SEVILLE, Spain – For many years, it was simple to admire Aston Martins from afar for his or her immediately recognizable styling and superb noises from their eight- or 12-cylinder engines. From the driving force’s seat, nevertheless, previous fashions have been a little bit of a disappointment, with blatant components sharing from the darkish days of Ford possession to shoddy workmanship and efficiency that wasn’t as reliable or predictable as rivals.
Fortunately, Aston Martin has made important enhancements this decade, with a better partnership with Mercedes-Benz and a renewed concentrate on high quality management. That alone is price celebrating, however after sampling the 2025 Aston Martin Vantage in Spain, I discover myself positively giddy.
Whereas the 2025 Vantage cannot technically be thought of all-new, it has so many upgrades and adjustments that it’s essentially completely different from its predecessor. Aston reworked the hand-built, Mercedes-Benz-sourced twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 with greater turbos, extra cooling, modified cam profiles and altered compression ratios, bringing output to 656 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. That is method up from the final model’s commonplace 503 hp and 505 lb-ft (the F1 Version produced 528 hp). The eight-speed ZF automated transmission’s shift calibration was up to date for punchier in-gear acceleration, but it surely nonetheless sends all that energy to the rear wheels solely. Hell. Sure.
The draw back, should you can truly name it that, of sticking with rear-wheel drive is that the significantly extra highly effective new Vantage solely picks up a tenth of a second from 0-60 mph to three.4 seconds. There’s solely a lot rear tires alone can do when launching such a big-powered automobile. Moreover, it’s not unusual for automobiles to place down such spectacular acceleration numbers these days. The brand new Vantage is in the end much more spectacular in the way in which it corners, dramatically reworking its character and giving it a playful persona that has been lacking from the Aston Martin secure.
On the twisting scribble of roads north of Seville, the Vantage was in contrast to any Aston Martin I’ve pushed. It felt constant in all of its reactions, instilling a excessive degree of belief as I bounded backward and forward. The slim roads and blind turns saved me from totally unleashing its full efficiency potential, plus the route ended on the Circuito Monteblanco racetrack the place I sampled the Porsche Taycan GT a number of weeks prior.
It turned instantly obvious that the Vantage is positioned squarely within the sports activities automobile spectrum. The journey high quality is agency, there is a noticeable quantity of street noise, and the V8 growls with satisfying ferocity. I would estimate it is only a bit too raucous for many drivers, and for them, the DB12 floor tourer can be a extra acceptable selection. For myself and a minority of drivers, the Vantage strikes a fragile stability between all-out efficiency and simply sufficient consolation to make it livable.
Within the Sport Plus drive mode, the automated transmission expertly downshifts proper the place I would usually command one from the paddles. Likewise, it retains the twin-turbo V8 excessive into the rev vary. I nonetheless most well-liked going totally handbook with the massive paddles, although, and the Vantage advantages from fast and clean shifts. The gear ratios are well-spaced to maintain an abundance of energy prepared and I later realized that there was greater than sufficient torque readily available that I may have simply saved the automobile in third to tug me out of sure curves as an alternative of swapping down an additional cog to second.
The Vantage calls for extra effort and focus from the driving force than many different automobiles and rewards you with predictably superb efficiency. You will really feel a connection to the street floor, feeling each bump and undulation, but it surely’s not harsh or nervous. Mid-corner bumps will not ship the automobile spinning off a cliff and after a number of hours, I did not really feel as if the suspension was beating me up.
This new Vantage is definitely the perfect roadgoing Aston Martin I’ve pushed and its excellence was additional accentuated on a racetrack. In a wide range of circumstances starting from regular rain to totally dry, I used to be allowed a beneficiant quantity of laps round Circuito Monteblanco. I cautiously set out within the rain whereas deciding on the Moist drive mode. Not surprisingly, it required loads of throttle restraint to maintain the rear tires in line, however even after I deliberately overcooked it popping out of some turns, the system allowed some wheelspin because the tail rotated in direction of the surface. It wasn’t till I used to be properly off form, or I corrected with the steering and throttle, that the traction and stability management intervened.
Because the monitor dried out, my confidence grew as I chosen the Sport Plus drive mode. With it, the Bilstein dampers agency up, engine response is sharpened, and the digital nannies get far more permissive. On the entrance straight, the acceleration was relentless as fast gear shifts barely interrupted the ability. Tempting destiny, I jammed on the brakes somewhat deeper than earlier than and the again finish gave me the subtlest of wiggles. I used to be a couple of car-length’s too late on the brakes, however managed to rotate the Vantage with a touch of steering as I trailed the pedal all the way down to the apex. Over the following rise, I stayed within the throttle to get the again finish dancing but once more.
