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Aston Martin previews a bespoilered Vantage; could it be a new AMR?

Aston Martin has teased a new sports car from its official Twitter account. The image shows the car's silhouette with a big green and lime swoosh above it. The car appears to be a Vantage variant, with the addition of a rear spoiler and Y-spoke wheels. It's also finished in the same Aston Martin Racing Green as its 2021 Formula One race car livery. The spoiler and colors evoke the new Vantage safety car that made its debut over the weekend at the pre-season test in Bahrain. That car features an AMRG paint job with a Lime Essence pinstripe along the front air splitter, side skirts, and rear diffuser. It's also equipped with a rear wing not found on standard Vantages. Like the car in the shadowy teaser, it also wore the optional vaned grille as opposed to the standard mesh. Could Aston Martin be taking a page from the General Motors playbook and making a pace car edition Vantage? That would be uncharacteristic of the British marque, so perhaps a new Vantage AMR is more likely. The previous AMR was limited to 200 units and, despite having the same power as regular Vantages, made waves for letting you row your own gears with a seven-speed manual. Since then the stick shift has been made standard for the Vantage, but the AMR boasted many other features that set it apart — carbon ceramic brakes, carbon fiber trim, forged wheels, a mechanical limited-slip differential, and 200 fewer pounds of curb weight. On the other hand, the F1 pace car's menu of modifications seems like it could easily form the basis for a new AMR. The Vantage safety car increased output of its 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 by 25 horsepower to 528. The peak torque of 505 lb-ft was unchanged, but Aston Martin claims it could be sustained for longer. Additionally, the transmission was strengthened, the chassis stiffened with underbody bracing, and modifications were made to suspension, steering and dampers. It's not clear whether the pace car's bespoke splitter is on the teaser car. Aston Martin gave no information to accompany the teaser, so we'll just have to wait until March 22, when the car is scheduled for a full reveal. Aston Martin VantageDBXOfficial Safety and Medical cars of Formula One03 View 28 Photos

2019 Aston Martin V8 Vantage First Drive Review | A sportier bark and bite

Aston Martin's 21st century renaissance kickstarted with the DB11, a high-dollar grand tourer that upped the outgoing DB9's dynamic envelope while keeping one foot firmly planted in the brand's aesthetically elevated roots. The sequel to Aston's bid for relevancy is the V8 Vantage, a more agile and track-focused two-seater, perennially the company's best-seller that guns for the heavyweight in the segment, the Porsche 911. With a completely updated design language and laser-like focus on performance, the 2019 Aston Martin V8 Vantage is arguably the most important modern car to come out of Gaydon in... well, forever. Forget everything you know about the late, great V8 Vantage (and its sublime V12 counterpart). The 2019 model is a completely re-imagined beast, built from the ground up with around a turbocharged engine from an unexpected source. The old Vantage V8's naturally aspirated V8 is gone, and in its place is a Mercedes-AMG-sourced twin-turbo 4-liter V8 producing 503 horsepower and 505 lb-ft of torque (up from the old 4.7-liter mills' 430 hp and 361 lb-ft). The new donor powerplant receives a re-tuned intake and exhaust to give off a slightly different aural impression that's slightly raspier than the thumpy AMG. Unlike its AMG counterpart, the Aston version adopts a wet-sump oiling system, with the benefits of sitting lower to the ground and improved fuel economy due to the system's slightly reduced parasitic losses. Senior Vehicle Engineering Manager Craig Jamieson says that his team's learnings developing the wet sump system in the V12 Vantage enabled them to fine tune this setup for track duty. The engine mates to the ubiquitous ZF 8-speed automatic gearbox, which comes equipped here with stationary paddle shifters. Power is routed through Aston's first use of an electronic differential at the rear transaxle, which helps achieve a balanced 50/50 weight distribution. Seventy percent of the bonded aluminum chassis, which is derived from the DB11's, is unique to Vantage. Its dry curb weight is 3,373 pounds (a more standard wet curb weight wasn't available at press time), and it'll sprint to 60 mph in a claimed 3.5 seconds on its way to a top speed of 195 mph. Though much of the Vantage's design direction comes from the obvious decision to depart from the brand's bygone era, a few choices were informed by function – most controversially, those squinty LED headlamps which some detractors have slammed as being "Mazda-like".

2015 Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT First Drive

Only one thing is going through my mind as I blast down the Autobahn at 170 miles per hour: If someone were to give me $100,000 today, I'd go buy a new Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT tomorrow. I know there are a dozen other choices out there – cars that are more powerful, quicker around a road circuit and much less expensive, but you can keep your Corvette, your 911, your F-Type, your GT-R and your top-spec pony cars. My money would go towards this entry-level Brit with the metallic green paint and bright-yellow race-inspired accents. Aston Martin has always crafted alluring – and expensive – automobiles. Yet this is the first time one of its offerings has come close to making sense to both the enthusiast's heart and to his or her accountant. It may sound absurd, but considering the GT's engineering, design, pedigree and hand-crafted execution, its $99,900 sticker price (plus $2,825 destination) makes it an absolute bargain. To experience the new V8 Vantage GT, a model sold as the N430 in other markets, the British automaker invited me to attend this year's grueling Nurburgring 24-hour race. Before I watched its race-prepared siblings lap the famed circuit for a full day (all four Vantage models that entered finished), I was handed the keys to my very own example – in Alloro green exterior paint with yellow club sport graphics – configured with a welcomed six-speed manual gearbox. Vantage is the smallest, lightest and most agile of the Aston Martin lineup, and it's been around for a good while already. As you'll likely recall, the Vantage is the smallest, lightest and most agile of the Aston Martin lineup, and it's been around for a good while already. First launched at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show, today the model is offered in Coupe and Roadster bodystyles with the buyer's choice of either a V8 or V12 powerplant. The coupe, like all of the automaker's production models, rides on its modular VH platform, a lightweight bonded aluminum and magnesium monocoque structure fitted with aluminum body panels for Vantage duty. Aston Martin is proud of its aerospace-like chassis, and it's historically been eager to promote its ability to offer its affluent clientele customized vehicles, with personalized upholsteries, colors and options – think of it like ordering a custom-tailored suit. But that exclusivity has previously come at a considerable price, starting at $121,225 (including destination) for its least-expensive V8 Vantage.