Aston Martin needed to know it had a winner on its hands.
The DB12 was upgraded last year with a sleek new look, lots of power, and the kind of infotainment you’d expect from a high-end GT. The company’s “entry-level” vehicle, the Vantage, has also received similar treatment in an attempt to draw a few more customers away from Porsche dealerships.
In addition to producing better vehicles, Aston hopes to change perceptions about itself by putting as much power and luxury into the vehicles as it can. It appears that Aston has created something genuinely pleasant at first sight.
With a beautifully equipped 4.0 L V8 engine producing 656 hp (490 kW) and 590 lb-ft (800 Nm), the new automobile outpaces the old one by more than 150 horsepower (112 kW). Aston estimates that if you have adequate room and no speed constraints, you may reach speeds of up to 200 mph (321 km/h). The time from 0 to 60 mph is given as 3.4 seconds. It moves quickly.
Although Aston has never exactly struggled to create beautiful automobiles, the new Vantage is a vast improvement over its direct predecessor. The concept behind the previous automobile was that every model in the lineup would have a distinct appearance based on its function. It was intended to have the appearance of a purposeful, athletic sportscar.
Indeed, it did. It didn’t quite capture Aston Martiness, though.
The new one does it in a big way. The new car has an Aston Martin aesthetic throughout, from the new headlights to the grille, side vents, skirts, quad exhaust pipes, and one of the greatest back ends available. Naturally, certain modifications are required. For example, the front grille has been enlarged by 38% since the V8 engine’s high power requires better cooling.
If you examine closely, you’ll notice that Aston has employed a number of techniques to enhance airflow and cooling throughout the vehicle. If I were the kind to constantly have my spectacles on at the end of my nose, I would start murmuring something along the lines of “form and function working in harmony,” but since I’m not, I won’t.
Aston Martin has said emphatically that the V12 Vantage of the previous generation was the last of its kind and that there won’t be another one. As a result, the engineers were relieved of their concern about overpowering the V8. Although the previous V8 Vantage may have been almost as powerful, it would have been foolish to try to separate it from the V12.
The inside should make you grin, while the outside will draw attention. The center console and entertainment system of the immediate predecessor were nice and comfy, but the seats and dash were not. Not very good.
Relying on a rebranded version of Mercedes’s COMAND system, it was undoubtedly of its time and not a modern upgrade. It belonged to the’slap a tablet to the dash’ age. Today’s Vantage has the same configuration as the DB12, which consists of a 12.5-inch touch screen combined with physical buttons that have real functions.
The buttons feel ‘appropriate’ for the tasks at hand, and the screen is responsive and snappy. The Vantage may be switched between Sport (the usual mode), Sport+, Individual, Track, and Wet modes using a large dial located in the center of the console. Thankfully, Aston has managed to keep everything you need conveniently close at hand.
Large power is accompanied by a terrible amount of noise, especially at startup. Someone who claims that exhaust notes have been eliminated by turbocharging needs to spend some time with this vehicle. Three exhaust settings are available: very loud, loud, and normal. Your happy spot is probably somewhere quite noisy. Not so much as your neighbors.
It is simple to drive, even with its considerable power on the road. Though the A-pillars are a tad hefty, you can still see rather well out the front. The controls are simple and straightforward, and the mirrors provide ample visibility of what’s behind you. It is made to allow those who enjoy driving to continue doing so.
You’ll start producing intriguing noises (mostly four-letter ones) if you point it straight and floor the throttle. Power delivery is smooth, but if you want it to be, it can be quite forceful. It feels much more like a scruff of the neck’ than a 911 Turbo S. Regardless of the setting you choose, the steering is a little weak, but it provides excellent input. As you go from left to right, it rises up beautifully, pinging the car’s nose from apex to apex with skill.
Its powerplant is appropriately ferocious, and the suspension doesn’t seem overly stiff when using the normal Sport setting on ordinary roads. It is a little unpleasant and maybe not required on the highway to operate in the harsher Sport+ or Track settings. It also has a wonderful eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox.
If you’re on track, you can delve a bit further. You will soon discover how capable and expressive it is. The automobile will move in response to your interactions with it, alerting you to impending events. It implies that you will be able to anticipate the automobile with ease and end up enjoying yourself immensely.
It’s crucial to keep in mind that there is more than enough power beneath the hood, so it could be a good idea to hold off on fully disabling the nine-stage adjustable traction control system too soon.
When it comes to being the go-to option for a six-figure daily driver sports car, the Vantage has historically lagged behind the vastly more popular Porsche 911. However, given the new car’s enormous power increase and anticipated price of close to $200,000, we anticipate the 2025 model to be rather more exclusive.
