All-new Aston Martin Vantage checks in

ASTON Martin’s first all-new Vantage since 2005 has arrived on Australian shores with fresh styling, no V12 option and an asking price of $299,950 plus on-road costs.

The circa-$300,000 pricetag pits it directly against the likes of the Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS ($305,990), Mercedes-AMG GT S ($298,711) and Jaguar F-Type SVR ($290,512).

First deliveries of the British car-maker’s “911 hunter” will commence in the third quarter, with Aston Martin Asia Pacific president Patrik Nilsson saying that while the brand expects the Vantage to be its best seller, correct waiting times were more important than outright numbers.

“We don’t look at what is the volume we need to achieve in that sense. We have the luxury of not having to do that,” he said.

“Through previews we see the demand, and we see the demand being very, very good here, which of course gives us a waiting list and an order bank to work on.”

He said an ideal waiting list length for Aston Martin would be around six months, however due to the popularity of the model, it is currently longer than they would have liked.

While the old Vantage was offered in V8 and V12 flavours, the new version will be motivated solely by a Mercedes-AMG-sourced 4.0-litre twin-turbo bent-eight producing 375kW/685Nm, up by 54kW/195Nm on the old 4.7-litre aspirated unit.

While the V12 can be shoehorned into the new Vantage, the additional 46kW gained was offset by additional weight. The V12 also loses 65Nm of torque over the new V8.

“V12 is not on the cards, currently,” Mr Nilsson said. “I think the question was asked, ‘does the V12 fit in a Vantage?’ Yeah, physically it probably fits, but it’s not on the plan currently.”

One feature that is set to carry over from the old Vantage is a manual transmission, which Mr Nilsson tipped would join the line-up at a later date.

Aston Martin has seen a return of sorts to three-pedal gearboxes in recent years, thanks in part to the influence of CEO Andy Palmer starting his automotive career as a gearbox mechanic.

For launch variants, the sole gearbox offering is an eight-speed ZF automatic sending power to the rear wheels with the aid of an electronic rear differential, helping the Vantage to complete the zero to 100km/h sprint in 3.6 seconds, on the way to a top speed of 314km/h.

The new V8 sips 10.5 litres of fuel per 100km, while emitting 245 grams of CO2 per kilometre.

Styling has been heavily revised, with the British manufacturer opting for maximum functionality on the new Vantage.

Aston Martin has opted for a slimmer LED headlight design and downturned bonnet that clearly distinguish the Vantage from its stablemates, while the S-shaped front grille and tail-light signature help immediately identify it as an Aston Martin.

The Vantage features a prominent rear diffuser, which is the first time the brand has used such as feature on a production vehicle. It is aided by the massive front splitter, which directs airflow underneath the car.

Two standard 20-inch alloy wheels are available, shod in Pirelli P-Zero rubber.

Handling is aided by features such as dynamic torque vectoring, dynamic stability control, adaptive damping and perfect 50:50 weight distribution.

Inside, the Vantage gains an 8.0-inch touchscreen with iPhone integration, digital radio and satellite navigation, sports seats upholstered in leather and Alcantara, and dual-zone climate control.

Despite being 34mm shorter than a 911, boot space is rated at a practical 350 litres, comfortably more than the rear-engined 911’s 115L.

An extensive range of options are available for the Vantage, including a range of alloy wheels and calliper colour choices, carbon-fibre interior, premium audio system and 360-degree camera.