A New Vantage Point
In many ways, the new 2025 Aston Martin Vantage has become a statement car of sorts. Whether this happened intentionally or organically, the latest grand tourer to come from Warwickshire boasts a skillset and presence that could only have been born from the modern day luxury sports car think tank.
Firstly, the new Vantage represents a shift—or at least a halt—from what was once an industry-wide determination to electrify the vast majority of their line-ups by 2027. Unveiling a next-gen twin-turbocharged V8 platform this late in the game, and with this much panache, certainly says a lot about how those plans have changed for Aston Martin. Yes, the optional V12 has been scrapped, but that isn’t a warning that an EV Vantage is waiting in the wings.
In fact, the British automaker has even gone on the record to announce that they will be delaying a sequence of 4 EV models which were originally slated for release between 2025 and 2027. Instead, a new directive by Lawrence Stroll has his company now focused on amalgamating plug-in hybrid tech into the current crop of V8 and V12 engines that Aston Martin employs throughout its product line.
There’ve since been no concrete re-commitments to EVs in any meaningful ways, so it looks like mass-electrification has been put off indefinitely by Aston Martin—a course which many other auto manufacturers, both mainstream and exotic, have begun to chart in more recent times.
A New Target Market
With previous Vantage models, I don’t think it was ever Aston Martin’s desire to typecast the model into a niche—basically a car that for the most part, only Aston Martin loyalists could fully appreciate. It has never quite been a product that could pull customers from other brands, especially with this new wave of engaging “driver’s cars” that’s taking the market by storm amidst the EV-olving automotive landscape.
The 2025 Aston Martin Vantage challenges that status quo, benefitting from a plethora of small but collectively transformative changes that make it much more competitive in a segment consisting of discerning and well-informed customers. The playbook wasn’t rewritten, so to speak, and all that was required were some subtle tactical tweaks which suddenly changed the game—something that the most particular grand touring enthusiasts will take note of and appreciate.
Performance & Drivetrain
The new Vantage continues to feature the ubiquitous AMG 4.0L twin-turbocharged V8 power plant employed throughout the current Aston Martin roster. However, this hardly means that it’s just more of the same, with the engine benefitting from significant improvements over the outgoing model in just about every important aspect. This includes bigger and better turbos, revised cam profiles and improved cooling methods. As mentioned earlier, there’s no V12 option—you’ll have to step up (not once, but twice) to the Aston Martin Vanquish for a first crack at that.
Collectively, these changes have increased output to 656 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque—a noteworthy improvement of 128 hp and 85 lb-ft over the previously-most-powerful Vantage F1 Edition. The recalibrated compression ratio of 8.6:1 (versus 10.5:1) also allows boost to build up more efficiently in concert with the beefier twin-turbocharged setup, delivering more power, more optimally. Mated to the engine is an 8-speed automatic transmission which sends the power exclusively to the rear axle. You may have guessed it already, but a manual transmission option is no longer available.
Aston Martin claims that the 2025 Vantage accelerates from 0-60 mph in 3.4 seconds, which is only a 0.1 second improvement over the previous iterations best. That being said, understating specs seems to be in vogue these days, though the traction limits of a rear-wheel drive setup are certainly at play too. What’s more significant though, is the improved top speed of 204 mph—another milestone set by the new Vantage, as it’s the first time the model has been able to crest over the 200+ mph mark.
Handling & Chassis
So much more so than ever before, the 2025 Aston Martin Vantage is greater than the sum of its parts, and it exists way beyond just peak numbers printed on a spec sheet or things you can see on the surface. This, in my opinion, is what makes this the best Vantage ever made.
I don’t think anyone has ever accused the Aston Martin Vantage of lacking athleticism, but the latest iteration of the British automaker’s sporty grand tourer can be looked at more as a specialist than an all-rounder in terms of performance. Sure, it still does everything well, but this time around, the engineers have honed in on very specific areas of the car with an intricate level of detail.
