Seville, Spain: For a long time, Aston Martins were easy to admire from a distance because of their easily recognizable looks and loud eight- or twelve-cylinder engines. From the driver’s seat, though, past models have been disappointing, with poorly built cars that didn’t perform as reliably or predictably as rivals and parts that looked like they came from the bad old Ford days.
Aston Martin has gotten a lot better over the last ten years, thanks to a better relationship with Mercedes-Benz and an increased focus on quality control. Just that is a reason to celebrate, but now that I’ve driven the 2025 Aston Martin Vantage in Spain, I’m almost obsessed with it.
The 2025 Vantage isn’t completely new, but it is very different from the last model because of many improvements and changes. Aston improved the hand-built 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine from Mercedes-Benz to make it produce 656 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. This was done by adding bigger turbos, more cooling, changing the cam profiles, and adjusting the compression ratio. It’s a lot more powerful than the last model’s 503 horsepower and 505 lb-ft (528 horsepower for the F1 Edition). The eight-speed ZF automatic transmission’s shift tuning was changed to make in-gear acceleration stronger, but power is still only sent to the back wheels. As hell. Yes, of course.
If you really want to know what the downside is of sticking with rear-wheel drive, it takes the new, much more powerful Vantage 3.4 seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph. Even if a car has a lot of power, its back tires can only take it so far. In addition, cars today often reach such amazing acceleration numbers. And finally, the new Vantage is much better at turning corners. This completely changes its attitude and gives the Aston Martin lineup a fun edge that it didn’t have before.
It was different from any other Aston Martin I had driven on the rough, winding roads north of Seville. As I bounced around, it seemed reliable in every way, which made me feel very good about myself. I couldn’t get the most out of its speed because the roads were narrow, and there were blind turns. The trip ended at the Circuito Monteblanco racetrack, where I had driven the Porsche Taycan GT a few weeks before.
Right from the start, it was clear that the Vantage was a properly racing car. The ride is smooth, there’s a lot of road noise, and the V8 engine growls nicely. It’s a bit too loud for most drivers. For those people, the DB12 ground tourer might be a better choice. The Vantage is just the right amount of fast and comfortable for me and a few other drivers.
The automatic transmission downshifts perfectly in Sport Plus drive mode, right where I’d expect it to when I use the pedals. It also keeps the high rpm range of the twin-turbo V8. Still, I liked using the big buttons to shift gears by hand, and the Vantage’s shifts were smooth and quick. The well-spaced gear ratios make sure that there is always enough power. After the fact, I learned that I could have avoided many turns by leaving the car in third gear instead of second.
You can always count on the Vantage to perform well, but it also requires more work and focus from the driver than many other cars. You’ll feel connected to the road’s surface and be able to feel every bump and rough spot. It won’t be bad or scary. I didn’t feel like the suspension was beating me up after a few hours, and bumps in the middle of corners didn’t send the car off a hill.
The racetrack showed off how great this new Vantage is; it’s the best Aston Martin I’ve ever driven on the road. I did a lot of runs around Circuito Monteblanco in all kinds of weather, from pouring rain to perfect dryness. I put the car into “Wet Drive” mode and slowly drove out into the rain. As expected, I had to be very careful with the throttle to keep the back tires straight. But even when I purposely overcooked it coming out of turns, the system still let the tail move to the outside and cause a lot of wheelspin. Traction and stability control only worked once I was very out of shape or when I changed how the throttle and turning worked.
When the track got dry, I drove in Sport Plus mode, which made me feel better about my skills. It makes the engine respond better, the Bilstein dampers stiffer, and the computer babysitters less strict. Because of how fast the acceleration was on the front straight, changing gears quickly barely used up any power. I braked harder than normal, almost killing myself, and the back of the car rocked. I pushed the pedal all the way down to the top of the Vantage and turned it with the steering wheel, even though I had applied the brakes about a car’s length late. I didn’t move my speed on the next rise so that the back end could dance again.
