New Aston Martin Vantage brings 656bhp V8 and new interior

Adjustments to the ratios and calibration of the eight-speed automatic gearbox also mean the Vantage is claimed to have “punchier” in-gear acceleration and snappier shifts – as well as more distinct characteristics in each of the drive modes.

The aluminium chassis has been extensively revised as well, in the name of improved rigidity and engagement. The front cross-member has been moved rearwards to make the front suspension mounting points more rigid, for example, and the new engine bay brace is both lighter and stiffer.

Aston also claims the rear end is up to 29% stiffer under load, courtesy of added reinforcements and new under trays, and says that overall the improvements will boost handling balance, driver feedback and refinement.

Just as significant are the new adaptive dampers, which have a much greater ability to distribute force across the chassis and thus provide “an immense range of control and speed of response”. Aston also touts the benefits of the ‘non-isolated’ steering column, essentially meaning the rubber has been removed from the connection with the steering rack to give a more “direct and uncorrupted” response to steering inputs.

Rounding off the chassis overhaul are new – and bespoke – Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 tyres, wrapped around staggered-width, 21in forged alloy wheels, which have been designed to “remove every gram of excess mass without compromising strength or aesthetics”.

All of these revisions are supported by an overhauled dynamics controller that measures movement across six dimensions – surge, heave, sway, roll, pitch and yaw – and reacts accordingly. The rate of intervention, says Aston, is now “always perfectly judged”.

Aston chief technology officer Roberto Fedeli said that while the Vantage “will make headlines for the huge increases in power and torque over the outgoing model”, it is “the vivid way in which it deploys such immense performance that will seduce enthusiasts and purists”.

Visually, the new car is marked out from its predecessor by a 30mm increase in width and a revamped front end, inspired by the One-77, that incorporates a much larger grille – 38% larger, to be precise – and new-look matrix LED headlights. Other new features include a decorative side strake modelled on that of the previous Vantage, frameless mirrors and flush electronic door handles.

But the real transformation is inside, where the Vantage follows the DB12 in ushering in a completely new cockpit arrangement that majors on connectivity, engagement and refinement.

There’s now a touchscreen for the first time, measuring 10.25in and running a bespoke Aston-developed infotainment platform that connects to a dedicated smartphone app and ushers in a raft of new in-car and connectivity functions. These include 3D live mapping, wireless smartphone mirroring and last-mile on-foot navigation.

The car’s occupants can also use the touchscreen to find a restaurant, read reviews and set it as a destination – or they can do this ahead of time on a phone and send it to the car so it’s loaded up when they get in.

Despite the focus on digitisation, Aston Martin remains a defender of the ‘positive tactility’ of physical switches so it has retained them for the climate control stack, gear selector and drive control switch – as well as the override buttons for the ESP, exhaust, lane assist and parking sensors.

Production of the new Vantage will begin in the coming weeks in preparation for the first customers receiving their cars in the second quarter of the year. Aston has yet to reveal official pricing, but Autocar understands it will start at £165,000, representing a sizeable increase over the previous car’s price, to go with the huge bumps in power, pace and functionality.

There is no word yet on whether we can expect the V8 engine to be further ramped up for any special-edition Vantage models in the vein of the previous, track-honed AMR and F1 cars.

Nor has Aston given any indication of plans to electrify the Vantage line. However, its V8 already features in Mercedes-AMG’s first plug-in hybrids, including the SL 63 S E Performance, which has a similar footprint and silhouette to the Vantage and packs a monstrous 804bhp and 1047lb ft.