Aston Martin Vantage S Gives The Brand’s ‘Entry-Level’ Car 671bhp

We’ve spent quite a lot of time with last year’s heavily updated Aston Martin Vantage, and at no point did we consider that its 656bhp, 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 was a bit short on grunt. Aston clearly did, though, because it’s just unveiled the 671bhp Vantage S.

Granted, that isn’t a huge extra helping of power, and torque is unchanged at 590lb ft. The coupe’s 0-62mph time drops a tenth from 3.5 to 3.4 seconds, although top speed remains 202mph.

The S, though, is as much about bringing marginal changes to the already excellent standard car than making it faster. So, both the hardware and software on the adaptive Bilstein DTX dampers have been fettled for improved front end response, while the rear springs have been slackened off a tiny amount for greater low speed comfort.

Also less stiff than before is the transmission mount, a change that’s said to bring greater refinement in the way the powertrain interacts with the body. It’s not all softer, though – the rear subframe is now directly mounted to the body, doing away with the rubber bushes, with a view to improving steering response.

The suspension’s camber, toe and caster angles have all seen tweaks aimed at sharpening the front end and improving overall stability. Finally, the calibration of the drive-by-wire throttle has been changed for a more natural weight and response.

To earn your Vantage S spotter’s badge, look out for the blades sticking out of the nostrils on the bonnet, which help pull more hot air out of the engine. There’s also a subtle carbon fibre lip spoiler on the rear deck, which adds an extra 44kg of downforce to the car at top speed, contributing to a peak of 111kg. New underbody aero helps achieve this total, too.

Final visual tweaks include some S badges, natch, and an optional set of 21-inch satin black, red-accented Y-spoke wheels. On the inside, meanwhile, there’s an S-specific leather and Alcantara interior trim, while the optional ‘Inspire Sport’ trim brings further changes including a repeating chevron pattern.

Available as both a coupe and Roadster, pricing’s yet to be publicly announced, but the Vantage S is on sale now. Bang an order in quickly, and you should get your car by the end of the year.