2012 Aston Martin V8 Vantage S S on 2040-cars

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2019 Aston Martin V8 Vantage First Drive Review | A sportier bark and bite

Aston Martin's 21st century renaissance kickstarted with the DB11, a high-dollar grand tourer that upped the outgoing DB9's dynamic envelope while keeping one foot firmly planted in the brand's aesthetically elevated roots. The sequel to Aston's bid for relevancy is the V8 Vantage, a more agile and track-focused two-seater, perennially the company's best-seller that guns for the heavyweight in the segment, the Porsche 911. With a completely updated design language and laser-like focus on performance, the 2019 Aston Martin V8 Vantage is arguably the most important modern car to come out of Gaydon in... well, forever. Forget everything you know about the late, great V8 Vantage (and its sublime V12 counterpart). The 2019 model is a completely re-imagined beast, built from the ground up with around a turbocharged engine from an unexpected source. The old Vantage V8's naturally aspirated V8 is gone, and in its place is a Mercedes-AMG-sourced twin-turbo 4-liter V8 producing 503 horsepower and 505 lb-ft of torque (up from the old 4.7-liter mills' 430 hp and 361 lb-ft). The new donor powerplant receives a re-tuned intake and exhaust to give off a slightly different aural impression that's slightly raspier than the thumpy AMG. Unlike its AMG counterpart, the Aston version adopts a wet-sump oiling system, with the benefits of sitting lower to the ground and improved fuel economy due to the system's slightly reduced parasitic losses. Senior Vehicle Engineering Manager Craig Jamieson says that his team's learnings developing the wet sump system in the V12 Vantage enabled them to fine tune this setup for track duty. The engine mates to the ubiquitous ZF 8-speed automatic gearbox, which comes equipped here with stationary paddle shifters. Power is routed through Aston's first use of an electronic differential at the rear transaxle, which helps achieve a balanced 50/50 weight distribution. Seventy percent of the bonded aluminum chassis, which is derived from the DB11's, is unique to Vantage. Its dry curb weight is 3,373 pounds (a more standard wet curb weight wasn't available at press time), and it'll sprint to 60 mph in a claimed 3.5 seconds on its way to a top speed of 195 mph. Though much of the Vantage's design direction comes from the obvious decision to depart from the brand's bygone era, a few choices were informed by function – most controversially, those squinty LED headlamps which some detractors have slammed as being "Mazda-like".

2019 Aston Martin Vanquish: Like a handsomer DB11 with more grunt

Aston Martin appears to be getting the 2019 Vanquish ready for action, as these spy shots from the Nurburgring show. There's a lot of DB11 there at first glance, but let's take a closer look and try to spot most of the differences. To begin with, the headlights and front fascia are different. There's more overall intake area upfront, with lower side vents and a much bigger grille opening. The headlights are rounder than the DB11s, and to this author's eyes more classic and attractive. The hood extractor vents are in a different place, large quadrangles instead of the DB11's long, narrow slits – although this could easily change for production, as this arrangement might only be for the mule. Moving to the side, the sills are wider and the wheels are larger, likely an inch greater diameter than the DB11's judging by the reduced sidewall. The car is also noticeably lower. Out back, the most obvious difference is the quad pipes. They nestle above a more aggressive rear diffuser. So far, all this looks to be production-possible. Certainly the Vanquish will be positioned as a more aggressive, powerful version of the DB11, to which it's related. While the specific shapes may be tweaked slightly, everything we're seeing looks to communicate the Vanquish's mission effectively, and nothing looks unrenderable in metal or composite. Long story short: This looks like a nearly finalized exterior design. Note that this isn't related to the Vanquish Zagato Volante we saw earlier this year. That car is a final hurrah for the old, VH-architecture Vanquish. We expect the Vanquish to have more than the DB11's impressive 600 horsepower, so it can do battle with competitors from Ferrari like the 812 Superfast. Related Video:

2015 Aston Martin V12 Vantage S by Q not for the faint of heart or thin of wallet

In 2012 at the Geneva Motor Show, Aston Martin brought along a Virage Volante that had been fully decked-out by its then-new Q extravagant customization team. Q, in addition to offering a limitless world of options to dandy car-shoppers, seemed then to tacitly offer a slightly stronger connection with everyone's favorite super-spy, James Bond. Remember when just driving an Aston was cool enough? Apparently, cool or no, the base version of the already sumptuous Aston Martin V12 Vantage S simply won't slake the thirst for opulence that some buyers suffer maddeningly from. Here then, the 2015 V12 Vantage S by Q, a car described by the manufacturer as being "a unique and ultimately luxurious Vanquish for the most demanding, and discerning, of customers." "Picky" might be another way to say it... We kid. In all honestly, the latest Q car is hard to find fault with, no matter how foppish we might believe its eventual owners to be. The triple-tone colorway of Orange, Stratus While and a Jet Black roof is certain to grab attention, while the interior fitted in True Teal and Californian Poppy leather is almost guaranteed to please even the most rabid Miami Dolphins fan. The dream of the Q service doesn't stop with custom colors and expensive trims, we must add. Aston reminds us in the press release below that the dream-makers were also responsible for the creation of the fabulous CC100 Speedster Concept. If your motive longings have even a hint of Britishness to them – or if you just want to feel a bit more like 007 – you now know whom to call. Q BY ASTON MARTIN: MAKING THE IMPOSSIBLE, POSSIBLE - Service offers the ultimate in bespoke commissions and personalization - The tailored approach to luxury car making from Aston Martin - Made-to-measure service that promises a unique sports car Aston Martin arrives at the 84th Geneva International Motor Show with its most compelling bespoke sports car creations to date, courtesy of its increasingly popular tailor-made personalisation service: Q by Aston Martin. The great British sports car brand is showcasing the capabilities of its bespoke service in Switzerland, as more and more of its customers around the world are turning to the facility to make their Aston Martin a truly unique creation.