British car maker Aston Martin launched three new cars on Monday, in an unprecedented step for the luxury and high-performance brand.
The company unveiled the new Vantage, Aston Martin's quintessential sports car, which has been at the heart of the brand for 74 years.
Alongside the new Vantage, the car maker also revealed its latest Formula One car and the competitive racing model of the Vantage, the Vantage GT3, which will be seen at several of the world's prestigious endurance events, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June this year.
'Authentic, unadulterated celebration'
Describing it as the most driver-focused and fastest Vantage ever, Aston Martin called it “an authentic, unadulterated celebration of pure performance, engineered to deliver maximum thrills with maximum confidence”.
The unveiling of the new Vantage follows last year's introduction of the DB12 Coupe and Volante, all of which have strengthened Aston Martin's position as a leading manufacturer of ultra-luxury, performance sports cars.
Aston Martin first used the Vantage name in 1950, in conjunction with an uprated engine package for the race-proven DB2. As a brand name, Vantage came into its own in 1964 when a high-performance Vantage-badged version of the DB5 became the new flagship of the range.
By the early 1970s Vantage was a stand-alone model, which the company says became “synonymous with immaculate style, unforgettable performance and inimitable character.”
“As we enter a period of pivotal change in the world of high-performance cars it is essential to remain true to those qualities upon which a legendary marque has been built,” said Aston Martin chief executive, Amedeo Felisa.
“Any car bearing the Vantage name has much to live-up to, which is why this newest model makes an unwavering commitment to high-performance in its purest and most explicit form.
“Class-leading power and speed establish its credentials, but it is through expert application of the latest technologies to the Vantage’s perfectly balanced front-engine rear-drive chassis that we have created a sports car with addictive capability. Together with assertive styling, all-new interior and state-of-the-art infotainment, Vantage is world-class in every respect”.
'Thrilling experience'
The new Vantage's heavily reworked, hand-built 4.0 Twin-Turbo V8 engine, provides vastly increased levels of power and torque, compared to its immediate predecessor.
Indeed, peaks of 665PS and 800Nm of torque, give the new Vantage jumps of 30 per cent and 15 per cent, in power and torque respectively, compared to the model it succeeds.
This means the new Vantage will reach a top speed of 202mph (325kph) and can go from zero to 60mph (96.5kph) in just 3.4 seconds.
Such numbers have been achieved through the fitting of a new launch control system which, when engaged by the driver, allows the car to deploy as much torque as conditions allow, using the Electronic Rear Differential (E-Diff), Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) slip control and engine torque management to keep wheel slip in the optimal range throughout the launch.
For Aston Martin the new Vantage is “a car that welcomes real drivers in and invites them to explore the limits. It will reward skilled driving but doesn’t depend upon it to deliver a thrilling experience”.
“The art of creating a truly great sports car in 2024 is applying cutting-edge technology in a way that enhances and intensifies the driving experience yet does nothing to remove the driver from the process of driving,” said Roberto Fedeli, chief technical officer at Aston Martin.
“Vantage will make headlines for the huge increases in power and torque over the outgoing model, but it’s the vivid way in which it deploys such immense performance that will seduce enthusiasts and purists.”
Formula One
The thoroughbred in the Aston Martin stable unveiled on Monday was its new Formula One car, the AMR24, which is the marque's challenger for the 2024 FIA World Championship.
With the AMR24, the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One team will be seeking to build on its best-ever season in 2023, where it claimed nine podiums and 280 Championship points under the driving duo of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. The AMR24 will make its debut at the Bahrain Grand Prix in a few weeks time.
“Over recent years we have already seen the sport of Formula One have a transformative impact on our brand, attracting new customers to Aston Martin and driving reappraisal of our products,” said Lawrence Stroll, executive chairman of Aston Martin.
“Boosted by a highly competitive F1 team, the synergy with high-performance motorsport technologies is something we can maximise even further through our next generation of sports cars and endurance motorsport strategy.”
Vantage GT3
Meanwhile, the company is aiming to “write a new chapter in Aston Martin’s illustrious motorsport history” with the Vantage GT3.
The new model has quite an act to follow in GT racing – Aston Martin's Vantage GTE scored 52 class wins and 11 world titles between 2012 and 2023.
For Mr Stroll, unveiling three new cars on one day is unprecedented for Aston Martin at Silverstone, the home of British motorsport, and demonstrates “our ambition to be a leading force in F1 and create the world’s finest and most thrilling sports cars”.
“Over recent years we have already seen the sport of Formula One have a transformative impact on our brand, attracting new customers to Aston Martin and driving reappraisal of our products,” Mr Stroll added.
“Boosted by a highly competitive F1 team, the synergy with high-performance motorsport technologies is something we can maximise even further through our next generation of sports cars and endurance motorsport strategy.
