A Very Aston Christmas: We drive the 2016 Aston Martin range in Southern California

If James Bond had a Christmas list, we’d imagine many of these would be on it… Pay attention, Q! (with Car DVD) Aston Martin invited us out to the hills of sunny Southern California to sample their 2016 offerings one car at a time, and after a full day of test drives with nine different models, we’d say our Christmas list might look a lot like Mr. Bond’s after all. Fresh off their big screen appearance with the DB10 in Spectre, Aston Martin is gearing up for a big few years. For 2016, they’ve got a bigger range of cars than ever, from stripped-down roadsters to a lavish 4-door, there’s more to love from Aston than ever before. Here’s our take on their entire 2016 range. If you listen closely when you’re behind the wheel of the Vantage GT, you’ll hear a whirring sound that isn’t coming from the engine. That’s the differential, happily spinning along behind you as you weave through the twists and turns of Mulholland drive as deftly as a figure skater. Once you notice it, you can’t un-hear it, and in almost any other situation it would be considered annoying, but we dare you to name any other modern car that has the same phenomenon. Something as simple as a differential whirring along in your ear is enough to remind you that you’re driving a machine, and not a computer, and in 2015, that experience is increasingly hard to come by. That’s the essence of the Vantage GT, and armed with a 4.7-liter V-8 and a notchy 6-speed manual (or automated manual, but stay away from that one…), it makes for the biggest throwback experience you can have with four wheels. Yes, it’s basically a 10-year-old car, and yes, it’s essentially devoid of electronic helpers and creature comforts – other than fine leather and carbon fiber accents, of course – but we promise that as you fly along with 430-horsepower under your wings, you won’t mind one bit. What about install Android Car Gps? Remember how we mentioned that the Vantage is essentially a 10-year-old car? With the V12 Vantage, Aston has applied a 60-year-old (or more) idea to it. We’re not sure exactly who at Aston made the decision to shoehorn their biggest engine into the front of their smallest car, but they should be commended – or possibly institutionalized. With a 6.0-liter V-12 under the hood of a car about as long as a Ford Focus, the V12 Vantage S is one of the most delightfully insane cars I’ve ever driven, and something so un-Aston-like that we can’t help but wonder if there’s something in the water up in Gaydon that spawned this devlish creation. With 565-horsepower of 12-cylinder fury, you’ll find it hard to remember you’re driving an Aston too, and not a bonafide GT-class race car. Sure, it’s got an Alcantara headliner and hand-stitched leather, but good luck trying to enjoy the interior when you’re piloting a British missile through some of the tightest roads in the country. The V12 Vantage is as close to a modern hot rod as you can get this side of the Challenger Hellcat, and while it’s not long for this world, we intend to celebrate it as long as it hangs around. If installing an Android Car Stereo in your car, that would be great!