The next Aston Martin Vantage will have "more than 500hp and 505lb ft of torque" when it is revealed on the 21 November.
Aston Martin dynamics chief engineer Matt Becker revealed the statistics and also that the Vantage will have a dry weight of 1530kg in a new promotional video (below), which features Red Bull Racing ace Max Verstappen.
2018 Aston Martin Vantage revealed
Verstappen has provided Aston Martin engineers with feedback on the car as part of the brand's partnership with the Formula 1 racer's team. Part of his stint in the car, which will use the Mercedes-AMG V8 engine recently launched in the DB11, is shown in the video.
The Vantage's 4.0-litre twin turbocharged V8 is supplied as part of a technical collaboration between Aston Martin and Mercedes-AMG and will use the former’s software. In the V8 DB11, it's good for 503bhp, suggesting the Vantage could produce the same.
That extra power over the existing 430bhp in the current V8 Vantage is set to help undercut the outgoing 0-62mph time of 4.8sec, edging the car closer to 4.0sec. The top speed will exceed 190mph. Aston Martin is expected to offer the new Vantage with a choice of a six-speed manual or dual-clutch automatic transmission.
Becker also confirms that the car's wheelbase is 100mm shorter than the DB11 in the video. The new car's aluminium structure is based on the one used by its larger sibling, but will be engineered to offer enhanced agility and adjustability.
The car featured in the video is a second-phase development model, having come after the first mule and with two more cars due to follow. Although the Vantage's design is yet to be finalised, the current test car offers a good insight to how it'll look.
It sports a cleaner front end with a far more prominent grille than on the DB10, to which it has in the past been compared in terms of styling. Patent images that more clearly show the exterior's design (they first appeared on Autoguide) also reveal a large rear diffuser, and subdued styling, with the lights occupying a thin strip on the car's top trailing edge.
Join the debate
Symanski
Mess with grill at your peril!
Aston has one of the best looking grills in automotive history. Ian Callum spent several attempts just to get it right on the DB7, and it's the bit you have to get just rigth.
They didn't on the DB10 for Bond (and wasted a lot of DB10s on that terrible car chase - would have been ok if they hadn't spliced him in to a phone call!).
The grill should intrude in to the bonnet, and the bonnet has to go in sympathy with it. It doesn't look to be doing that here, and that's not going to be as effective, or as good looking.
Not too late to fix it???
Sonic
Symanski wrote:
I think this lower DB10-style grille works well with the shorter wheelbase... It gives the bonnet area more space, so the overall shape looks more elegant. The previous Vantage always looked a bit too smooshed-in at the front.
concinnity
The grille
Absolutely correct. Like the Rolls Royce grille, the Aston Martin grille is a grille with a shape from history,(and partly determined by function.) It's shaped like that to fit under the headlights. And because of that shape, it provides a recognisable face that says' Aston' It is not a two dimensional graphic device that can be moved anywhere else over the front of the car. If that is done, the reason for it's shape is removed and it becomes dis-honest design. Remove the shape from it's reason for being and it no longer is honest. No-one likes 'fake' on an Aston Martin. Move the grille back up to the edge of the bonnet where it belongs make it an honest grille with a function, not some sort of snarling rictus.
Speedraser
Not sure I love the DB10
Not sure I love the DB10 sharky-nose either, but I'll wait to see it. I hope the mirror mount doesn't wrap around the base of the windshield pillar as on the DB11 -- makes it look broken at its base. HATE that the V8 will be an off-the-shelf AMG engine -- shameful. So happy that the V12 is still an Aston engine.
Sonic, to each his own, but IMO the current V8 Vantage (especially in its early, 2005-2012.25MY form) is one of the best-looking cars ever made.
Sonic
Speedraser wrote:
The current Vantage is still a beautiful looking car, just I think the new one has better front-end proportions. The outgoing Vantage, old Vanquish and DB9 are all still definitely some of the best looking cars ever made.
tomy90
Aside from the grill
aside from the grill size and location etc, it looks lovely and has a nicer rear end compared to the DB11.
Lesia44
That's one sad face on that
That's one sad face on that car!
derek171
So sad
As the owner of a V8 Vantage Roadster from new for the last nine years, I enjoyed the superb display of Astons from the Fifties to present day at the Concours of Elegance last Saturday and I've been watching development of the new model with interest.
Whenever I've seen the DB10 in the flesh, I've always found the styling ( in silver ) pretty stunning but my first reaction to the latest photographs is that the grille makes the car look very sad & down in the mouth.
Hopefully, in a subtle metallic colour, the car will look far better but, judging by the many DB11's I've seen so far, Aston are offering some pretty sickly, in-yer-face agressive colours these days.
Don't get me started on the new V8 engines and the likely infotainment sysems. Very few Aston owners I know actually switch on the stereo or use the other mobile " facilities ". They just listen to the engine & concentrate on the road ahead.
Whatever happened to elegant cars ??
astonowner
Best from behind
What have 5hey done to the front end its a disaster - the vantage was one of the most beautiful cars in the world and now OMG - why a nose cone - may as well be a jag although im sad to say thats better looking - this resembles a tesla - no bonnet vents either ?! Suppose you could drive everywhere in reverse!
TheSaintmobile
It going look the DB10 but V8
It going look the DB10 but V8 Vantage badge. Talks it should be 007 next car. But Bond fans want him in DB11 or next Vanquish. Hopefully with gadgets.
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