German Car Zone

Merc1 · 03-21-2008, 04:18 AM

There are two ways of looking at the Aston Martin V8 Vantage N400. It could be a properly sorted, road-legal version of the N24 racer, which hitherto could be registered with the DVLA only by adding a handbrake, a horn and some numberplates. I have extensive experience of driving that car on real roads and would respectfully suggest that you'd be off your ruddy rocker to even consider it.

I prefer to think of the N400 as one of the growing number of sharpened-up, weight-pared special editions of existing supercars, in the mould of the Ferrari F430 Scuderia, the Lambo Gallardo Superleggera and the 911 GT3 RS; a road car with race pretensions, rather than the other way around.

The engine, for example, is the uprated N24's, with 400bhp instead of the regular 380, while torque is up to 310lb ft. The springing and damping at both ends are considerably stiffer, there are bigger anti-roll bars and special ultralight wheels.

Although Aston has resisted the fashion for stupid stickers down the flanks, the N400 is rightly available in three special colours: Lightning Silver, Bergwerk Black, and this one, Karussell Orange, which suits the V8's soft shape perfectly, even if it can look alarmingly close to the brown end of the spectrum in certain light.

And it is, of course, more expensive at £94,000. But then, under the bonnet, and in amongst all the German writing, is a plaque proclaiming it to have been hand-built in England. Its papers are also in order, so you will know which of the limited run of 240 you have.

However, and like all its rivals, it can't really claim to be an uncompromised race-bred machine, which is to its eternal credit. The seats may be thinner and more snug than the standard ones, but they are still trimmed, like the rest of the cabin, in aromatic leather, and they still move around on electric motors.

There is air-conditioning, a decent radio, cruise control, carpets, and it will eventually be offered in right-hand drive. The windows open. It is even available as one of 240 convertibles too, for £102,000.

There are door pockets, normal seat belts, a glovebox, and the usual Aston bold stitching highlights. And this brings me to the difficult bit. There on the lid of the central cubby, picked out in contrasting orange thread, is - and I can hardly bring myself to write this - a map of the Nürburgring.

I've often thought that nothing dampens my enthusiasm for a new car quite like the revelation that it's been tested at the Nürburgring. But now I discover that a diagram of the chuffing place is even more demoralising. The bastards have been out there trying to shave half a second off the lap time and no good will come of it, you mark my words. The Nürburgring will be the first establishment to be closed down in May's Britain.

What use is this map? The corners aren't named, so it would be quite difficult to follow during a lap, especially as it's well out of the line of sight and often under your elbow. A map showing the location of John Lewis's soft furnishings department would be no more useless.

Apart from anything else, if you don't know what the Nürburgring is, why it's significant to this car and roughly what it looks like, the impression is merely that the trimmer practised on the centre console before tackling that tricky bit round the instrument binnacle. And you're going to have to explain to your passengers why your focussed, high-powered enthusiasts' limited-edition supercar has embroidery in it.

Still, even if the N400 isn't noticeably quicker than the standard car, the engine is magnificent, giving a curious little clatter at tick-over and enough proper mechanical noise during use to remind you that this is a real engine working hard.

At just below 4,000rpm, there is a harmonic sweet spot that delivers a brief buzz to the coccyx, which is strangely satisfying. Meanwhile, in automatic mode, the optional paddle-shift of my car delivers more of a light thump in the guts at every change up. It really doesn't work as a self-shifter.

Even in manual mode, a great deal of care is needed with the throttle to smooth the changes. It's perfectly possible to hold the pedal flat and simply plip the paddles, but only if you enjoy the sensation of being struck between the shoulder blades with a leather mallet. I'd stick with Aston's chunky but dependable regular manual gearbox, and spend the £3,000 demanded for Sportshift on something more useful. Coat hangers. Anything.

To be honest, I'd be inclined to stick with the standard car altogether. I appreciate the allure of the race-tuned suspension, and what a good boast it is down the pub, but in reality, it's just too hard. In fairness, there is a button marked 'comfort' on the fascia; sadly, when I pressed it, absolutely nothing happened. I'm pretty convinced it's just a button with a small light bulb behind it.

And it's not just that the ride is a mess, especially at low speed, or that the dashboard creaks alarmingly in protest. The combination of fat rubber and no give makes the N400 squirm about on poor surfaces. This problem is not quite as apparent as it was in the N24, but that's a bit like saying Joan of Arc didn't die as horribly as Edward II. I also sense that the new set-up leads to slightly disconcerting initial understeer in fast, fairly tight corners.

All in all, it seems a high price to pay for the knowledge that your Aston isn't just a regular road car, but one that benefits directly from experience at the racetrack. To my mind, it doesn't, and as the best bit of the N400 - the uprated engine - will be available on the standard car soon, it would make more sense to wait for that.

What really worries me, though, is that Aston Martin appears to be degenerating into a maker of special editions of its existing cars. We've had the DBS, the DB9 LM and now this. I know there is a historical precedent for race-derived Astons dating back to the Fifties, but there's a historical precedent for bear-baiting and morris dancing as well.

In my lifetime, great Astons were the original V8, the Nineties V8 Coupe, and the DB7 Vantage convertible; caddish GTs for rotters with floppy hair who thought the Nürburgring was a rally with bunting and singing, not focussed tools for crew-cut fools who think Nomex is acceptable.

Am I the only person who feels like this?

James May drives the Aston Martin N400 - 2008 - Features - Top Gear

M

Tarek · 03-21-2008, 05:06 AM

I really don't see the point of that car,i mean what does it compete with? the Scuderia,Gallardo SL and GT3 will walk all over it around a track and in straight line performance too,should've at least got 500hp to even make it look good.

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German Car Zone

Top Gear - Aston Martin V8 Vantage N400