Photo: CarPix
Daimler's collaboration with Aston Martin, via its Mercedes-AMG arm, is no longer a secret among people who are at least partly into cars, so this 2018 V8 Vantage will likely not drop so many jaws when it goes on sale with the same powerplant as the Mercedes-AMG GT.
To be fair, the twin-turbocharged, 4.0-liter under the hood of this heavily camouflaged V8 Vantage mule will feature different tuning compared to its cousins from Stuttgart, not to mention a different power output.
That said, we expect the M178 version of the mill, the one with a dry sump, to be the one powering the next V8 Vantage. This will likely happen for two reasons. First of all, a dry sump makes the engine lower and can fit better under the low hood of an Aston Martin, not to mention that it will make the car better suited for sideways action without starving its cylinders of oil.
Second of all, the Mercedes-AMG GT uses a front-midship positioning of the engine and has a transaxle gearbox, just like all modern Aston Martins, so the swap would be easier and less costly. Speaking of which, this hasn't been confirmed as of yet, but the double-clutch Getrag transmission from the GT could also make the transition to the Vantage.
On top of it, there are rumors that the Gaydon two-seater may also get a manual gearbox as an option since they already have experience in fitting this type of transmission as a transaxle.
Despite Aston's allegiance to use Mercedes-Benz parts on its future products, the V12 Vantage successor will not sport an AMG-built twelve-cylinder. Instead, a version of the twin-turbocharged 5.2-liter from the DB11 will be used, but there are poor chances to also come with a manual transmission option.
Expect the 2018 V8 Vantage to be revealed by the end of next year, most likely at or around the 2017Paris Frankfurt Motor Show in the fall. Its starting price should be a tad higher than what its long-hooded cousin from Affalterbach is asking.
That said, we expect the M178 version of the mill, the one with a dry sump, to be the one powering the next V8 Vantage. This will likely happen for two reasons. First of all, a dry sump makes the engine lower and can fit better under the low hood of an Aston Martin, not to mention that it will make the car better suited for sideways action without starving its cylinders of oil.
Second of all, the Mercedes-AMG GT uses a front-midship positioning of the engine and has a transaxle gearbox, just like all modern Aston Martins, so the swap would be easier and less costly. Speaking of which, this hasn't been confirmed as of yet, but the double-clutch Getrag transmission from the GT could also make the transition to the Vantage.
On top of it, there are rumors that the Gaydon two-seater may also get a manual gearbox as an option since they already have experience in fitting this type of transmission as a transaxle.
Despite Aston's allegiance to use Mercedes-Benz parts on its future products, the V12 Vantage successor will not sport an AMG-built twelve-cylinder. Instead, a version of the twin-turbocharged 5.2-liter from the DB11 will be used, but there are poor chances to also come with a manual transmission option.
Expect the 2018 V8 Vantage to be revealed by the end of next year, most likely at or around the 2017
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