This all starts and ends with the chassis. Built upon an aluminum structure that is now 7 percent stiffer and benefiting from a 50:50 weight distribution, the Vantage also features new robust suspension components with updated geometry, more performance-derived electronic aids, and a sublimely communicative steering wheel and brake pedal.
Aston Martin claims that the extra chassis rigidity and stiffer suspension are not going to transform the driving experience into an unpleasant teeth-chattering-bone-clattering one, with a lot of R&D having been afforded to the Vantage’s sophisticated variable hydraulic dampers. Drivers will be able to partake in vastly improved handling performance, with very little impact to ride quality.
In concert, all of these changes help make the new Aston Martin Vantage more enjoyable and engaging to drive than ever before. The car communicates with the driver more intimately, and enhances, rather than dulls, the driving sensations associated with sporty driving. It’s visceral without being unrefined—the ideal modern era grand tourer.
Hardly to be one to make statements without facts, the new Vantage’s capabilities were also verified at the Circuito Monteblanco in Spain, where it completed a lap around the Iberian road course a notable 3.5 seconds faster than its predecessor. While the improved power plant has a major stake in this achievement, most will recognize the chassis and suspension improvements as spearheading this result. For example, in conjunction with Michelin Pilot Sport 5S tires made specifically for the Vantage, the new car is claimed to now have 12% less understeer.
Design & Interior
If there was ever going to be a characteristic of the previous Vantage that fell into the “why mess with a good thing?” category, it would definitely be in the design and interior departments. Here, Aston Martin has gone to great lengths to improve things where they could be improved, and leave the rest unscathed from temptation of changing for change’s sake.
That being said, it’s all the small things, such as a more conventional and modern gear selector replacing the unnecessarily quirky and individually separated PRND buttons used in the old cockpit. There are steering wheel mounted controls now, as well as a more sophisticated and relevant infotainment system. Even the addition of a glove compartment is new, so none of these updates are so much revolutionary as they are simply up-to-date.
Built on the same, but justifiably improved architecture of the outgoing Vantage, the new car cuts a similar silhouette which only eagle-eyed observers or those familiar with the car will be able to immediately spot the differences. The 2025 Aston Martin Vantage is about 3.5 inches wider and is a quarter-inch longer due to redesigned fascias featuring a larger front grill design. Wheelbase and height have remained identical amidst the updates.
Pricing & Availability
With greater capabilities comes a greater cost, and the 2025 Aston Martin Vantage commands a higher price tag than ever before—an MSRP of $194,400 USD, which is close to $40,000 USD more than the pre-refresh model. Similarly, an eventual drop-top version is likely to have a $15,000 USD premium attached to it, so mid-$200K USD specs are likely to become the norm when it comes to a brand new Vantage.
Verdict
supercars.net: 4.5/5
“The new 2025 Aston Martin Vantage is the best Vantage ever, and not just by default of it being the latest of the bunch. It really is a thoughtful, self-aware, and concerted effort by Aston Martin to make the Vantage more competitive within its segment and drops the proverbial “mic” to see how the likes of Porsche and Mercedes respond.
This newfound swagger doesn’t stop there, with Aston Martin claiming that Ferrari and McLaren are the real targets here—while that might seem a little more farfetched, the Vantage does offer an excellent value proposition for customers who happen to be cross-shopping those particular brands. It looks great, as expected, and finally has enough motorsport essence to properly compete with its contemporaries.”
What Other Experts Are Saying
Car and Driver: 9.5/10
“Revisions to Aston’s head-turning sports car make it even better to drive, but it still faces tough competition.”
Top Gear: 9/10
“The thumping extra power, sharper nose and hot-rod feel of this new version gives it an edge denied to its predecessor”
MotorTrend
“The sum of all these improvements is a car you can drive from home to a track day—where it will shine—and back again, without questioning whether it’s compromised a bit too much for either scenario. Finally, the Vantage loses any remaining slivers of not being a serious sports car, stepping into the performance and driving experience realm of upper-range 911s and AMG GTs.”
Video Gallery
Image Gallery
