2018 Aston Martin Vantage Packs 503 HP In A Lighter

Khodrocar - If the DB11 initiated the latest new era of Aston Martin, then the 2018 Vantage looks to be the full realization of it. Taking cues from James Bond’s DB10 in Spectre, of which only 10 were made exclusively for the movie, the 2018 Vantage significantly differentiates itself from the rest of Aston’s GT lineup. "If the DB11 is the gentleman, the Vantage is the hunter,” says chief exterior designer Miles Nurnberger.

While it retains the Vantage’s basic proportions of a front-engine coupe with a low-arcing roofline, it’s decidedly more aggressive and athletic looking than its predecessor. With its sloped shark nose and its more open front grille, the Vantage seems to be sniffing at the ground for lunch.

A defined crease, not unlike the white streamer lines trailing off cartoon Superman’s feet, extends from the car’s large black side vents, then fades across the coupe’s doors toward the Vantage’s muscular haunches. Standing still, it looks like it’s breaking the law in 48 states.

If the front end of the Vantage is on the prowl, then the rear end is in full peacock mode. All of the aerodynamic elements are incorporated seamlessly within the structural design of the Vantage, meaning there’s nothing to deploy and there are no extra bits bolted on. A complex rear diffuser controls turbulence off the tires and, with the help of the front splitter and the side gill panels, is intended to help create significant downforce.

Despite being two inches shorter than a Porsche 911, the Vantage’s wheelbase is almost 10 inches longer than the current 991-generation Carrera. The long wheelbase and short overhangs make the Vantage appear visually rooted – and it means there’s ample room inside the cabin.

The new Vantage’s interior has more of a cockpit feel, with everything from the doors to the dashboard sculpted in a concave-type fashion away from the driver, like a wavy wall on a modern Frank Gehry building. This creates more negative space inside the car, accommodating a taller driver more easily.

he new Vantage has 510 hp and is about 300 pounds lighter than its predecessor. Aston says the 0-60 mph time should take 3.6 seconds, with a top speed of 195 mph.

Bond’s bespoke DB10 also inspired the center stack and console, which moves once horizontal elements to more of a waterfall configuration, including the transmission buttons that are now arranged in an efficient triangular cluster. Even the steering wheel is sheared squarely at the bottom, giving the driver more legroom.

Weight distribution is neutral at 50/50, and the 4.0-liter biturbocharged V8 sits as close to the middle of the car as the all-new aluminum chassis, first seen on the DB11, will allow. With a seamlessly riveted structure and aircraft construction, as well as a solid mount rear subframe, torsional stiffness is said to be vastly improved over the outgoing Vantage.

That marvelous Mercedes-AMG-sourced engine, specifically tuned for the Vantage’s requirements, generates this creature's heartbeat. The engine mapping, fuel mapping, gearbox mapping, and exhaust tuning are all unique to the Vantage. It makes 503 horsepower, which is 80 more than the last V8 Vantage GT, along with 505 pound-feet of torque. And at 3,373 pounds, the new Vantage is some 300 pounds less than its predecessor, for a greatly improved power-to-weight ratio. Aston Martin says the 0-60 mph time should take 3.6 seconds, with a top speed of 195 mph.