Automotive

The 2018 Aston Martin Vantage is here, and it won't be everybody's cup of tea

The 2018 Aston Martin Vantage is here, and it won't be everybody's cup of tea
The 2018 Aston Martin Vantage marks a new look for the British sportscar
The 2018 Aston Martin Vantage marks a new look for the British sportscar
View 98 Images
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: electronic differential can lock and unlock in milliseconds, adding to high speed confidence and agility
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: electronic differential can lock and unlock in milliseconds, adding to high speed confidence and agility
The 2018 Aston Martin Vantage marks a new look for the British sportscar
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The 2018 Aston Martin Vantage marks a new look for the British sportscar
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: aeros have taken a big step forward with a splitter, diffusers and a small rear spoiler
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: aeros have taken a big step forward with a splitter, diffusers and a small rear spoiler
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: enhanced downforce
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: enhanced downforce
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: pure sports driving, with no "road" mode
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: pure sports driving, with no "road" mode
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: a dynamic performer with a 195 mph top speed
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: a dynamic performer with a 195 mph top speed
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: new front grill extends all the way to the splitter
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: new front grill extends all the way to the splitter
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: a color scheme so rude, it's hard to believe it wears an Aston badge
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: a color scheme so rude, it's hard to believe it wears an Aston badge
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: Radioactive Lime paint job speaks to the new Vantage's youthful slant
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: Radioactive Lime paint job speaks to the new Vantage's youthful slant
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: looks great in top view
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: looks great in top view
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: unbroken light bar across the rear looks terrific
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: unbroken light bar across the rear looks terrific
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: badge on bonnet
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: badge on bonnet
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: badge on rear
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: badge on rear
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: perforated gills on the sides suck turbulent air out from behind the front wheels
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: perforated gills on the sides suck turbulent air out from behind the front wheels
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: sporty interior
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: sporty interior
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: center console and 8-inch screen with touch pad
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: center console and 8-inch screen with touch pad
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: embroidered sports seats
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: embroidered sports seats
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: spunky plaques on the tread plates are an option
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: spunky plaques on the tread plates are an option
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: 20-in y-spoke wheels with Pirelli P Zero tires
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: 20-in y-spoke wheels with Pirelli P Zero tires
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: rear view, with unbroken light bar and diffusers on display
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: rear view, with unbroken light bar and diffusers on display
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: 4-liter AMG twin turbo V8
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: 4-liter AMG twin turbo V8
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: silver/gray color reins in the youthful exuberance
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: silver/gray color reins in the youthful exuberance
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: 503 horsepower
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: 503 horsepower
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: 505 lb-ft of torque
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: 505 lb-ft of torque
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: hiding behind a bush at speed
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: hiding behind a bush at speed
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: pure sports with a new look
27/98
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: pure sports with a new look
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: definitely looks more grown up in grey, but give us the Radioactive Lime thanks!
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: definitely looks more grown up in grey, but give us the Radioactive Lime thanks!
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: sport, sport plus and track modes. No road mode.
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: sport, sport plus and track modes. No road mode.
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: a handsome addition to, and a diversification of the Aston Martin range
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: a handsome addition to, and a diversification of the Aston Martin range
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: US$150k base price
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: US$150k base price
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: tasty rear three-quarter view
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: tasty rear three-quarter view
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: has a logo
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: has a logo
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: hint of a ducktail spoiler helps add downforce
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: hint of a ducktail spoiler helps add downforce
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: black/red interior configuration
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: black/red interior configuration
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: 8-speed close-ratio paddle shift auto transmission
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: 8-speed close-ratio paddle shift auto transmission
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: center console in black
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: center console in black
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: portions of the interior have stitches
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: portions of the interior have stitches
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: on the road
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: on the road
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: not just a pretty face. Not even a pretty face. Much more of an angry face
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: not just a pretty face. Not even a pretty face. Much more of an angry face
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: y-spokes in the rims look like tiny people jumping for joy
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: y-spokes in the rims look like tiny people jumping for joy
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: black/red interior
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: black/red interior
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: monogrammed seats in red
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: monogrammed seats in red
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: door straps and stereo speakers
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: door straps and stereo speakers
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: launching in serene grey and berserker green
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: launching in serene grey and berserker green
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: shipping in Q2 2018
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: shipping in Q2 2018
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: take your pick, "look at me" or "what's the price of gold doing?"
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: take your pick, "look at me" or "what's the price of gold doing?"
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: looks its best from the rear
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: looks its best from the rear
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: replaces the previous Vantage, which ran for 12 years and became Aston Martin's biggest sales success ever
49/98
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: replaces the previous Vantage, which ran for 12 years and became Aston Martin's biggest sales success ever
