All-new Aston Martin Vantage debuts, gets 4.0L bi-turbo V8, 503 hp & 685 Nm!



Aston Martin has just unveiled its latest sports car, the second-generation Aston Martin Vantage. The new Vantage not only features an all-new design, it is also the first Vantage to come with forced induction.

The new Vantage draws its design inspiration from the movie-only DB10 – minimal front and rear overhangs, a prominent front grille and muscular silhouette. Couple that with new LED headlamp and taillamp design, it gives the new car an unmistakable road presence.

Like the DB11, aerodynamic performance has been purposefully integrated to the Vantage design concept, the front splitter not only helps channel airflow underneath the car but also ensures that the cooling system gets sufficient supply of fresh air. On the side, it gets a pair of subtle side gills help bleed air pressure out from the front wheel arches that houses the 20-inch Y-spoke alloy wheels wrapped in model-specific Pirelli P Zero tyres (255/40 front; 295/35 rear).

Over to the rear, the new Vantage does not come with the Aston Martin AeroBlade trickery like the DB11, but Aston Martin claims that the upswept rear deck lid creates significant levels of downforce. The lower diffuser section hides the dual exhaust pipes (one on each side) and helps to smoothly channel air out from the underbody.

Inside, the design team was tasked to create a cockpit that communicates an immersive driving experience while maintaining high levels of comfort and practicality. As a result, the seating position in the Vantage has been lowered, freeing up more headroom in the process. Aston Martin has created a generous amount of storage space by utilising available room behind the seats along with double-tier storage areas.

The most significant revamp done to the interior is the repositioning of the gear-selector buttons from the centre dashboard to the centre console area (arranged in a triangle formation), along with the other major controls. A combination of rotary and toggle controls have been adopted for more tactile and intuitive user experience.

Underneath the bonnet, you will no longer find a naturally-aspirated mill, the new Vantage now gets an AMG-sourced 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 that is tuned for 503 hp and 685 Nm of twisting force. Interestingly, the Vantage gets 10 Nm more than the DB11 V8 that uses the same engine.

Drive is sent to the rear wheels via an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission. Century sprint for this turbocharged Vantage takes 3.6 seconds, bear in mind that the previous Vantage V12 S took 3.9 seconds to achieve the same. Top speed is rated at 315 km/h on the new Vantage.

Mechanically, the chassis is based on Aston Martin’s latest generation bonded aluminium structure first seen on the DB11 but about 70 per cent of the structure’s components are new for the Vantage. It also comes with an Electronic Rear Differential (E-Diff), allowing the differential to go from fully open to 100 per cent locked in a matter of milliseconds, giving the car superior straight-line stability and cornering performance. Watch those glorious drifts by Max Verstappen here.

Like all Aston Martin products, the Vantage can be specified with a range of high-quality options from paint colours, Alcantara upholstery, different alloy wheel designs, carbon fibre details and many more. If you’re feeling exceptionally fancy, you can always enlist the help of Q by Aston Martin to create a unique piece of art.

Prices for the all-new Aston Martin Vantage starts from £120,900 (RM660k) before options while first deliveries will commence only in 2018. Now that Aston Martin has made a comeback in Malaysia, you could probably head to their new showroom located at Etiqa Twins, KL and pester them for an early build slot. Because like all Aston Martins, the Vantage is put together by hand in Gaydon, UK.


IMAGE GALLERY