This sports car is easy to steer because its weight is evenly spread across both seats. It’s not too careful or sensitive, though, so there is plenty of time to recover from under- or oversteering. The Vantage is more athletic because it has an active suspension, an electric rear differential, and a lot more chassis strengthening. Luckily, none of these features take away from the car’s very enjoyable qualities.
In addition to the pre-set drive modes, you can also change the extent to which the traction and stability control work. On a scale from one to nine, you can get closer and closer to the level you want. Level nine removes all power.
As I drove the Vantage lap after lap, the brake pedal started to give way, but it was still able to slow the car down to second gear and below 160 mph, which was enough to make turn one. Near the end of the exercise, understeer became more noticeable, and the display on the control panel—which checks the temperature of each tire—started to show that the front tires were also getting too hot.
I quickly got a call to go back to the pits and do some cool-down runs. I was drenched in sweat and hot when I got out of the Vantage, but I was also very excited, so all I could do was stare at the beautiful car. And I liked it. The design of the previous Vantage caught my eye, but the redesigned 2025 model adds just the right amount of ferocity to go with its better speed. Also, it looks more like the DB12 than the DB10 that James Bond had, which was never made.
The carbon fiber splitter rises above the concrete, making it look like this beast has to breathe very hard to work. It has a grille that is a lot bigger. The wider headlamps, which are based on the Valkyrie, unite the whole front end, and the side strakes on either side of the grille make the previous model look lighter. Sharp edges on the sides and top gently taper back into the bodywork, giving the impression that they were first painted with big brushstrokes that emphasize forward motion. The Vantage stands out from other cars on the road thanks to its thin headlights and rear spoiler that flips up.
Big changes have also been made inside. The new dashboard has better-integrated air vents and controls that take up less room. It also looks better. The infotainment system is now controlled by a 10.25-inch tablet instead of the old Mercedes knob/touchpad user interface that was used with the non-touchscreen before. There is now less space on the screen in the middle stack as well.
This new infotainment system is now on par with others on the market, even though it doesn’t have some of the most advanced voice recognition and mapping features found in newer cars. Also, the display can be hard to use while driving because the buttons on the screen are sometimes too small and hard to press correctly. Also, because the screen is lower on the dash, you have to take your eyes off the road to use it. Now that the Vantage is marketed as a real sports car, I’m ready to be less critical of the infotainment system. However, there are still many things that could be done to make it better.
A lot of work has also been done on the console and middle stack. Two sleek, knurled metal roller knobs for controlling the climate and entertainment system are placed on either side of a simple toggle lever that takes the place of the previous mess of individual gear selector buttons. They work together to make the cabin look better and work better, except that there still needs to be storage. That’s enough room for two carry-on roller bags plus some extra stuff. The trunk can hold up to 12.2 cubic feet of stuff.
Almost every surface is made of high-quality leather, carbon fiber, or suede cloth, so the materials and build quality inside are no longer a problem. Also, the structure underneath is solid, and you can’t hear any squeaks or creaks from the panels. It’s now on par for such a high-end car and a big step up from Aston Martins from ten years ago.
Let’s talk about the cost. The base price for the 2025 Vantage is $194,400, which includes $3,400 in delivery fees. Feel pain. Even taking into account how expensive an “entry-level” Aston Martin was last year, this is still a nearly $40,000 rise. Is $40,000 better? Yes, of course. Without a doubt, yes. In every way, you can tell that something has changed, and this update is big enough to be called a new age.
Aston Martins are more exciting than any 911, but the Vantage will have to compete with the around $200,000 GT3 and Turbo models at the top of the Porsche 911 line. The McLaren Artura is another high-performance choice, but its mid-engine layout could be more useful. It might be fun to wait for the next Mercedes-Benz AMG GT.
The new Aston Martin DB12 should appeal to people who like more luxurious grand tours. It has a lot more power and better handling than the previous generation of DBs. Maserati Gran Turismo, which was just updated, gives it a very Italian feel.
The beautiful looks and lively sounds of earlier Aston Martin cars were sure to get people’s attention, but the new Vantage gives them much-needed depth and polish. In every way, it can now compete with the best racing coupes.
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