Photo: Daimler AG
As you might have heard from Matt Becker on the sidelines of the 2018 Geneva Motor Show, the chief engineer of Aston Martin is a big fan of the inline-six Mercedes-AMG shoehorns in the engine bay of the CLS 53. “We are considering six cylinders for the future,” he affirmed, but hadn’t given a definitive timeline for implementation in models such as the brand-new Vantage.
When you think about it, the M256 with the EQ Boost integrated starter generator makes a lot of sense in conjunction with Aston Martin’s lightest car. The mild-hybrid system, juiced up by a 48V electrical system, offers the engine the sort of punch that you’d expect from a sports car. Or sports sedan in the case of the CLS 53.
Output? 435 PS and 520 Nm from the M256, plus 16 kW and 250 Nm from the EQ Boost. All of this suck-squeeze-bang-blow(-and-electric-boogaloo) is sent to all four wheels by the 9G-Tronic automatic transmission, making for blistering performance. There’s no mistaking that more get-up-and-go can be expected from the Vantage I6, whenever Aston Martin decides the time is right for its introduction.
Speaking to Motoring, the chief engineer made an appendage to what he declared in Geneva. “I was speaking in more general terms that we might have to one day look at downsizing engines,” said Becker, which means that it’s too soon to ring Aston Martin for a deposit on the Vantage with the Mercedes-sourced M256.
But wait, there’s more! Becker added that he doesn’t know “whether the engine would fit [in our cars].” Bearing in mind the Vantage uses the Second Century platform from the DB11 and the engine bay can accommodate the AE31 5.2-liter V12, six cylinders arranged in line shouldn’t pose a problem to Aston Martin’s engineers.
So yeah, the Vantage I6 is happening, but we’ll have to wait a little bit until the newcomer goes official as the cheapest Aston Martin in the lineup. The V8 Vantage, by comparison, will set you back $149,995.
Output? 435 PS and 520 Nm from the M256, plus 16 kW and 250 Nm from the EQ Boost. All of this suck-squeeze-bang-blow(-and-electric-boogaloo) is sent to all four wheels by the 9G-Tronic automatic transmission, making for blistering performance. There’s no mistaking that more get-up-and-go can be expected from the Vantage I6, whenever Aston Martin decides the time is right for its introduction.
Speaking to Motoring, the chief engineer made an appendage to what he declared in Geneva. “I was speaking in more general terms that we might have to one day look at downsizing engines,” said Becker, which means that it’s too soon to ring Aston Martin for a deposit on the Vantage with the Mercedes-sourced M256.
But wait, there’s more! Becker added that he doesn’t know “whether the engine would fit [in our cars].” Bearing in mind the Vantage uses the Second Century platform from the DB11 and the engine bay can accommodate the AE31 5.2-liter V12, six cylinders arranged in line shouldn’t pose a problem to Aston Martin’s engineers.
So yeah, the Vantage I6 is happening, but we’ll have to wait a little bit until the newcomer goes official as the cheapest Aston Martin in the lineup. The V8 Vantage, by comparison, will set you back $149,995.
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