New Aston Martin Vantage with 503 BHP AMG V8 unveiled

Aston Martin has unveiled the new Vantage. Deliveries of the two-seater sports car are scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2018.

The new Vantage replaces the model that was on sale since the last 12 years. It features revised styling with a new grille at the front new LED headlamps and side vents that merge into the doors. The car gets shorter front and rear overhangs, while tail lights are full width units that are contoured according to the shape of the car. It does not get a spoiler, but there is a rear diffuser. It also gets new 20-inch alloy wheels shod in 255/40 front and 295/35 rear Pirelli P Zero tyres.

On the inside, the car's centre console gets transmission buttons, arranged in an inverted "V" shape with a black space in the middle. The infotainment system is run on Mercedes' COMMAND interface, while its controller sits just behind the black space on the centre console. There is a flat-bottom steering wheel with paddle shifts that is shared with the DB11. The interiors feature a dual-tone theme. Owners will be able to customize the various trims and upholstery with a choice of materials and colours.

The Vantage is powered by an all-aluminium, AMG-sourced twin-turbocharged, 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine that produces 503 BHP @ 6,000 rpm and 685 Nm @ 2,000-5,000 rpm. Power is transmitted to the rear wheels by an 8-speed ZF transmission. The company claims that the car can do a 0-100 km/h sprint in 3.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 314 km/h. It is not known whether the Vantage will come with a manual transmission.

The Vantage is based on the DB11's aluminium architecture. It is the first Aston Martin to get an e-diff that is linked to the car's electronic system. Braking duties are handled by 400 mm ventilated disk brakes with 6 piston calipers at the front and 360 mm ventilated disk brakes with 4 piston calipers at the rear. The car gets electronic assist systems like dynamic torque vectoring, adaptive dampening and dynamic stability control. Additionally, the driver can choose from Sport, Sport Plus and Track driving modes.