The 2018 Aston Martin Vantage is now in its final development stages, with prototypes feeling at home on the Nurburgring. We've brought along the freshest piece of spy footage on the matter, so you can check out the entry-level Gaydon model doings its thing on the infamous German circuit.
Thanks to the patent drawings that leaked onto the web earlier this year, we can "look" under the heavy camo that covers the test cars - we've added the drawings to the gallery above.
Underneath the skin of the new Vantage, we find a shortened incarnation of the all-new aluminum spaceframe serving the DB11. Purists have nothing to worry about, though, since the wider and slightly longer stance of the Aston won't add a pair of seats.
Speaking of the cabin, we can once again turn to the DB11 in order to get a taste of things to come. And with the outgoing Vantage having landed back in 2006, the interior of the nearly-baked model will bring massive transformations.
In our book, the most important cabin detail has to do with the fact that you'll be able to choose the number of pedals. Aston Martin helm man Andy Palmer has let it slip that the Vantage will allow customers to choose between paddle shifters and a clutch. So, for instance, there's no reason to go crazy and invest $45,000 in a manual tranny conversion, as a 991.1 Porsche 911 GT3 owner did (don't get us wrong, we applaud the man's effort).
The nose of the 2018 Vantage will accommodate the Affalterbach-sourced twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 that has already made its way under the hood of the DB11. And we should also see the British automaker introducing the DB11's all-new twin-turbo 5.2-liter V12 on the Vantage, but that is set to take place later on in the model's life cycle.
Expect to be able to touch the 2018 Aston Martin Vantage's sculpted body by the end of the year.
In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist. Full profile
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