Aston Martin V-12 Vanquish

Second Place: Rapid Transit

For all its advanced technology, the new Aston is no lightweight. It is important to say that straight off because a weight of 4099 pounds explains why it has no chance of beating the Ferrari's performance numbers. Its 5.9-liter V-12, first fitted to the DB7 Vantage model, is in what Aston calls "Stage 2" tune, which means 460 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. Its opponent here, the 550 Maranello, has 19 more horsepower and 19 more pound-feet of torque, and the Ferrari is 187 pounds lighter, despite its mainly steel structure. So the Vanquish was vanquished in the acceleration tests.

But since both are among that elite group of superfast cars capable of 0-to-60 blasts in the low-to-mid-four-second realm and of getting to 100 miles an hour in about 10 seconds, the difference between the two is hardly noticeable on public roads. Indeed, in circumstances short of wringing the last few hundred revs and tenths of a second, the Aston can not only feel quicker but actually be so.

The reason is its electrohydraulic gearshift. Ironically, the system is from Magneti Marelli, the same as the one fitted to the Ferrari 360 F1 but never offered for the front-engined Ferraris. It is a six-speed manual transmission that is operated without a clutch pedal or gearshift but rather by paddle shifters behind the steering wheel. At any time, however, the driver can turn over the job of shifting to the computer by simply pushing a button on the dash marked "ASM," for automatic sequential mode.

As in the Ferrari 360, the left-hand paddle marked with a minus sign is to downshift, the right-hand one to upshift. The Vanquish mates the Magneti Marelli system to a hefty Tremec six-speed manual gearbox. Aston has developed its own software, which ensures the smoothest shifts we have encountered with this type of transmission (which has, oddly enough, not been given a name). The shifting is not as roughly abrupt as the 360 F1's system, even in sport mode, which quickens the shifts. The ASM is perfectly acceptable for dawdling around town.

Downshifts at speed are a delight. Flick the left-hand paddle, and the engine's electronic brain not only blips the throttle but also works out how much of a blip is needed for the swiftest and smoothest engagement.

We are sure most drivers will learn to love the system. Only a couple of things about it disappoint. It dithers and jerks when trying to trickle along in second gear; first gear is engaged automatically only when the car comes to a halt. And it makes starting up and getting going less than instantaneous.

Some people admire the Vanquish starting procedure as a piece of theater. It goes like this: Insert and twist the key, and a row of dots appears in the circular gear-selection screen between the tachometer and speedometer. Wait a moment for that to clear, then press the brake pedal, pull both paddles simultaneously to engage neutral, and press the red starter button at the center of the dashboard. An electronically orchestrated burst of sound accompanies the engine's coming to life. Only then, some seconds after you have initiated this procedure, can you pull the right-hand paddle to engage first to get under way.

Curiously, the blustery sound softens when the car is driven off at a modest pace, a tactic designed to meet noise regulations. But get on the gas hard, the revs soaring past 4000 toward the 7000-rpm redline, and there's a glorious howl, just like a racing engine's, as a flap valve in the exhaust opens to allow more decibels.

This V-12 is a great engine that hardly needs all those gears for around-town driving. For most of our fast cross-country route, it could be left in third gear, which is good for 121 mph.

We know that the ride and handling experts at Lotus were responsible for developing the Vanquish chassis, which uses some suspension parts from the Jaguar S-type. Lotus's achievement has been to make a fast and powerful car with a firm suspension that isn't unsettled by bumps, and it never once bottomed out on our travels. The ride is never jarring and is remarkably comfortable considering its big 40-series tires.

That said, through a fast corner there is the feeling that a lot of weight is being hustled along. The steering is accurate and high-geared, but Webster thought it felt artificially heavy, contributing to a more stolid cornering performance than the lighter-to-handle Ferrari.

There is another, perhaps illusory, reason why the Vanquish does not seem as easy and agile as the 550. Visibility out of the high-sided Aston, with its narrow windows and thick A-pillars, isn't as good as it is out of the Ferrari, with its low cowl and beltline.

Although the tight, muscular styling of the Vanquish seems to be admired by all, we are not sure the cabin deserves the same praise. The seats are supportive, and our six-foot-plus drivers had just enough room to be comfortable for a long haul, but there isn't much space to spare in the cockpit. A massive painted aluminum centerpiece dominates the dash. It houses Jaguar switchgear — that works okay — but various other struts, handles, and trim pieces have an aluminum finish and don't quite match; some are in fact plastic moldings. Worst of all is the steering wheel. Part leather and part metal-colored plastic, it looks cheap in this expensive car and feels horrid in hot, clammy weather.

Aston enthusiasts will probably forgive all that. About 500 of them have already ordered cars. All they want is for it to be worthy of the marque's heritage and a serious alternative to the top Ferrari. That it certainly is.