ASTON MARTIN V8 Vantage S 2011-Present Photos, engines & full specs

Aston Martin took the 2005 V8 Vantage, tore it apart, and built it back and, when it did that, it left some parts outside then added a few more.

The British carmaker didn't want to make a V8 Vantage to beat a Porsche 911 Turbo on the track. Aston Martin didn't even try to put it in the same league with the German supercar. It just made a better V8 and added an S behind the name.

While the small carmaker didn't have enough money to develop a new car, it kept refreshing and improving the old ones, and it did that with incredible success. Thanks to the car's exterior designed by Henrik Fisker, it was a great shape to start from. There was a new lower front bumper at the front, which included larger air intakes to feed the engine and the front brakes. The splitter was tuned together with the lip-spoiler from the back to create a balanced downforce.

Inside, the Vantage S was a mix between a luxurious GT and a race-car with its optional carbon-fiber and Kevlar composite seats with high bolstering provided better side support during high-speed cornering, and they were 17 kg (37.5 lbs) lighter than the standard seats. On the luxury side, its hand-stitched leather-clad door-cards and center console offered an exclusive ambiance.

Aston Martin installed the same 4.7-liter V-8 from the standard V8 Vantage and gave it ten hp more. But that wasn't all. The new seven-speed automatic (dual-clutch) gearbox offered a new experience, being both fast and comfortable. Another essential upgrade was for the exhaust system. Aston Martin hired a person to tune the exhaust until it provided a particular tune, much more pleasant to hear than any other flat-six on the planet.