February 12 will see Aston Martin reveal no fewer than three cars, beginning with the revised Vantage. It will be joined by the Vantage GT3 race car and the marque's 2024 Formula 1 car, dubbed AMR24.
As you're well aware, the Aston Martin Formula 1 team is joined at the hip to Mercedes-AMG through 2025. Come 2026, the German partner will be replaced by Honda. Regarding the Vantage GT3, current regulations force Aston Martin to use a further development of the current twin-turbo V8.
Similar to the AMR23 and soon-to-debut AMR24, the Vantage GT3 also uses Mercedes-AMG muscle. Codenamed M177, the twin-turbo V8 is – obviously enough – shared with the road car. Aston Martin describes the mid-cycle refresh as being a real driver's car, which isn't an exaggerated statement.
Although twinned with the now-discontinued DB11 and the DB11-replacing DB12, the Vantage is a sports car rather than a grand tourer. Its engine certainly makes more power and torque than the pre-facelift Vantage, but don't expect DB12-matching figures. The 2024 model year Vantage produces 503 horsepower and 505 pound-feet (685 Nm), whereas the DB12 is rated at 671 ponies and 590 pound-feet (800 Nm).
Don't expect the twin-turbo V12 to come back, though. Aston Martin will keep the AE31 alive until 2027 at the latest, most likely for ultra-exclusive special editions. Think Aston Martin Valour, a retro-styled take on the DBS Superleggera. But as opposed to the DB11-based DBS Superleggera, the Valour comes with a six-speed manual gearbox.
Photo: Baldauf
The DB12 and soon-to-be-facelifted Vantage are exclusively automatic, that automatic being the long-running 8HP from German supplier ZF. Aston Martin published a sole image of the refreshed Vantage, a picture that doesn't show anything other than marvelous widebody proportions. The rear arches are particularly attractive. But still, don't look forward to dramatic changes over the pre-facelift.
The dramatic stuff concerns the cabin, which – better late than never – drops the Mercedes-Benz COMAND infotainment system for a touchscreen-based unit. The dashboard design will be different as well, and chances are that Aston Martin will switch to higher-quality materials for the interior in light of criticism from both owners and auto journos.
Just like the DB12, we're expecting a slight increase in torsional stiffness for a sportier driving experience. The Vantage uses the Second Century platform introduced by the DB11. New adaptive dampers facilitating a broader range of control regardless of driving scenario, beefier anti-roll bars, and an electronic rear differential are a given as well.
The aforementioned updates will undoubtedly make the Vantage a bit pricier for 2025. By how much, only Aston Martin knows for the time being. For future reference, the current model starts at £134,160 back home in the United Kingdom and nearly $150,000 in the United States of America.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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