Sporting a historic nameplate and Mercedes-AMG-derived power, the latest Aston Martin Vantage is aimed squarely at the Porsche 911
Words: Jon Burgess
‘Vantage’ traditionally stood for higher output, having been made available as a variant of every Aston saloon since the DB2 got a high-compression Vantage option in 1950.
The 2005 V8 Vantage (VH) redefined the sector for Aston Martin, however; no longer were its cars just pillowy GTs that were excused in hushed tones among the right crowd (with no crowding). Thanks to Prodrive’s involvement, serious enthusiasts could buy an Aston Martin and not feel short-changed dynamically.
That Vertical-Horizontal (VH) series Vantage, across 24 variants and 12 years, was Aston Martin’s most successful car; volume produced, with race success aplenty, a raw 2009 V12 variant further extended the performance of the breed.
It was a successful formula, and design director Marek Reichman and team knew it. Imbuing the 2018 Vantage (AM6) with the look of the track-only Vulcan and Spectre limited-run DB10 lent the new car an air of exclusivity; as the 2005 Vantage was to the DB9’s VH hull, so too did the AM6 Vantage use the DB11’s AM extruded platform (albeit with around a 70 per cent difference in componentry).
There was no issue of grunt the second time around: the Vantage received the 503bhp twin-turbo M177 4.0-litre Mercedes-AMG V8 that would later appear in the DBX, which turned out to have plenty in reserve, as the DBX 707 demonstrated. The competition had moved on compared to the early Noughties; back then, Aston and Prodrive offered customers more power (in 4.3 and 4.7-litre guises). Forced induction and a technical partnership with Mercedes-Benz also allowed the new Vantage AM6 to keep with the times, inside and out. Like the DB11 and later DBX, infotainment systems were also shared between the firms, even if the graphical user interfaces used were simply reskins of the next-to-last generation pieces used in outgoing Mercedes-AMGs.
AMR (Aston Martin Racing) iterations were a relatively new breed of car; introduced right at the end of the VH Vantage’s life, Gaydon wasted no time in applying the moniker to the Vantage AM6, and by 2019 had a prototype appear at that year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. AMR, last seen applied to 2018’s Rapide AMR, would be developed further into the track specific AMR Pro sub-brand for the likes of the ‘V Bomber’ Vulcan and Valkyrie hyper cars. It was this generation’s ‘Vantage’ specification, further stratified and developed for the new age of Aston Martins.
For the Vantage AM6, however, AMR gave the car a seven-speed Graziano manual gearbox, dispensing with the eight-speed automatic found in the standard car. While the 503bhp V8 remained, a limited-slip differential and adaptive dampers further improved the mechanical specification, along with 20-inch wheels last seen on the Rapide AMR. 200 units were built, and the model acted as gatekeeper for the Graziano manual, which later became an option on the standard Vantage.
2020 was a significant year for the Vantage; not only was its nameplate 70 years old but it saw the release of the fabric-topped Vantage Roadster. A month before DBX production began, and with Aston’s share price recovering, the firm bid farewell to its CEO, Dr Andy Palmer; later that tear, Mercedes-Benz also increased its stake in Aston, from five per cent of 2013, to 20 per cent.
As the Vantage AMR held back the seven-speed Graziano manual for later in the production run, so too the V12 Speedster did for Aston’s 5.2-litre V12 engine, shoehorned in from the DB11-derived DBS Superleggera albeit with less power than Aston’s flagship. A March 2020 release saw 88 units sold; the car itself, a fair-weather companion, took its inspiration from the two-unit 2013 CC100 Speedster (VH) built in observance of Aston’s centenary.
Aston’s marketing teams further busied themselves with other anniversaries: the Vantage 007 Edition paid homage to the V8 Vantage saloon in 1987’s The Living Daylights, sprayed in the same Cumberland Grey with a special grille. No gadgets (that was left to the special Works DB5 Continuation cars) but 100 were made alongside a 25-car run of DBS Superleggera 007 Editions.
As 2021 rolled around, Aston Martin’s public involvement in Formula 1 took a leap forward. Its work with Adrian Newey and Red Bull Racing in the Valkyrie was finally paying dividends as the first customer cars rolled out of Gaydon (it had sponsored Red Bull since 2018) – and the Vantage, alongside the DBX, became a F1 Safety Car. Earlier that year, billionaire Lawrence Stroll had increased his stake in Aston Martin Holdings, and the Vantage F1 Edition went on sale in recognition of Aston’s increasing involvement in the sport.
Using a standard paddle shift eight-speed Vantage as its basis, the F1 Edition got a remap, upping power from 503 to 528 bhp. Aerodynamic tweaks to the underbody, a larger reshaped nose (that resembled the DBX 707) and a rear wing generated 200kg more downforce; reworked dampers, 21-inch wheels and a special central stripe running the length of the car completed the package; a Roadster variant was also made available.
Cars were leaving Gaydon and St Athan; sales were up, Aston’s publicly traded stock was weak but slowly recovering – and there was trouble, yet again, at the top. Then CEO and CTO, Tobias Moers, appeared in a promotional video in March 2022 bidding farewell to the last Vantage to use a twin turbo V12; at long last, the 5.2-litre ‘AE31’ twin turbo unit from the DB11 had finally found its way into an AM6, albeit with 690bhp, more powerful than the DB11 AMR. Moers confirmed the build list of 333 units, carbon ceramic brakes, aerodynamic upgrades, and Q By Aston Martin personalisation options. By May, Moers, who stayed at Aston in an unspecified role, had been replaced at the helm of Aston Martin by two ex-Ferrari men: Amedeo Felisa and Roberto Fideli.
Aston Martin Vantage (AM6) timeline
2017-2018
V8 and V12 Vantage (VH) ends production; after 12 years and 24 variants, the car has been Aston’s most successful model to date
2018
Vantage AM6 launched with eight-speed automatic and 4.0-litre twin turbo Mercedes-AMG engine. Aston sponsors Red Bull F1 cars
2019
200-car run of seven-speed manual Vantage AMR released. Manual becomes an option on the V8 Vantage after these cars sell out
2020
Vantage Roadster, 88 car limited edition, V12 Speedster released, with detuned V12 from DBS Superleggera. Andy Palmer steps down as CEO; DBX production begins at St Athan; Mercedes-Benz increases allowable stake in Aston Martin
2021
Lawrence Stroll increases stake in Aston Martin; V8 Vantage becomes F1 Safety Car; 528bhp F1 Edition released as coupe and Roadster, with better aero and larger wheels
First Valkyrie models leave for customers in late 2021
2022
V12 Vantage finally revealed, with 5.2-litre, 690bhp, twin-turbocharged AE31 V12, carbon-ceramic brakes, a revised aerodynamic package and Q By Aston Martin options. 333 unit build confirmed
Tobias Moers steps down as CEO/CTO, stays at Aston in an unspecified role
