Ever since CEO Andy Palmer took the reigns at Gaydon, things seem to have progressed rather quickly for the once ailing company. A questionable model line up and steep competition from other marques in the same segment had crippled the great company. Rumblings of a resurgence are however evident as displayed by the New Aston Martin DB11. When Aston fitted AMG’s V8 in the DB11 it was a foreshadow of the imminent arrival of the Vantage’s replacement, Aston Martin’s most successful model to date.
Visually the new V8 Vantage is undeniably an Aston Martin. However, unlike the outgoing model the looks aren’t derivative of the GT’s appearance. The baby Aston has its own unique look. Not disimilar to the DB11 but very different. The lines seem to be a lot sharper than the gently rounded edges of the DB11 and the gaping grill upfront underscores the more sporting nature of the Vantage. The rear end is all new too with a light strip that runs the length of the car’s back side. It appears the light strip thing is #trending with car manufacturers of late.
At the front of the car sits AMG’s 4.0 litre twin turbo charged V8. The same unit powering the AMG GT and Aston’s own V8 DB11. In this guise the engine develops 375 kw of power and 685 Nm of torque. The engine has been mated to the ZF 8 speed automatic gearbox which is rear mounted for even weight distribution. In fact, Aston claims a 50:50 weight distribution which should help the Vantage handle its mass better than the DB11.
The interior is perhaps almost more special than the exterior. There are elements that, like the new DB11, which have been borrowed from Mercedes’ cars such as the infotainment system along with its controls. The graphics are all however customised to Aston Martin’s specification. The center console has been arranged in a very unique triangular pattern with the Park, Reverse, Neutral and Drive buttons flanking either side of the Start/Stop button.
The Vantage is based on the same platform as the new DB11 but Aston Martin claims that it is 70% new. The chassis uses bonded aluminium which is very lotus like. The Vantage is 284 mm shorter than the DB11 which should endow it with better handling prowess than its bigger brother. The car uses double wishbones upfront with a multi-link rear set up with adaptive damping all round.
For the first time in an Aston Martin there is a new electronic rear differential. The rear differential is paired to the car’s Electronic Stability program which enables it to fine tune how it responds to user input depending on the driving mode selected. The new Vantage also features Dynamic Torque Vectoring which works in tandem with the e-diff for the best management of torque between the driving wheels.
Aston is keen to point out that the Vantage is 34 mm shorter than a Porsche 911. The 911’s all round ability have made it a strong contender in the sports car segment. It looks like the New Vantage is churning these waters. There is usable stowage space behind the seats and the new multimedia set up should make the Vantage more manageable around town and for the daily grocery run.
The car uses cast iron disc brakes all round. 400 mm discs upfront and 360 mm discs in the rear. The car will top out at 314 kph and has a 0-100 kph time of 3.7 s.
While the streets of Cape Town, South Africa are littered with 911s, Aston Martins are a very rare sight. Even rarer is the Vantage. I posit that this is due to price and the cost of maintenance as compared to Porsche’s offerings. The new Aston Martin V8 Vantage has a lot to offer and with the new gear box and interior tech it presents a very attractive proposition. While I’m not entirely convinced about the looks the prospect of an even sportier Aston Martin which has completely eschewed its GT credentials has me roped in.
While we will have to wait until mid next year before the new V8 Vantage is in Cape Town, South Africa, Gaydon’s resurgence seems to be well underway. Now all we need is news of a V12 Vantage.
