Aston Martin has continued the Vantage tradition for 74 years, which is, hands down, longer than most marriages. The current generation of this two-door GT car, which has ruled the market since 2018, is undergoing a facelift so extensive that you could say it's plastic surgery, where almost everything except the name has been changed. Think of it as a normal mid-cycle refresh. This is the 2025 Aston Martin Vantage.
The end result of these changes is, as you would expect from the British, quite impressive. Mercedes' 4.0-liter V8 engine in Aston Martin Vantage 2025 it now produces a whopping 656 horsepower (665PS), which is 153 more than the old version. This gain in power is not the result of just a few cosmetic tweaks, but a rather concrete intervention, on the camshaft, larger turbines and a modified compression ratio. Three new heat exchangers have also been added, because apparently it's not enough for Brits to just sweat in their clubs.
Photo: Aston Martin
Photo: Aston MartinThe AMG V8 is backed by a proven 8-speed ZF automatic transmission, which sends power to the rear wheels via an electronic limited-slip differential. The final drive on the differential was shortened to 3.083:1 to allow for faster acceleration, but don't worry, it didn't affect the Vantage's long legs. Not only can the new Aston accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.4 seconds, it reaches a top speed of 325 km/h, which is enough to outrun the rain in the English countryside.
The new Vantage, like the old one, is glued together, which is called "bonding" in the automotive world. I think they are at Aston Martin watched too many James Bond movies. The nature of the process allows for some flexibility in chassis construction, which Aston decided to take advantage of to add even more British stiffness that you can only feel if you've eaten toast without butter.
Photo: Aston Martin
Photo: Aston Martin
Photo: Aston MartinThe 2025 Aston Martin Vantage's chassis changes and improved chassis stiffness allow the new Bilstein DTX adaptive dampers to do their job even better, although it's hard to quantify what that all means on paper. Aston insists there are noticeable differences behind the wheel, but you know, the British are known for their subtle sense of humor.
All these hardware changes are made possible by software. Aston says the traction control, launch system and electronic power steering have all been retuned to deliver greater performance and driver engagement, because apparently the previous setups weren't fun enough.
Photo: Aston Martin
Photo: Aston Martin
Photo: Aston Martin
Photo: Aston MartinAnd yes, the 2025 Aston Martin Vantage's braking system, with 400mm steel discs with six-piston calipers at the front and 360mm discs with four-piston calipers at the rear, makes sure all that fun stops before it gets too intense. There is also a carbon ceramic kit available which cuts almost 27kg of unsprung mass, which is actually a huge weight saving at the same time.
While the changes can't be reasonably listed without a spreadsheet, the point is, just look at the thing. It is more than 2.5 cm wider than the outgoing model and has been significantly redesigned. It is a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive two-door GT car. Proportions can only go so wrong, unless you're in Britain where any kind of weather can go wrong.
Deliveries of the new Aston Martin Vantage 2025 will begin in the 2nd quarter of 2024, and the price, as usual for British humor, will probably be announced when you least expect it.
