The all-new twin-turbo V8-powered sport-luxury tourer from Aston Martin has been officially revealed, and it’s more than ever before
Seeing things from a new vantage point is something that the new baby Aston will certainly help with. First, the brand’s bestseller – first seen in 1951 – gets a bold new design that sort of resembles the new DB11, while being sharper and more agile than before. It’s now 4,465 mm long, some 80+ mm more than the outgoing car, and at 1,530 kg, is about 100 kg lighter, too. The biggest visible change in the new Vantage is the unification of the noted front grille and the lower air-dam, making it seem like a lower, grille-less creation. Sleek LED headlamps, a sculpted side profile with a Vanquish-style cut across the front half, and a tight rear with a flowing tail-lamp cluster mark it out unmistakeably as the new Aston Martin Vantage. Air channels from the aerodynamics use a front splitter that directs airflow below the car and channel cooling air where it is most needed, while the diffuser creates a low pressure area and prevents turbulence from the air flow under the car exiting through the centre between the rear wheels at high speed.
Inside, the cockpit is more focused lines and sharpness than long, fluid curves. The transmission control buttons for Park, Reverse, Neutral, and Drive (P, R, N, D) are set in a triangular formation with two on either side of the start button on the centre console. The fixed paddle-shifters have been designed keeping in mind the need for the driver to not take their hands off the steering wheel. The interior incorporates the latest connectivity and entertainment equipment suited for both short blasts as well as longer stints.
Under the bonnet is the new all-alloy 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 from Mercedes-AMG that produces 510 PS at 6,000 rpm and 685 Nm between 2,000 and 5,000 rpm, flowing to the rear wheels through an eight-speed ZF box mounted in the rear. Moving from the naturally-aspirated 4.7-litre howling engine to a turbo unit also meant working to get the soundtrack right. The engineers at Aston have tuned both the intake and exhaust systems to make them deliver the sound associated with an Aston Martin; even more so in Sport Plus and Track modes. The E-Diff and DTV (Dynamic Torque Vectoring) should provide for more aggressive power delivery as well, with the use of adaptive damping sharpening up responses.
Aston Martin also showed the Vantage GTE Racecar, their new FIA World Endurance Challenger, in fluorescent yellow paint and racing livery. The car replaces the older Le Mans-winning V8 Vantage GTE.
The new Aston Vantage will be sold as a 2019 model from next year, and should arrive in India with a price-tag starting at around Rs 2.5 crore. Watch this space.
Story: Jim Gorde
