Aston Martin only gave the Vantage a heavy update last year, but it’s already announced the return of the Vantage S for the first time since 2018.
The higher performance coupe is tougher, faster and more engaging than its ‘regular’ sibling, with Aston Martin making the driver the pure focus of the new S.
Cosmetically, the Vantage S is set apart from the base Vantage by its new bonnet blades, red-striped front splitter, side skirts and rear diffuser, as well as a wider rear spoiler, claimed to produce 44kg more downforce at the coupe’s 325km/h top speed, for a total of 111kg.
The Vantage S additionally gets bespoke 21-inch wheels, finished in satin black and featuring a red graphic, matching that of the lower body trim. A set of bronze brake calipers sit behind the unique wheels.
There are interior changes too, such as ‘S’ embroidered Alcantara and leather seats, in Aston Martin’s ‘Accelerate’ cabin design. The S badge also appears on the door sill trim and under the bonnet.
Buyers can additionally option a choice of red or silver anodised finish to the knurled metal drive mode rotary knob – which is matched to the seat belts, contrast stitching and head restraints – or opt for the Inspire Sport interior, which adds full semi-aniline leather or semi-aniline leather and Alcantara.
Of course, the big changes have happened under the skin, with the Aston Martin Vantage’s twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 engine now producing 500kW and 800Nm, an increase of 11kW.
Aston Martin claims it has “continued to refine and calibrate the throttle pedal weight and response aligned with ‘S’ characteristics” to create a throttle map unique to the S, and tuned to each drive mode.
Drive continues to be sent to the rear wheels via an eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission, which is mated to the body by mounts that are now 10 per cent softer, claimed to allow “the vehicle to breathe in harmony with the road”.
According to the brand, the small power increase and other refinements have shaved one-tenth of a second off the Vantage S’s 0-98km/h (0-60mph) time, now standing at 3.3 seconds. It gets to 100km/h in 3.4 seconds from a standstill, and to 200km/h in 10.1 seconds.
On top of the engine changes, Aston Martin says the Vantage S “also benefits from an extensive suite of detail changes to the new Vantage suspension hardware, powertrain mounts and control software to bring greater agility along with improvements in feel, driver engagement and composure.”
This includes hardware and software calibration changes to its Bilstein DTC adaptive dampers, which have led to greater front-end feel and response. At the rear, the spring aid is softer to improve lower-speed ride quality.
Additional tweaks have been made to the camber, toe and caster settings, designed to make the Vantage S not only more agile but more stable.
Aston Martin is yet to announce a price for the Vantage S in Australia, though expect a premium over the Vantage’s $410,000 plus on-roads tag.
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