The New Aston Martin Vantage Is Here To Pick A Fight With The 911

The long-awaited Vantage successor is here, with a DB11 base and 503bhp from an AMG-sourced V8
The New Aston Martin Vantage Is Here To Pick A Fight With The 911

We’ve been waiting a while for this, haven’t we? Aston Martin’s V8 Vantage has been with us for 12 years now, but the 4.7-litre V8-powered sports car is at last being granted a well-earned retirement. The replacement is more striking, sharper, and much, much faster.

How much faster? Well, mash your foot on the right-hand pedal fast enough, and the Mercedes-AMG-sourced 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 will put severe stress on your internal organs as 0-62mph comes and goes in just 3.6 seconds. Far quicker than the old V8-powered Vantage, and faster even than the V12 Vantage S. The top speed meanwhile is 195mph.

The New Aston Martin Vantage Is Here To Pick A Fight With The 911

It’s made possible by that aforementioned V8 putting out 503bhp and 505lb ft of torque, with a reasonably modest 1530kg (dry) of car to punt around. That power is sent to the rear wheels exclusively, via a transaxle-mounted ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox. Yep, no more ‘robotised manual’ shenanigans going on here, and for the first time in an Aston Martin, there’s an electronically-controlled rear differential. The diff can go from open to completely locked in mere milliseconds, Aston Martin says.

The New Aston Martin Vantage Is Here To Pick A Fight With The 911

The Vantage’s platform is broadly the same bonded aluminium affair used for the DB11, but 70 per cent of the car is all-new. It’s just under 30cm shorter than a DB11, and a smidge shorter than a Porsche 911. Weight distribution is the ideal 50:50 balance.

In terms of aero, there’s plenty of rather obvious bits like a downforce generating “upswept” rear deck and side gills that eject high-pressure air from the front wheel arches, but the most fascinating elements are arguably the ones you can’t see. The car’s speed bump-troubling front splitter sends air under the car, where several “fences” direct the flow both for cooling and to feed the rear diffuser.

The New Aston Martin Vantage Is Here To Pick A Fight With The 911

As with the DB11, the Vantage’s cabin is littered with tech borrowed from Mercedes-Benz as part of Gaydon’s technical partnership with the German firm. Given how clunky the outgoing car’s infotainment system is, that’s no bad thing. The interior also sports lashings of Alcantara, and as you can see from the image above, plenty in the way of personalisation options.

The New Aston Martin Vantage Is Here To Pick A Fight With The 911

It’s better in almost every way (with perhaps engine noise being the exception, although it does still make a jolly nice din) than the old car, but it is quite a bit more expensive. It’ll set you back £120,900, getting on for £25k more than the Vantage AMR Pro run-out model.

It’s on sale now, with first deliveries kicking off during 2018’s second quarter.

Comments

Andreja Životić

Im a huge fan of AM, but this thing looks kinda weird. The back is quite cool while the front is also fine, but those front lights are full on awful. For me the DB9 will always be the best AM and this thing is also nice, as long as you dont look at the front…

11/21/2017 - 12:06 |
4 | 8

Also old Vantage>new Vantage

11/21/2017 - 12:08 |
4 | 4
Skyline guy 08

James bond aproved ?…

11/21/2017 - 12:12 |
0 | 2
Rihan Sadiq

the headlights look like those for a silvia…only smaller.

11/21/2017 - 12:12 |
0 | 2
DL🏁

It looks absolutely stunning. It’s different indeed, but in a good way. Not everyone is going to like it, but I’m glad they didn’t go with “just a smaller DB11” approach.

The interior is on a totally different level compared to any other AM, DB11 included (who wants the V8 DB11 any more?). Not many details on the technical side, but I have a feeling, it won’t disappoint.

Can’t wait for V12 Vantage now, that would be a perfect Aston Martin!

11/21/2017 - 12:15 |
148 | 2

The DB11 V8 is for when you still want a GT but wouldn’t mind having a v8(or simply the cheaper model), anyway I agree that is still remain pointless compared to a smaller, more engaging and capable Vantage which IMO looks better and clearly is inspired by the DB10 concept seen In Bond’s Spectre, it definitely gets the best visual elements of the concept as far as design goes.

11/21/2017 - 14:04 |
18 | 0

Agreed. In my opinion, the V8 DB11 is now completely useless. If you want the lighter nose and supposedly sportier feel, just buy a Vantage.

11/21/2017 - 17:05 |
4 | 0

The rear is monobrow levels of horrendous

11/21/2017 - 21:01 |
6 | 2
Anonymous

What a handsome brute! Absolutely love the design of the DB11 and even the DB10 and this sits alongside it perfectly. That luminous lime/yellow is great too!

11/21/2017 - 12:17 |
20 | 2
Nishant Dash

In my honest opinion, the new design looks less Aston than the previous model… Looks almost like a Silvia in the front and the rear is just bleh… Why Aston 😭😭 At least the specs are good 😶

11/21/2017 - 12:18 |
44 | 12
Freddie Skeates

Looks awesome- but £120k? That’s 570S money

11/21/2017 - 12:19 |
4 | 6
Joshua Lue

[DELETED]

11/21/2017 - 12:23 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

I would not be surprised if Ford take the front design for their next models…

11/21/2017 - 12:26 |
16 | 2
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Wouldn’t expect anything less ofc

11/21/2017 - 14:42 |
4 | 0
Tomislav Celić

It looks so😍😍😍😍😍

11/21/2017 - 12:30 |
10 | 8

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