The new Aston Martin Vantage arrives boasting 656bhp – a 30% increase – from its AMG V8 and a brand-new interior.
Following on from the arrival of the DB12 to replace the DB11, Aston has now revamped its entry-level model – the Aston Martin Vantage – endowing it with cosmetic tweaks, much more power and a brand new interior.
The big news is the huge jump in power, with 656bhp and 590lb/ft of torque on tap from the AMG V8 under the bonnet, a massive 153bhp jump on the outgoing Vantage thanks to bigger turbos, tweaked camshafts, improved oil and engine cooling with new air intakes, electronically controlled limited slip-diff and modified 8-speed auto ‘box recalibrated for quicker shift times and short final drive.
The upshot of all the tweaks is a Vantage which can scoot to 62mph in 3.5 seconds – as quick as the defunct V12 Vantage – and on to 202mph.
To deal with all that power, Aston has made substantial chassis changes, with a 30mm wider body, stiffer damper mountings, new steering column, a repositioned front chassis member and extra strengthening panels.
Design changes the the exterior are wrought, although still looking as a Vantage should, with new headlights, a bigger grille, side strakes on the wings, a new bonnet, and new quad tailpipes.
The changes to the interior are more significant, with the Vantage getting a DB12-esque makeover with higher-quality materials and an infotainment system that’s no longer an embarrassment.
Aston says customer deliveries of the new Vantage will start in the spring, and although Aston hasn’t revealed prices it seems likely the starting point will be circa £70k.
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