You know the feeling. You’re deep into a fast, sweeping bend, and your pulse syncs with the growl of a front-mounted V8. The steering is taut, the chassis eager.
It’s communion. And Aston Martin’s latest creation, the new Vantage S, is engineered to give you exactly that.
Billed as “the most driver-focused Vantage in the marque’s history,” the Aston Martin Vantage S is a reaffirmation that while the world spins on towards electrification, the visceral art of the combustion engine is still alive and kicking.
Matched to a reworked 8-speed ZF transmission, the shifts are sharper, more immediate, thanks to recalibrated software logic and a revised final drive ratio. Aston Martin says the changes deliver “shorter gear changes, more direct acceleration, and a tangible sense of mechanical drama.”
The familiar 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 has been retuned to deliver 665PS and 800Nm. That’s 155PS and 115Nm more than before. 0-100km/h? 3.4 seconds. Top speed? 325km/h.
Aston Martin also went to town on the chassis; a 29% increase in front lateral stiffness, new adaptive dampers, revised spring rates, and a 50% faster steering rack. Paired with stiffer engine mounts and a clever torque vectoring system, the Vantage S dances with more precision than ever.
The front grille, now 38% larger, is a clear nod to both function and flair, feeding more air into the ravenous V8. The front splitter is wider, the side sills more sculpted, and the 21-inch forged wheels (wrapped in bespoke Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 tyres) add both visual weight and mechanical grip.
The new interior is cleaner, more tactile, and finally ditches the dated Mercedes COMAND system for Aston’s own infotainment interface. The 10.25-inch touchscreen is crisp, fast, and modern, while the aluminium paddle shifters and optional carbon sports seats remind you this isn’t just a pretty face.
“The new Vantage is a modern classic – a true Aston Martin sports car that is unapologetically raw and focused, yet still luxurious and refined.”
Marco Mattiacci, Global Chief Brand and Commercial Officer of Aston Martin
In an era of digital steering feel and piped-in engine notes, the Aston Martin Vantage S stands defiant. It knows exactly who it’s for: the driver who still believes that performance should be heard, felt, and lived.
And for that, we say bravo, Aston Martin. Long may the symphony of cylinders continue.
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