The 2018 Aston Martin Vantage has been unveiled, bring a bolder visual appearance to one of the brand’s most famous model names dating back to the 1950s.
A new exterior look is the most obvious change to Aston Martin’s entry-level two-seater model, which will arrive on UK roads in February 2018 and replace a car described by company CEO Andy Palmer as “the single most successful model in Aston Martin’s history.”
Describing the new Vantage as “a true sports car with a sharper look and a keener dynamic edge,” Palmer adds; “Creating a worthy successor has been a challenge to relish and a huge source of motivation. I’m enormously excited by what we’ve created – a new Vantage that’s more explicit in looks and intent, wrapping heart-pounding performance and dazzling dynamics into an everyday usable package.”
The new car’s shell is dominated by sharp cut lines, with minimal front and rear overhangs and several design firsts for the brand including the lowest grille ever incorporated into a production Aston Martin model and a dramatic rear end dominated by a large diffuser.
The shell generates significant downforce which again is a route Aston Martin has not previously pursued with its road cars. Construction is an evolution of the aluminium structure used on the recently launched DB11, though Aston Martin adds that 70% of the Vantage structure is new. The interior replicates the bolder look of the exterior with a focus on the driver.
Power for the new Vantage is provided by a 4-litre twin-turbo V8 engine which is set as far back and low down in the chassis as possible to improve the car’s centre of gravity and provide a perfect 50:50 weight distribution. Combined with an eight-speed transmission, it produces 505hp at 6000rpm, together with 685Nm of torque between 2000 and 5000rpm, which sends the Vantage through 60mph in 3.5 seconds and onto a maximum speed of 195mph.
Industry observers suggest a V12 version of the car is likely to launch later, but not a hybrid as Aston Martin’s already announced plans to offer electrified versions of all its cars are scheduled from 2025, suggesting the next generation of Vantage will be the first with electric power.
Electronic aids on the new car include stability and torque vectoring chassis assistance, speed-dependent electric power steering and for the first time on an Aston Martin an Electronic Rear Differential (E-Diff). Linked to the car’s electronic stability control system, it is said to understand the car’s behaviour, reacting much more efficiently than a conventional LSD to direct the engine’s power to the relevant wheel. As a result, the car feels more planted both in terms of straight-line stability and cornering performance.
Aston Martin is now taking orders for the new Vantage, at prices starting from £120,900.