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: electronic differential can lock and unlock in milliseconds, adding to high speed confidence and agility
50/98
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: electronic differential can lock and unlock in milliseconds, adding to high speed confidence and agility
The 2018 Aston Martin Vantage marks a new look for the British sportscar
51/98
The 2018 Aston Martin Vantage marks a new look for the British sportscar
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: aeros have taken a big step forward with a splitter, diffusers and a small rear spoiler
52/98
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: aeros have taken a big step forward with a splitter, diffusers and a small rear spoiler
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: enhanced downforce
53/98
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: enhanced downforce
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: pure sports driving, with no "road" mode
54/98
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: pure sports driving, with no "road" mode
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: a dynamic performer with a 195 mph top speed
55/98
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: a dynamic performer with a 195 mph top speed
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds
56/98
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: new front grill extends all the way to the splitter
57/98
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: new front grill extends all the way to the splitter
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: a color scheme so rude, it's hard to believe it wears an Aston badge
58/98
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: a color scheme so rude, it's hard to believe it wears an Aston badge
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: Radioactive Lime paint job speaks to the new Vantage's youthful slant
59/98
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: Radioactive Lime paint job speaks to the new Vantage's youthful slant
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: looks great in top view
60/98
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: looks great in top view
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: unbroken light bar across the rear looks terrific
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: unbroken light bar across the rear looks terrific
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: badge on bonnet
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: badge on bonnet
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: badge on rear
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: badge on rear
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: perforated gills on the sides suck turbulent air out from behind the front wheels
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: perforated gills on the sides suck turbulent air out from behind the front wheels
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: sporty interior
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: sporty interior
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: center console and 8-inch screen with touch pad
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: center console and 8-inch screen with touch pad
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: embroidered sports seats
67/98
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: embroidered sports seats
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: spunky plaques on the tread plates are an option
68/98
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: spunky plaques on the tread plates are an option
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: 20-in y-spoke wheels with Pirelli P Zero tires
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: 20-in y-spoke wheels with Pirelli P Zero tires
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: rear view, with unbroken light bar and diffusers on display
70/98
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: rear view, with unbroken light bar and diffusers on display
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: 4-liter AMG twin turbo V8
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: 4-liter AMG twin turbo V8
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: silver/gray color reins in the youthful exuberance
72/98
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: silver/gray color reins in the youthful exuberance
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: 503 horsepower
73/98
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: 503 horsepower
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: 505 lb-ft of torque
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: 505 lb-ft of torque
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: hiding behind a bush at speed
75/98
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: hiding behind a bush at speed
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: pure sports with a new look
76/98
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: pure sports with a new look
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: definitely looks more grown up in grey, but give us the Radioactive Lime thanks!
77/98
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: definitely looks more grown up in grey, but give us the Radioactive Lime thanks!
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: sport, sport plus and track modes. No road mode.
78/98
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: sport, sport plus and track modes. No road mode.
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: a handsome addition to, and a diversification of the Aston Martin range
79/98
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: a handsome addition to, and a diversification of the Aston Martin range
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: US$150k base price
80/98
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: US$150k base price
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: tasty rear three-quarter view
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: tasty rear three-quarter view
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: has a logo
82/98
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: has a logo
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: hint of a ducktail spoiler helps add downforce
83/98
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: hint of a ducktail spoiler helps add downforce
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: black/red interior configuration
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: black/red interior configuration
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: 8-speed close-ratio paddle shift auto transmission
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: 8-speed close-ratio paddle shift auto transmission
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: center console in black
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: center console in black
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: portions of the interior have stitches
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: portions of the interior have stitches
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: on the road
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: on the road
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: not just a pretty face. Not even a pretty face. Much more of an angry face
89/98
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: not just a pretty face. Not even a pretty face. Much more of an angry face
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: y-spokes in the rims look like tiny people jumping for joy
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: y-spokes in the rims look like tiny people jumping for joy
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: black/red interior
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: black/red interior
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: monogrammed seats in red
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: monogrammed seats in red
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: door straps and stereo speakers
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: door straps and stereo speakers
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: launching in serene grey and berserker green
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: launching in serene grey and berserker green
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: shipping in Q2 2018
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: shipping in Q2 2018
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: take your pick, "look at me" or "what's the price of gold doing?"
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: take your pick, "look at me" or "what's the price of gold doing?"
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: looks its best from the rear
97/98
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: looks its best from the rear
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: replaces the previous Vantage, which ran for 12 years and became Aston Martin's biggest sales success ever
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2018 Aston Martin Vantage: replaces the previous Vantage, which ran for 12 years and became Aston Martin's biggest sales success ever
View gallery - 98 images

