Built to thrill

Aston Martin expects at least half of its cars to be fully electric by 2030, but in the meantime old-school petrolheads still have fire-spitting, acoustically thrilling machines to enjoy from the British brand. The latest is the comprehensively overhauled Vantage, which was launched in 2018 and now boasts major engine, chassis, and technology updates. The 325km/h two-seater coupé is the fastest and most driver-focused Vantage in the famous nameplate’s history. It retains a roaring V8 under its long nose and rear-wheel drive, but with its extensive revisions the car sets a new benchmark of driving purity, hence its tagline: “Engineered for Real Drivers”.

Its body stands 30mm wider than its predecessor’s with a more muscular bearing, accentuated by an integrated splitter with a wider and lower stance that adds visual drama and improves downforce. This distinctive front-end treatment is completed by the all-new Matrix LED headlamp design with integrated daytime running lights, featuring Aston Martin’s new light signature.

The distinctive Aston Martin side strake also makes a return, forming the sharp focal point of revised vents in each flank. Filling the pumped-out wheel arches are 21-inch forged alloy wheels in a choice of three different designs in a range of colours and finishes.

In an era when gaping grilles are de rigueur, the Vantage has an enlarged maw that looks big enough to ingest small cars. The grille offers a 29% increase in airflow for cooling, and behind it is a heavily reworked Mercedes-AMG-derived 4.0l petrol twin-turbo V8 with outputs of 489kW and 800Nm — respective gains of 30% and 15% over its predecessor.

With the power fed to the rear via an eight-speed automatic transmission, aided by a launch-control system, the Vantage can punch from standstill to 96km/h in 3.5 seconds. The driver can dial in the precise amount of controlled wheelspin they want during the launch by making changes via the adjustable traction control system or switch it off altogether if lurid power slides take their fancy.

With a lightweight aluminium chassis and a 50:50 weight distribution, the latest Vantage is a machine built to thrill driving enthusiasts. The feeling of control and connection is boosted by underbody stiffening to increase torsional rigidity, and intelligent adaptive dampers. With a 500% increase in bandwidth of force distribution over the previous generation, these state-of-the-art dampers have allowed the Vantage’s dynamics to be sharpened to their keenest edge.

Combined with an electronic rear differential (E-Diff) and electronic stability program, the British sports car has the capability to adapt from the demands of a challenging alpine road to a wide-open racetrack at the push of a button, says Aston Martin.

An advanced vehicle-dynamics control system takes information from multiple car and driver sensors such as the six-axis accelerometer, powertrain, braking system, and E-Diff sensors to build a detailed picture of exactly what the car is doing and apply it to overall management of the ESP system. Cast-iron brakes come standard while buyers can optionally specify fade-resistant carbon ceramic discs that are 27kg lighter. The two-seater also has a more luxurious interior packed with state-of-the-art connected technology, including an optional 15-speaker, 1170W Bowers & Wilkins surround-sound system.

The Vantage gets a touchscreen for the first time, measuring 10.25 inches and supporting iOS and Android devices. Touchscreen commands are balanced with the tactility of physical switches, with buttons retained for the key mechanical operations of gear selection, drive selection, heating, and ventilation. First deliveries of the new Vantage are scheduled to begin during the second quarter of 2024, with pricing to be confirmed.