Due to an ideal 50/50 weight distribution, it is simple to get this sports activities coupe pointed the place you need. On the similar time, it is not skittish or oversensitive, permitting for loads of perceived time to get better from both under- or oversteer. The energetic suspension, digital rear differential, and tons of further chassis strengthening all contribute to the Vantage’s enhanced athleticism, and fortunately they do not detract from its wildly entertaining dynamics.
Along with the pre-selected drive modes, you may as well advantageous tune how a lot intervention the traction and stability management exert (the instrument panel show is proven under). On a scale from one to 9, with 9 fully disabling management, you may incrementally creep up in your most well-liked degree.
After wringing out the Vantage lap after lap, the brake pedal started to melt however remained efficient at slowing the automobile sufficient from 160 mph-plus down into second gear to make flip one. The entrance tires additionally started to overheat close to the tip of the session, as demonstrated by a bit extra pronounced understeer in addition to the instrument panel show that reveals every particular person tire temp.
Ultimately, I bought the decision for some calm down laps and to return to the pits. I exited the Vantage a sweaty scorching mess however totally invigorated, leaving me to solely admire the modern coupe as a spectator. And admire it I did. Whereas I used to be already drawn to the earlier Vantage’s styling, the refreshed 2025 mannequin provides an acceptable quantity of visible aggression to match its newfound efficiency. It additionally brings it extra in line visually with the DB12 somewhat than James Bond’s never-made DB10.
A a lot bigger grille gives the look that this beast must inhale a ton of air to carry out because the carbon fiber splitter hovers simply above the pavement. Aspect strakes on both aspect of the grille break up a few of the predecessor’s visible bulk whereas bigger, Valkyrie-inspired headlights tie the entire entrance fascia collectively. Sharp creases within the hood and sides taper again into the bodywork gracefully, as if they have been initially sketched as daring brushstrokes that intensify ahead movement. From the again, the outstanding flip-up rear spoiler and skinny taillights additional distinguish the Vantage from some other car on the street.
The inside additionally sees some main enhancements. The dashboard has been redesigned to look extra cohesive, with higher built-in air vents and extra space-efficient controls. The infotainment system is now managed by a ten.25-inch touchscreen versus the unique non-touch show operated by an outdated Mercedes knob/touchpad consumer interface. The display has additionally been relocated to decrease within the heart stack.
This new infotainment system is now aggressive with rivals, although it lacks a few of the extra subtle voice recognition and navigation options present in newer automobiles. The show additionally poses some challenges when driving because the on-screen buttons might be somewhat small and troublesome to precisely push when driving. With the display decrease on the sprint, it additionally requires taking your eyes of the street to function. Contemplating the Vantage’s positioning as a legit sports activities automobile, I am prepared to be much less vital of the infotainment format, however there is definitely nonetheless room for enchancment.
The middle stack and console have additionally gotten a significant makeover. A easy toggle lever replaces the earlier mess of particular person gear selector buttons and is flanked by a number of enticing knurled metallic curler dials for local weather and leisure management. Altogether, they make for a extra enticing and usable cockpit, aside from a continued lack of storage. On the plus aspect, the trunk can maintain as much as 12.2 cubic-feet of cargo, which is large enough to comfortably squeeze two carry-on curler baggage after which some.
Inside supplies and construct high quality are now not a problem, as premium leather-based, carbon fiber, and suedecloth cowl virtually each floor. There’s additionally an excellent, strong really feel with the underlying building, with no detectable creaks or squeaks from the panels. It is a large enchancment over Aston Martins from a decade in the past and now meets expectations for such an costly coupe.
And let’s speak about that value. The 2025 Vantage begins at $194,400 (together with $3,400 in vacation spot charges). Ouch. That is virtually $40,000 greater than the earlier mannequin yr, and even then, it was a hefty sum for an “entry-level” Aston Martin. Is it 40-grand higher? Sure. Emphatically sure. This refresh is important sufficient to warrant calling it a brand new era and the enhancements are noticeable in each side.
Within the $200,000 vary, the Vantage should cope with the sharp finish of the Porsche 911 lineup the place the GT3 and Turbos reside, although any 911 lacks the sense of event the Aston Martin has. The McLaren Artura is one other high-performance different, however its mid-engine format reduces comfort. On the horizon, the brand new Mercedes-Benz AMG GT may very well be price holding out for.
In case your tastes steer you towards extra comfy grand touring, the brand new Aston Martin DB12 ought to match that function whereas gaining a large energy bump and sharper dealing with itself for the most recent DB era. There’s additionally the just lately reworked Maserati Gran Turismo for a distinctly Italian aptitude.
Whereas previous Aston Martins have been totally able to turning heads with their beautiful styling and boisterous soundtracks, this new Vantage provides some much-needed substance and class. It is now worthy of going toe-to-toe with prime sports activities coupes in each metric.
