New Aston Martin Vantage Combines Supermodel Looks With AMG Power

[supra93]

Replacing a car like the previous-gen Vantage is an incredibly difficult task since that model was universally praised for its drop-dead gorgeous looks but Aston Martin has made it look easy with the breathtaking new Vantage.
AMG-sourced twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 that here makes 503hp (510PS) and 505lb-ft (685Nm) of torque. Paired to it is an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission, with Aston Martin hinting at a manual option later on.

Aston Martin says they’ve mounted the engine as low and as far back as possible to ensure optimal center-of-gravity and that perfect 50-50 weight distribution. Dry weight is an impressive 1,530kg (3,373lbs). 0-60mph comes in 3.5 seconds (0-100km/h in 3.6) while top speed is 195mph (313km/h).

The chassis is an evolution of the DB11’s aluminum structure, with Aston Martin claiming that 70 percent of it is new for the Vantage. The rear subframe is now solidly mounted to make the driver feel more connected while the suspension employs double wishbones at the front and a multi-link setup at the rear. The latest generation of active dampers are also present, offering three modes: Sport, Sport Plus and Track.

The new Aston Martin Vantage is also the company’s first model to use an electronic rear differential (E-Diff). Linked to the vehicle’s electronic stability control system, the new differential adapts its characteristics much more cleverly than a conventional LSD, making the car feel more composed, both on a straight line and while cornering.

“Creating a worthy successor has been a challenge to relish and a huge source of motivation,” said Dr Andy Palmer, Aston Martin boss. “I’m enormously excited by what we’ve created: a new Vantage that’s more explicit in looks and intent, wrapping heart-pounding performance and dazzling dynamics into an everyday usable package. A true sports car with a sharper look and a keener dynamic edge, the new Vantage is the Aston Martin pure driving machine enthusiasts have been waiting for.”

Aerodynamics was also a key point to the design of the new Vantage; Aston Martin was able to employ all the latest tricks without littering the car’s curvy bodywork. The front splitter is designed to direct airflow underneath the car, with the floor featuring special channels to continue guiding it into the right places and of course make sure that the airflow into the rear diffuser is clean and uninterrupted. Even the new side gills are designed to bleed air pressure out from the front wheel arches while the rear deck lid produces “a significant level of downforce”.

Aston Martin has opened the order books for the all-new Vantage today; prices start from £120,900 in the UK, €154,000 in Germany and $149,995 in the US. The first cars are expected to be delivered during the second quarter of 2018.

http://www.carscoops.com/2017/11/new-aston-martin-vantage-finally.html

 

[Ian Schmidt]

It's typically gorgeous from the rear, but what happened to the front end? It looks like a Viper, or maybe a squashed C6 'Vette. I expect a bit more from Astin-Martin on the styling.

 

[mmcartalk]

It's typically gorgeous from the rear, but what happened to the front end? It looks like a Viper, or maybe a squashed C6 'Vette. I expect a bit more from Astin-Martin on the styling.

Not only that, but the interior, except for the nice treatment of carbon-fiber on the console, certainly doesn't look like something on a six-figure vehicle.

Compare that with some of the nice handiwork we used to see from the company:

 

[mmcartalk]

Maybe (?) the cost-cutting is contributing to the fact, though, that Aston is set to make its first significant operating-profit in almost 10 years.

https://www.ft.com/content/0e9de210-cf76-11e7-9dbb-291a884dd8c6

 

[ssun30]

The Miata lights ruined the front end. And that interior looks like something from a $30,000 hot hatch.

 

[supra93]

Aston Martin's New $150,000 Vantage Has Sold Out Its First Year

Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd.’s $150,000 Vantage model has already sold out almost all of its production capacity for next year, just days after the British carmaker started selling the luxury sports car.

Aston Martin began selling the hand-built car, equipped with a 4-liter V8 engine, to private customers over the past few days, and 80 percent of them have already bought it, Chief Executive Officer Andy Palmer said in an interview Tuesday, a day before the company reported its fourth straight profitable quarter. The first deliveries are scheduled to arrive in the second quarter of 2018.

“Most of our production for next year is already sold out,” Palmer said. He declined to specify production volumes.

With the Vantage, Aston Martin is trying to expand from its current pool of buyers and compete with Porsche and Ferrari, he said at the launch event, held at a reclaimed brewery in London’s trendy Brick Lane.

“What we’ve tried to do with Vantage is make it aspirationally younger, cooler, better,” Palmer said, speaking over the thump of dance music set in an ersatz forest.

The car boasts more than 500 horsepower and can reach a maximum speed of 195 miles per hour. The company says its low-slung “predatory stance” was inspired by the Vulcan race car.

The Vantage is central to Aston Martin’s efforts to establish a record of profitability as it prepares for a potential initial public offering. The Gaydon, England-based carmaker showed progress on Wednesday when it reported pretax profit of 22 million pounds ($29 million) for the nine months ended Sept. 30. Sales, led by the DB11, were up 84 percent to 567 million pounds from a year earlier, when Aston Martin posted a loss.

While the company is doing well, “we don’t have 10 years of good results under our belt,” Palmer said. “So for us, we’ve got to hit every quarter hard.”

Aston Martin sold 3,330 cars in the first nine months of 2017, a rise of 65 percent, it said in a statement Wednesday.

Palmer said in June that an IPO would be more difficult amid the uncertainty brought on by Brexit. The company’s owners include Italian private equity company Investindustrial SpA and a Kuwaiti investment consortium, while Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler AG owns a small stake.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...w-150-000-vantage-has-sold-out-its-first-year

 

[mikeavelli]

I think its fantastic even if the interior is a bit busy for me. I love the neon green color it debuted with!