part of our heritage and history for many, many decades," enthuses Reichman. "It’s the signifier that gives a more anthropomorphic face to our product. So you actually see a face—you see a grille that represents the mouth and the eyes, and the eyes are always in support of what the grille is about. So you have a true face now."

Personally, I think this fact trumps all speed and crash tests.

Bond, James Bond

Marek has been with Aston Martin for 20 years and participated in all the films featuring Daniel Craig, starting with Casino Royale, where they developed the DBS.

“That was a fun journey," he says. "Daniel, Barbara Broccoli, Michael G. Wilson came into the studio and we showed them the DBS in early clay form. Daniel fell in love with it immediately. We later presented the car to him in Prague, where much of the filming took place on the Charles Bridge — and he was over the moon.”

He also recalled one of the brightest moments of his life — the creation of the DB10 for Spectre:

“The first time a car was designed just for James Bond," says Marek. "And knowing Daniel’s character a little better and the way he likes to play Bond really shaped the form and style of that car. It’s been an amazing journey with Daniel as Bond — and now, we move on to the next chapter.”

You know, it’s an incredible feeling to be just one handshake away from Daniel himself — the man I had a crush in my youth.

And then… my own Bond was introduced to me.

Olga Trehub

Brauer. Karl Brauer

My driver. My fellow agent. My personal James Bond for the day in a gorgeous convertible — with great potential for a… shooting as it should be in full 007 mode.

Though, to be fair, he wasn’t in a tux. Karl was dressed in a rocker tee and a bandana — more of a “ride or die” Vince from Fast & Furious. But I wasn’t exactly in a slit gown either, so we understood each other perfectly and settled into our Vantage with a black interior surrounded by Satin Titanium Grey paint. Our beauty had “yellow lips” and some yellow leather accents inside, so my aesthetic craving was satisfied.

“Aston Martin is a survivor — probably most impressively so. They've definitely faced adversity as a small independent automaker for a huge chunk of their history," Karl said. "Most companies and carmakers had to rely on big partners, but Aston Martin didn’t for a long time. They’re now properly funded by enthusiasts who appreciate the brand’s legacy, and they work with strong partners like Mercedes-Benz to make sure their cars are modern and competitive. They've navigated a tough road, and that’s impressive.”

Karl knows cars and brands. Along with his analytical insights, Karl also runs a pretty awesome YouTube channel about cars. Everyone wants him for a test drive, to get his insights and analytical opinion.

Me? I got to be “James Bond’s girl” for a few hours and enjoy the thrill of speed, soft leather seats, and wind in my hair.

Olga Trehub

Fake it until you make it

Probably the first thing you feel when you get into a car like this is the jealous stares from your fellow drivers on the road. They pierce through you from the windows of passing trucks, sedans, electric cars, and massive semis. Some film you with their phones, some smile and wave, and some — well, some just quietly hate you and refuse to let you pass. On one hand, you feel like an actual Hollywood diva, and on the other — you start calculating how much money it actually takes to achieve undeniable human happiness on the road.

“Can you imagine?" I ask through the wind. "They think this car is ours and we’re just two lucky darlings of fate, cruising around the desert without a care in the world”, I say while wrestling with cognitive dissonance and chewing on my own hair, which, with the top down is everywhere: in my mouth, my nose, my eyes.

“Convertible hair!” says my Bond and smiles.

“Uh-huh,” I reply and put on a cap.

After the freeway and the sea of envious looks, we climbed up into the hills and hit a winding road — where Karl decided to really test the Vantage’s power.

He tested.

I held on to hope — and held my cap.

It was intense. I don’t really know how it should be, because in my normal life, I drive a tiny, zippy blue Hyundai. But the Vantage? It hugs the pavement at high speeds and sharp curves like it's part of it — you feel like one single organism with the car. No fear, no doubt. Even the brakes give you that soft, rubbery, reliable feeling that all is under control.

“Aston Martin really wanted to inject an increased, heightened level of performance in this generation of the Vantage to go along with where they're moving the brand," said a grinning Karl, an hour into the drive. "They've put more power in it, they've made the transmission shift quicker, they've re-tuned the suspension and they've made the body stiffer. All of these things to increase performance — and you can feel it.”

We tested everything: 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, the almost-maximum speed (almost — because we drove by the rules… almost), the roof up-down speed (actually very fast — under 7 seconds), music groove, and — wait for it — booty ventilation!

Yes. This car doesn’t just warm your soul when you're freezing — it fabulously air-conditions your derriere when you're driving in the desert and it’s 100°F out.

“Make your ass happy! That’s what they planned,” Karl and I exchanged a look and didn’t turn off the seat fans until the end of the route.

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