Aston Martinโs new Vantage is โengineered for real drivers.โ But in its fight to offer a compelling sports car for the segment the British marque has firmly binned any desire to appease the daily drivers. After my time in the glorious DB12 grand tourer, I follow up quickly with a dabble in the automakerโs new, and ferocious, entry-level offering.
So whatโs the story behind the updated Aston Martin Vantage?
Aston Martinโs baby bruiser gets a proper makeover seven years into its life cycle, and this isnโt just a subtle facelift. The new Vantage takes the old formula โ big twin-turbo V8 up front, power to the rear, drama everywhere โ and sharpens every edge. More power, a stiffer chassis, voluptuous wheel arches and an interior thatโs deserving of its build year. About time, right?
Whoโs the buyer?
Youโve got two main camps. The first: the die-hard Aston loyalist whoโs been waiting for Gaydon to truly deliver on the Vantageโs promise. This is the heart-over-head type whoโd have bought it regardless of whether it was rubbish or incredible.
The second: the buyer whoโs always leaned more towards the Porsche 911 Turbo or AMG GT, and whoโs now been given a compelling reason to measure up the Vantage. The new Vantage is all about presence and theatre, and, in its new form, has the tech and potency to match.
Either way, they want something fast, loud, and unashamedly British. Though Iโd argue this Aston is too brutish to drape itself in the Kingโs colours.
Tell us about your first impressions.
Visually, itโs still every bit the Vantage that shook up the Aston Martin brand, just meaner. Itโs got a bigger grille, a meaner stance, and a bit more aggression in the headlights. Itโs the kind of car that looks like it wants to fight something, and honestly, thatโs exactly the right energy.
Unfortunately, itโs an energy that needs to be channelled on a track, not the road, but weโll touch on that later. Inside, Aston Martin has finally deleted the old Mercedes hand-me-down infotainment system for a proper in-house unit, and the cabin? A night-and-day improvement.
The rock-hard carbon seats make for an uncomfortable experience getting in and out of the car, but thatโs a simple fix, just donโt tick the box.
Give us the top lines on performance and/or efficiency/range. Whatโs it like to drive?
The 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 โ still courtesy of AMG, but thoroughly fettled by Aston โ now kicks out 665PS and 800Nm of torque, making this the most powerful Vantage yet by a huge margin (nearly 30% over its predecessor). 0-100km/h? Just 3.4 seconds. Top speed? 325km/h.
But the real story to tell is the handling. This is no longer a car that feels like it was engineered in two halves. The steering is sharper, the chassis is more composed, and the whole thing feels like it was set up by someone who actually cares about driving. Itโs proper, proper good.
This all sings to the same tune as Aston Martinโs โfor real driversโ engineering philosophy, but every part of the new Vantage has been crafted with the racetrack in mind. The tradeoff to this approach means the new Vantage isnโt a particularly enjoyable daily driving experience. Itโs dangerously toey underfoot and so stiff that every ripple in the road is felt through your backside.
Tech & connectivity โ whatโs the word?
Aston has finally dragged the Vantage into the modern era with an all-new 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 10.25-inch touchscreen running Astonโs own software. Itโs clean, intuitive, and โ bizarrely for an Aston โ doesnโt feel five years out of date at launch. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto? Thank you. A 1,170W Bowers & Wilkins sound system? That too.
I adored the Bowers & Wilkins system in the DB12 and Iโm happy to say it still holds up in the new Vantage, but with fewer speakers given the difference in cabin size.
And the lowdown on safety?
Itโs got the full suite โ adaptive cruise, lane-keeping assist, auto emergency braking, 360-degree cameras, and even night vision. The real safety feature, though, is your right foot. Keep it in check, and youโll be fine.
The most memorable โ or heartbreaking โ thing about your drive?
I keep coming back to the engineโs potency and the sheer brutality of the driving experience. I canโt ignore it in conversation. I think Aston has over-engineered this new Vantage to the point itโs too rigid for the road, and therefore too brutish to be in the same class of composed and poised British sports car weโve always loved from the brand.
Itโs almost leapfrogged itself since its predecessor, which is a shame, really, as even after all this progress, Iโd still pick the 911 Turbo to sit in Sydney traffic every day.
One thing you should know before a test drive.
If you want to drive the new Vantage more than once a week โ and not start and end your drive in pain โ for the love of god, do not option the carbon seats. If you can test drive one without them, even better.
Tell โem the price, son!
The 2025 Aston Martin Vantage is now in the four hundred club โ $410,000, to be exact, before options or on-road costs.
