When does a sports car become a supercar? The boundary is blurred, but there’s no doubt Aston Martin has blasted right through it. “This is a major shift,” says Alex Long, director of product strategy. “We’ve elevated the Vantage to place it firmly among the exotics.”
Supercar status comes primarily from a 30 percent hike in horsepower versus the car it replaces. The Vantage’s 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 now produces 665hp: good for 0-62 mph in 3.5 seconds and 202mph. For the record, that’s more horses than a Porsche 911 Turbo S, Mercedes-AMG GT 63, McLaren Artura, Maserati GranTurismo Trofeo or any flavour of Lamborghini Huracan.
“The DBX707 SUV showed us Aston Martin could push power and dynamics to the top of the class,” adds Long. “It was soon outselling the regular 550hp DBX by nine to one. So when it came to the new Vantage, we aimed high from the outset.”
Fine-tuned by Fernando Alonso
My introduction to the Vantage begins with a video presentation from Aston Martin F1 driver Fernando Alonso, who helped hone the car’s handling and describes it as “very engaging to drive and a lot of fun”. Then I gulp down a strong Spanish coffee, grab a crash helmet and head out onto Monteblanco circuit near Seville. Leading me around for the first few laps is former Le Mans winner Darren Turner, driving the official Vantage F1 safety car. Yep, Aston is certainly hammering home its motorsport credentials…
When Turner’s strobing orange lights filter off into the pit lane, I can finally unleash all 665hp. No question, the Vantage now plays in the major league. With larger turbos, modified cam profiles and improved cooling, its hand-built engine feels mighty in the mid-range and ravenous for revs. By the braking board at the end of the main straight, the big-lunged V8 is still pulling hard at nearly 160mph.
Aston Martin has worked hard to make it quicker in the corners, too. A stiffer bonded aluminium structure is supported by an arsenal of chassis tech, including Bilstein adaptive shock absorbers, an electronic differential and a six-axis accelerometer to constantly monitor the car’s movements. The Vantage also has bespoke, AML-branded Michelin Pilot Sport 5 S tyres, with steel brakes fitted as standard and carbon-ceramics optional. “We developed a separate brake booster to ensure the same pedal feel with each setup,” explains Simon Newton, director of vehicle performance. “That’s one detail, but it shows the engineering depth that went into every aspect of this car’s dynamics.”
On-track in the new Vantage
Newton says the 2025 Vantage is 3.5 seconds quicker around the tightly coiled Monteblanco circuit than its predecessor, and I can well believe it. Once the Michelins are warmed to around 115 deg C – indicated by a temperature display right of the speedo – grip is really impressive for an ‘all-rounder’ road tyre, the car eventually pushing wide into understeer unless you deliberately provoke it. In Track mode with the adjustable traction control dialled down, you can be a total hooligan.
Despite its perfect 50:50 weight distribution, the Vantage doesn’t feel as deliciously precise as the mid-engined McLaren – and its eight-speed auto transmission isn’t as sharp as the Artura’s dual-clutch ’box either. However, nor is this an unruly, over-engined muscle car, like some Aston Martins of old. Even that venerable V8 sounds more cultured now, lacking the thunderous over-run detonations that once made its AMG origins obvious.
After lunch, it’s time for the road route. The Vantages are lined up in an array of candy-bright hues that scream ‘SUPERCAR’, including Cosmic Orange and Cosmopolitain Yellow. Alex Long says F1 has made green into Aston Martin’s most popular paint colour, after decades of silver taking the top spot, but this car has plenty of presence regardless of how it’s configured.
A more exotic Vantage
A good dose of extra aggression comes from the Vantage’s swollen wings, stretched by 30mm to cover a 15mm wider track. Its hungry front grille apes the larger DB12, while its intricate headlights hint at the Valkyrie hypercar. Other changes include elongated bonnet vents to expel air from the ‘hot vee’ engine, fatter exhaust tailpipes and a comeback for the Aston Martin side strake. Want even more attitude? A Vantage F1 Edition, featuring the front splitter and fixed wing of the F1 safety car, is likely on the way.
The old Vantage’s Achilles’ heel was undoubtedly its Mercedes-Benz media system, which already felt antiquated when the car was launched in 2017. The new model has inherited the 10.25-inch touchscreen from the DB12, developed in-house and offering wireless Apple CarPlay connectivity. In the real world, when you’re not smoking tyres around a circuit, it might be the biggest improvement Aston Martin has made.
Elsewhere, the Vantage’s cabin feels built to the standards of its ‘exotic’ rivals. There are a pleasing number of physical buttons, including tactile knurled metal rollers for the temperature and volume controls, plus a tasteful mix of leather, Alcantara and carbon fibre trim. I’d recommend the hard-shell carbon seats, which look slightly masochistic but are padded in all the right places. The optional 15-speaker Bowers and Wilkins audio system is worth the upgrade, too.
Aston Martin Vantage: Verdict
The two-hour road drive programmed into the nav system starts steadily then builds rapidly in intensity, going from dual-carriageway to fast-flowing rural roads, then climbing into a series of mountain switchbacks. The final section – the HU-4103 between Berrocal and La Palma del Condado, if you are ever in that part of the world – is one of the finest roads I’ve ever driven: smooth, well-sighted, endlessly exciting and entirely deserted.
Many cars would baulk at such a challenge, but the Vantage raises its game. Indeed, it feels happier at eight-tenths here than at maximum attack on the track. Its nose eagerly sniffs out apexes, its body movements are tightly controlled and its quick steering is animated by constant feedback. For mile after mile on this incredible ribbon of asphalt, the Vantage carves through corners with joyous, throttle-adjustable balance. Like being in a car commercial, it seems almost too perfect.
It isn’t perfect, of course. The Vantage’s ride feels firm even on smooth Spanish roads and its 325-section tires rumble relentlessly at speed. Then again, if you want a long-striding GT, the Aston Martin DB12 already answers that brief brilliantly. Unlike its bigger brother, the Vantage never totally relaxes. It’s alert, feisty and up on its toes – and it will keep you on your toes, too. It’s an unequivocal and unapologetic supercar. Job done.
Tim Pitt writes for Motoring Research
PRICE: £165,000 (est.)
POWER: 665hp
0-62MPH: 3.5 seconds
TOP SPEED: 202mph
FUEL ECONOMY: 23.3mpg
CO2 EMISSIONS: 274g/km