Aston Martin is introducing a more powerful, more focused version of the Vantage coupe, dubbed the Vantage S.
Oooo. Does this one get a V12?
Alas, no, the V12 Vantage ship has, in all likelihood, sailed unless someone at Aston gets a massive rush of blood to the head. No, this Vantage S sticks with the trusty 4.0-litre twin-turbo Mercedes-AMG-sourced V8 engine, but the power output has been boosted by 15hp to 680hp, and torque is now up to 800Nm
How fast does that make the Vantage S?
Very. The extra power and torque knocks a tenth off the 0-100km/h time, bringing it down to 3.3 seconds. 0-200km/h takes a mere 10.1 seconds, and the Vantage S' top speed is 325mph.
That's very Rapide…
I see what you did there. You'll be able to tell a Vantage S apart from its lesser (if that's quite the right word) Aston chums by its more aggressive styling. There are new centrally mounted bonnet blades, finished in gloss black or carbon fibre, and Aston says that not only do these vents provide a more assertive design character, but they optimise the extraction of hot air from the 'hot-V' configured V8 engine - which means it's turbos are tucked in between the banks of cylinders.
There are also discreet little S badges, which are not just some stuck on plastic, but are instead forged in bronze, then infilled with red enamel and finally finished in either polished or dark chrome, according to customer tastes.
There's some serious aero upgrades too, including a massive rear spoiler which increases rear downforce by 44kg at top speed, contributing significantly to the overall 111kg of downforce. The new spoiler has been used to tune the aerodynamics of the Vantage S, adding stability while ensuring the overall balance of downforce is biased towards the front-end to generate exceptional turn-in response and sustain a high level of cornering grip. Further updates to the underbody make up the additional 67kg of downforce at Vmax, including the addition of a new front airdam and front venturi vanes.
There are also new 21-inch Y-spoke wheels in satin black with a red wheel graphic, and contrasting bronze-coloured brake calipers.
Is the S just a styling upgrade?
Nope, Aston Martin has had the spanners out too. There's new software for the electronically adjustable Bilstein DTX adaptive suspension dampers, while the rear springs have actually been softened off just a touch. Also made a little softer are the transmission mountings, which Aston says now flex a little more in tune with the rest of the body, boosting refinement.
At the rear, the suspension subframe does away with rubber bushes and is now mounted directly to the body, while the suspension's camber, toe and caster settings have been finessed to sharpen response, improve front-end grip under high lateral loadings and precisely dial-in the overall dynamic balance. According to Aston Martin: “The result is a car which has a thrilling appetite for corners backed up by steadfast stability.”
What about the interior?
There's a mixture of leather and Alcantara man-made suede, and the carbon-fibre twill is actually, genuinely, a weight-saver, according to Aston. There are a series of embroidered S logos, which use a total of 2,500 stitches and more than 16 metres of thread. Lovely.
There are also Aston Martin badges in the seat headrests, which use what Aston describes as: “An industry-first technique using both embossing and debossing is also an option available to customers, applying extreme pressure of 1.5 tonnes and heat to sculpt the wings into the leather with impeccable precision, creating a subtle but beautiful detail.”
Finally, there's a choice of red or silver anodised finish to the knurled metal drive mode selection button, and of course, customers with bottomless chequebooks can upgrade and alter the interior more or less however they want it.
The Aston Martin Vantage S will make its full public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.