The Aston Martin Vantage nameplate has been synonymous with the British carmaker ever since the name first appeared on the DB2 from the 1950s as the more powerful version of the regular DB2. Since then it has been in production on and off, and in 1972 it became a distinct model, separate from range. Aston Martin have just teased the latest generation of the Vantage, set to be revealed on 12 February, 2024. Aston Martin are tight-lipped about the specs at the moment, but we expect it to be lighter and more driver-focused than the DB12, which Aston call a ‘Super Tourer’ – combining aspects of both a supercar and a grand tourer.
In India, we received the V8 Vantage which initially came with a 4.3-litre V8, which was soon replaced with a larger 4.7-litre V8 with roughly 10 per cent more power (from 385 hp to 426 hp). This version of the Vantage enjoyed an uninterrupted production run from 2005 to 2017. The V12 Vantage of this same generation first arrived in 2009, and continued onto 2018, when it was replaced with the newer generation that a certain TV presenter famously compared with a catfish because of its looks – particularly the wide opening at the front. Performance was not in question, though, what with a 4.0-litre AMG-sourced V8 and a 5.2-litre V12, both with twin turbochargers.
Aston Martin will also unveil two other rather significant vehicles on the aforementioned date – the new Formula 1 car called the AMR24 and also the new Vantage GT3 race car. This makes us think the road-going Vantage will have the same 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 as the race car will need this power plant for homologation and the road car therefore can’t have a different engine. We expect it to be in a lower state of tune than the DB12, though.
