2019 Aston Martin Vantage Has a 503-Hp Twin-Turbo V8 and Price Tag of $149,995. Look Out Porsche GTS.
The all-new 2019 Vantage replaces the most popular Aston ever so it’s an important model for the British carmaker. The Vantage formula has always been simple and perfect. It is a great looking six-figure British sports car with a relatively small body, rear wheel drive, great handling and big ass engine.
Thankfully, the 2019 Aston Martin Vantage sticks to the script and takes things to eleven. Let’s start with those gorgeous looks. This car is an absolute stunner. After the so-so DB11 design (others loved it, we hated it) this Vantage knocks it out of the park. It is easily the sexiest design we’ve seen from Aston Martin in decades and clearly the looker of the sports cars bunch on sale today. With more sharp lines and flat-tailed bullet shape it looks both feline and more muscular. It’s also clearly still an Aston, which we absolutely love.
The new Vantage has a front mid-mounted engine that is a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine produced by Mercedes-Benz. Connected to a rear transaxle via carbon-fiber propshaft this AMG monster has 503 horsepower and 505 pounds-feet of torque. Mated to the solid eight-speed ZF automatic transaxle running bespoke software calibration, and the latest electronic rear differential with torque vectoring this Aston has made a big leap versus the previous model when it comes to drivetrain tech. For enthusiasts, Aston tells us that a seven-speed manual version will arrive within a year’s time.
The suspension comprises double A-arms in front with a new multilink setup replacing the old Vantage’s rear wishbones. Latest gen dual valve adaptive dampers and continuously variable shocks that are mapped to the Sport, Sport Plus, and Track drive settings are all new. Those three modes also control the throttle map, shift speeds and electric power steering. The rear subframe gets solid mounts which should make the Vantage a better sports car in terms of handling, particularly on the limit. The Vantage driving characteristics are set to be sharper and more sporty than the previous model with the goal for it to compete with Porsche as a sports car.
The old Vantage was more GT than sports car. It was supple, poised, and visceral, with meaty, tactile steering but not really much of a performer (in V8 guise at least) when it came to the numbers. The game had moved on from the Aston which is why performance has clearly been a priority for Aston this time around. Aston is claiming a 0-60 time of 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 195 mph. That puts the baby Aston into Porsche 911 Carrera GTS territory. With a price of $149,995 that’s a pretty good comparison car and with Aston’s brand value and amazing design, it starts to look like a pretty good deal vs Stuttgart’s best.
In more great news, the partnership with Mercedes means that Aston gets the latest electronic and digital tech. A Benz supplied digital dashboard and COMAND information and entertainment interface is leaps and bounds better than the old crap Aston made. On the inside it is the usual Aston quality and craftsmanship we’ve come to expect with a more modern flair than before.
The new Aston Martin Vantage is expected to arrive in US showrooms sometime in the second quarter of 2018 with a price tag of $149,995.
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