The New Vantage Is Ready To Fight The Porsche 911 And AMG GT
The long-awaited successor to the Aston Martin Vantage is finally here with a fresh look, DB11 base, and a 510 hp AMG V8.
After so much teasing, the wait is finally over. After 12 years of service, the old 4.7L Vantage gets to go into retirement. And with that, the new 2018 Aston Martin Vantage rises from the ground up. Faster, sharper, and promising to be even better than the Vantage has ever been.
The first thing that you notice is the striking new design. People always complained that Aston Martin always looks the same. And while the new Vantage still holds the signature design elements found in any other Aston Martin, it really stands out from all the other models.
The front seems to take inspiration from the track-only Vulcan with the big gaping grille.
At the rear is one of the more striking features of the car. Completely new tail light with a bold diffusor.
The internals
Just like the outside, the new Vantage's intestines have been completely renewed. The most significant change is its heart. The 4.7L naturally aspirated engine gets replaced by a new AMG derived 4.0L twin-turbo V8 producing 510 hp and 685 Nm's of torque. Aston Martin says they tune the engine and it's sound themselves to provide a distinctive character.
Gone is the old robotized manual gearbox. It's been replaced with a rear-mounted 8-speed ZF gearbox.Sending the power to the rear wheels only through an electronically limited-slip diff. This is the first time this technology has been applied to any Aston Martin and it allows to fully lock the diff in the blink of an eye.
Combine all those factors and a curb weight of 1530 kgs and you get a car capable of launching to 100 km/h in 3.5 seconds and up to a top of 313 km/h.
Just like the DB11, the new Vantage borrows interior tech from Mercedes-Benz as part of the technical partnership. That means an up to date 8″ infotainment system and plenty of options to customize the handcrafted interior to your taste.
It looks better in every way and it'll probably handle like that. The Vantage will go on sale in the second quarter of 2018 starting at 154.000 €. Quite a price jump compared to the 105.000 € base price of the previous model.