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  Aston Martin Performance Driving Course: Fuel for Every Sense
Reported by Car and Driver on Tuesday, 17 November 2009 (on November 17, 2009)
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Stunning. Beautiful. Sexy. Just a few of the words that spring to mind whenever I think about the Aston Martin lineup. But even having been fortunate enough to wheel an Aston or two on public roads, I’d never been able to test their true capabilities. Given that, and despite Astons’ saucy exteriors and knee-weakening exhaust notes, my mind often wandered to the Porsche 911 when I thought about bombing runs on a favorite road. That all changed after going through the Aston Martin Performance Driving Course at the Ford Proving Grounds in Romeo, Michigan.
Offered at only three proving grounds worldwide—in England, Belgium, and equally cosmopolitan Michigan—the goal behind the school is to show Aston Martin owners what they and their gems can really do. Each location offers a customized one-day program including one-on-one instruction using the car (and transmission) of the participant’s choice; the Michigan-based course costs $2500. I sampled a condensed half-day version of the course in three different cars.
The Hardware
My experience included time with DBS and DB9 coupes with Touchtronic automatic transmissions and a 2010 V8 Vantage equipped with a row-your-own six-speed manual. I spent most of my time in the ’10 V8 Vantage, which has been updated with a new six-bar grille, standard HID headlights, an even more refined interior, and power-folding mirrors. A 1000-watt Bang & Olufsen audio system, clear taillight lenses, silver fender-vent mesh, and new 10-spoke wheels are now available in the options department.
Behind the Wheel
After a quick pep talk first thing in the morning, we headed over to the 2.5-mile straightaway where we would rip off a few 120-mph runs. Most folks have never (legally) driven that fast, so this gives them a chance to get a feel for the car at high speeds, especially how the car reacts more to lower levels of steering input than at lesser velocities.
Next came the braking exercises. These are intended to get the driver comfortable with the ABS system, and also allow the instructor to establish a rapport with the driver necessary for future activities. While braking practice might not sound very exciting, a full-ABS stop from 120 mph will return an eye-popping 1.2 g for a few seconds, and that definitely gets your blood pumping. And so will the next exercise, an 80-mph panic-stop and lane-change maneuver where the rear of the car is begging to be first across the line. Stability control keeps it all in check, but you seriously won’t need a cup of coffee to wake up after these drills.
After my brain recovered from being pressed against the front of my skull, we made our way over to a small road course. Here, the tight and twisty two-lane track’s elevation changes and decreasing-radius turns would challenge the Astons’ poise. The tight track doesn’t allow for very high speeds, but the goal is to get comfortable with the dynamics of the car and brush up on (or simply learn) hitting the proper braking, turn-in, and track-out points. After overcoming the obstacle of being confident with someone else’s expensive piece of machinery, I simply trusted the car, which revealed the fantastic responses and well-balanced chassis of the Vantage. The little Aston’s playful nature had me itching to hit the big track, but we headed to the vehicle dynamics area next.
The VDA features a glass surface covered in water; it’s meant to mimic the experience of driving on pure ice. Here, my instructor turned off the stability control and I attempted to maintain a drift around the circular course, but the surface was much too slick to sustain it for very long. He then turned stability control back on so that I could feel the system working to keep the car moving in its intended direction. Although it’s much more fun to play with the stability control off, an exercise like this really illuminates why these systems are so important for everyday street driving.
Now it was time to drive the “hill route,” which is a high-speed road course that hits you with lofty elevation changes, blind corners, and off-camber turns, allowing little room for error. Building up speed after learning the track, I really got a feel for the V8 Vantage’s capabilities. The manual shifter moves with ease and precision, but the placement of the accelerator pedal is not friendly to heel-and-toe downshifts. But steering feedback, body control, and brake feel are all top-notch, which just inspires you to go faster.
Although I could have happily ended the course right after this session, the experience wasn’t over yet. Topping off the day were several runs on the recently redone five-mile high-speed oval. Staring at five lanes of the most perfect asphalt I’ve ever seen, my instructor directed me to reach 140 mph in lane four—yes, sir! The Vantage growled as I dropped the hammer, and I hit 140 mph just as we entered the banked section of the oval. This lane is rated at 140 mph neutral-steer, which means you can take your hands off the wheel and watch the car still track perfectly between the lines—which I gotta say was pretty unnerving! Coming off the banking, I got on the throttle again—now with both hands on the steering wheel—and the Aston charged hard to 168 . . . 169 . . . 170 mph! My heart was pumping with excitement, but the car just played it as cool and confident as it does at 70, which felt like a snail’s pace after hitting a buck-seventy.
Summing it Up
To most of us, spending $2500 on a day of driving would be pretty unrealistic, but that’s obviously just a drop in the bucket for anyone fortunate enough to be able to afford an Aston Martin. And with the experiences and instruction offered at the Performance Driving Course, we’d say it’s well worth the price to know that not only is your car stunning, beautiful, and sexy, it’s dynamic, composed, and truly capable, too.
For more information, visit the Aston Martin Performance Driving Course website.
Related posts:Higher iQ: Aston’s Cygnet May Make Sense After AllAston Martin AMVOX2 – Car News2009 Aston Martin DBS Automatic – Auto Shows
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