Next year will see a brave new direction for Aston Martin's dedicated sportscar, as it leaves the bow tie in the DB11 and goes for a much more youthful and aggressive look. The 2018 Vantage will also boast considerable upgrades to performance, chassis dynamics and aerodynamics.

Aston Martin's Vantage sportscar has been motoring along nicely since it debuted in 2005, slowly evolving with the addition of a new engine or transmission every now and then. But the whole Aston Martin range has been accused of feeling a little samey, with a keen eye required to pick the old Vantage from a DB9 GT, or even the Vanquish, really. It was a hell of a look, but perhaps only reached out in one direction.

The same cannot be said of the new model. The 2018 Vantage is younger, sportier, sharper and more aggressive. And it's launching in a Radioactive Lime color the previous model wouldn't have been caught dead in.

2018 Aston Martin Vantage: rear view, with unbroken light bar and diffusers on display
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: rear view, with unbroken light bar and diffusers on display

This is not an Aston to be driven in a tuxedo – I don't think you'd even wear a tie. This one's got class, but it's new money class. Open white shirt class. Take me out and drive me hard class. And for every dollop of class, there's two of breathless boy racer. It's going to ruffle some feathers about what it really means to wear that winged badge, and that seems to kind of be the point.

Engine, Powertrain and Performance

The new Vantage rocks a four-liter AMG twin-turbo V8 that belts out a very healthy 510 ps (503 hp/375 kW) and 685 Nm (505 lb-ft) of torque. It debuts with an eight-speed, close ratio ZF paddle-shift auto, but 12 months down the track there'll be a manual as well for the pure of heart. AMG squeezes more than 570 horses out of the same engine in its GT R, so there's an easy opportunity for a party model down the track.

2018 Aston Martin Vantage: 4-liter AMG twin turbo V8
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: 4-liter AMG twin turbo V8

The 0-60 mph (96.5 km/h) sprint will be dispatched in a brisk 3.5 seconds, on the way to a top speed of 195 mph (314 km/h). The dry weight is 1,530 kg (3,373 lb), or probably somewhere in the ballpark of the AMG GTS coupe once it's got fluids in.

Electronics

There's plenty here. Dynamic stability control and dynamic torque vectoring help keep things in line when you're pushing on. Adaptive damping, using "Skyhook" technology, finds a balance between comfort, grip and stability to suit how you're driving the thing, and an electronic rear differential can go from fully locked to fully open in a matter of milliseconds to "take very fine control of the car's behaviour" and deliver confidence and agility as you move toward the car's limits.

There are driving modes, but nothing as soft and foofy as "road" mode, because this ain't no grand tourer. Nope, it's Sport, Sport Plus, and Track for the new Vantage, each mode ramping up the firmness of the suspension and the responsiveness of the throttle mapping, the way the torque vectoring and e-differential kick in, the permissiveness of the traction control and the weight of the steering. Crucially, the car also gets noisier as you go up the modes, although it's not clear how the engineers have achieved this.

2018 Aston Martin Vantage: 8-speed close-ratio paddle shift auto transmission
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: 8-speed close-ratio paddle shift auto transmission

There's ABS braking, with electronic brake force distribution to keep things in line under hard stopping, as well as emergency brake assist to hit the pedal for you if you get dozey at the wheel.

Aerodynamics

Aeros take a big step forward on the new Vantage, with a proper splitter and diffusers underneath to help reduce drag and generate downforce. Side gills suck pressure out from behind the front wheels, and there's a hint of a ducktail spoiler at the back to further nudge downforce figures up and enhance rear grip for high speed cornering.

2018 Aston Martin Vantage: not just a pretty face. Not even a pretty face. Much more of an angry face
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: not just a pretty face. Not even a pretty face. Much more of an angry face

There will be a wailing and gnashing of teeth from certain sections of the peanut gallery when it comes to the front grill, which breaks from tradition and extends all the way down to the splitter, giving the car a kind of angry, suspicious looking face when combined with the headlights. It's a nod to (or perhaps a developmental overlap with) the custom DB10 that Aston Martin put together for the most recent Bond flick, 2015's Spectre.

Interior

The two-seat interior can be specified to suit your preferred balance of youthful, snazzy sportiness and grown-up, understated muscle. Mark me down as a fan of the high-testosterone yellow highlights, but things can certainly be toned down a long way from there.

2018 Aston Martin Vantage: sporty interior
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: sporty interior

Beyond that, it's all very nice; leather and Alcantara trim, sports seats, dual zone climate control, and an 8-inch screen for navigation and entertainment that appears to eschew touchscreen navigation for a touchpad down in the center console.

The whole thing is configurable with a raft of different options, from the functional (sports plus seats, steering wheel upgrades) to pure bling (embroidered headrests, plaques on the tread plates, colourful seat belts and an "interior jewellery" package that presumably jazzes up the dash).

2018 Aston Martin Vantage: center console and 8-inch screen with touch pad
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: center console and 8-inch screen with touch pad

So there you have it. A brave new design for Aston Martin, leaving the bow tie behind in the DB11 and striking out into pure sportscar territory. It's a fairly radical departure from the old Vantage (the highest selling Aston Martin ever at some 25,000 units) – although you can certainly make it look a lot more adult-friendly with the silver/gray paint job.

2018 Aston Martin Vantage: a handsome addition to, and a diversification of the Aston Martin range
2018 Aston Martin Vantage: a handsome addition to, and a diversification of the Aston Martin range

Base retail pricing will be £120,900 in the UK, €154,000 in Germany and $149,995 in the US, and deliveries will begin in Q2 next year.

Enjoy the launch video below, which features repeated shots of predatory animals to emphasize sportiness, nose rings to emphasize impetuous, youthful non-conformity, and snarly sex play in which a girl appears to bite off her partner's fingers because he didn't let her overtake him on the racetrack. We've all been there. Gripping stuff.

Beautiful Won't Be Tamed - The New Vantage | Aston Martin | Rankin

Source: Aston Martin

View gallery - 98 images
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