Over the last twelve months or so the prestige British brand Aston Martin has released new versions of the latest Vantage sports car and now they have reached the pinnacle with the arrival of the new Vantage S – the most performance focused Vantage in Aston Martin's sports car range.
With the already thrilling, driver-focused Vantage firmly established as the class leading front-engine sports car, the Vantage S builds on its position with increased power and even greater dynamic prowess. Together with distinctive exterior and interior enhancements, the new Vantage S establishes a new benchmark for front-engine sports cars. Over time, the company have released ‘S’ versions of their different models, now it is the turn of Vantage.
For a long time now, the illustrious Vantage name-plate has stood for the very best in performance, excitement and driving thrills. Those qualities were very much at the forefront when the new Vantage was launched last year. Exceeding those qualities was clearly the challenge and motivation behind the new Vantage S. This is a car to excite Aston Martin's passionate and discerning following, and a vivid demonstration of the talent, scope and drive which exists within the marque today.
The Power
Central to the Aston Martin Vantage S is an upgraded version of the formidable Aston Martin 4.0 litre V8 Twin-Turbo engine. Extending Aston Martin's performance advantage in the front-engine luxury sports car sector, the Vantage S now boasts 671BHP (680PS) at 6000rpm, with peak torque of 800Nm delivered between 3000 and 6000rpm for immediate in-gear response.
Further enhancing driver engagement and performance feel, Aston Martin engineers have refined and recalibrated the throttle pedal weight and response aligned with the desired 'S' characteristics. By offering a resistance matched to a drive-by-wire throttle map bespoke to 'S', and tuned for each of the Drive Modes, Vantage S delivers an even greater sense of connection with all controls working in harmony.
Calibration changes have also been made to the power-train, with optimisation of the ‘Launch Control’ system resulting in a 0.1 second improvement in 0-60mph time, which is now just 3.3 seconds for the 0 to 62MPG (100KPH) sprint and 0-124MPH (200KPH) in 10.1 seconds. Top speed remains unchanged at a blistering 202mph.
The Ride
The Vantage S also benefits from an extensive suite of detail changes to the new suspension hardware, power-train mounts and control software to bring greater agility along with improvements in feel, driver engagement and composure. While Aston Martin's chassis engineers, we learn, were determined to extract more agility and front-end grip from the Vantage platform, they were also focused on ensuring those advances didn't come at the expense of compliance and refinement.
Especial tuning and software calibration changes to the ‘Bilstein DTX’ adaptive dampers have brought increased front-end feel and response, while rear spring stiffness has been reduced to balance compression and rebound for improved low speed ride quality. A ten percent reduction in transmission mount stiffness brings in additional refinement by controlling the power-train movement to the body and chassis, allowing the vehicle to ‘breathe in harmony with the road’. Poetry in motion.
Further gains in directness and steering connection have been achieved by directly mounting the rear subframe to the body instead of rubber bushes. Finally, to maximise the compound benefits of these hardware and software changes, the suspension's camber, toe and caster settings have been refined to sharpen response, improve front-end grip under high lateral loadings and precisely dial-in the overall dynamic balance. The result is a car which has a thrilling appetite for corners backed up by steadfast stability.
Discreet Changes To The Exterior
Visually, the Aston Martin Vantage S has the looks to match its performance prowess thanks to distinctive features that combine immaculate design form with true performance-enhancing function.
At the front, the new Vantage S is identified by new centrally mounted bonnet blades. Finished in gloss black or Twill Carbon Fibre, 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.
Model designation is restricted to discreet yet striking 'S' signature badging on the front bumper (fender). Each one hand-made apparently, the brass forged 'S' is a true piece of automotive jewellery; which is a nice touch. The 'S' in-filled in red glass enamel with the badge surround chrome plated in either bright or dark chrome to match the colour of the Aston Martin wings as specified by the customer.
Ensuring the Vantage S is as instantly recognisable from the rear as the front, a full width decklid spoiler is the most explicit indicator of the marques sharpened performance focus. Not only for visual design assertiveness, the new rear spoiler increases rear downforce by 44kg, 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 downforce, including the addition of a new front air dam and front venturi vanes.
The premium Vantage S is also available to specify with a bespoke 21 inch ‘Y-spoke’ wheel in satin black with a red wheel graphic, continuing to tie in the red detailing synonymous with the 'S' marque, elegantly paired with a contrasting bronze painted brake calliper.
The Prestige Interior
Inside, the theme continues with bespoke 'S' cues for the interior, with a unique Alcantara and leather 'Accelerate' interior as standard with satin 2x2 twill carbon fibre trim inlays. Maximising its sporting appearance and offering a modest weight saving over the standard Vantage, this interior perfectly captures the essence of 'S'. Just as the exterior badging embodies handmade craftsmanship, the interior of Vantage S is proudly adorned with colour matched, embroidered 'S' logos to the upper shoulder panel of the seats. With almost 2,500 individual stitches and over 16 metres of thread, each 'S' leaves no doubt to the commitment of total luxury and performance in every Aston Martin S model.
Complementing the 'S' suffix, the iconic Aston Martin wings are also embroidered onto the headrests. An industry-first technique using both embossing and de-bossing is also an option available to customers, applying extreme pressure (1.5 tonnes in fact) and heat to sculpt the wings into the leather with impeccable precision, creating a subtle but beautiful detail. In addition, the 'S' logo appears on both the tread plates and engine bay final inspection plaque.
Aston Martin also offers customers a unique interior option package to further highlight its kudos as the most sporting of all Vantage models; a choice of red or silver anodised finish to the knurled metal drive mode rotary, creating a bold centrepiece to the cabin. The rotary is colour matched to the seatbelt, contrast welt, contrast stitch and headrest embroidery to create a flow of cohesive highlights throughout.
Not luxurious enough for you? Fear not; the ‘Inspire Sport’ interior is available with either full semi-aniline leather or semi-aniline leather and Alcantara, in both monotone and duotone options. These all-new interiors feature diminishing chevron quilting, surrounded by placed perforations, intended to give an unmistakeable impression of speed.
Aston Martin With MHH International
The Vantage S is a new model and deliveries will start around the end of this year but the good news is that MHH International export new and used premium cars, including Aston Martin models, from the UK to Kenya, New Zealand, Mauritius and other destinations around the world using their comprehensive and trusted service. Full details, including VAT-free options, can be found on our website. Get in touch to find out more.
