A Brief History of the Aston Martin Vantage
2005: The Vantage, redefined
The last few years of the 20th century saw the Vantage name border on overuse; in addition to being a blunt, aging flagship, it was also used on “Project Vantage,” a concept car version of what would become the first Aston Martin Vanquish, and return briefly to its mid-century roots as a performance signifier for DB models when it was slapped on the new 12-cylinder DB7, known as DB7 V12 Vantage.
As that model was heading into the history books, however, a whole new type of Vantage was taking shape. At the 2003 Detroit Auto Show, Aston revealed the AMV8 Vantage concept — a svelte, two-seat coupe that was more sports car than the brand’s previous grand touring-focused machines had been, and would serve as a new entry-level model below the equally new DB9 gran turismo. Two years later, the production version was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, looking almost identical to the initial vision — its taut, clean lines and aggressive proportions still every bit worthy of a concept car dream.
Power at launch came from a 4.3-liter V-8 derived from the one found in Jaguars of the day (as both brands were owned by Ford at the time), making 380 horsepower and 302 lb-ft of torque and tied to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox — a combination potent enough to sling the car from 0 to 60 in a hair over five seconds in Car and Driver’s testing, and push the Vantage to a claimed top speed of 175 mph.
But Aston didn’t let its new Vantage rest on its laurels. The brand rolled out a six-speed sequential manual gearbox option called Sportshift, for those who preferred paddles to clutch pedals. A roadster version followed soon after, reaching production in early 2007. Come 2008, the carmaker gave it a gentle refresh in 2008 that saw the V-8 expand to 4.7 liters and power grow to 420 hp and 347 lb-ft — upgrades which C/D saw shave the 0-60 time down to 4.3 seconds (Owners of existing cars were offered the chance for a “Power Upgrade” package, which pushed the 4.3-liter motor to 400 hp and 310 lb-ft.)
In 2009, however, came a much bigger change under the hood, with the arrival of the mighty 5.9-liter V-12 from the DBS super-coupe for a new V12 Vantage meant to exist alongside the 8 version. The 12-cylinder engine ramped out 510 hp and 420 lb-ft, while edgier aero front and rear and a new hood laden with vents hinted at the power hiding in the car’s compact package.
2011 saw yet another addition to the range, in the form of the Vantage S; designed to be a more sporting eight-cylinder version, it saw a dash more power from its 4.7-liter V-8 — new totals of 430 hp and 361 lb-ft — but the bigger news was the sharpened steering, stiffer suspension and a new seven-speed sequential manual that was lighter than the old six-speed. The V8 Vantage S, in turn, was followed in 2013 by the V12 Vantage S, which applied the same formula to the 12-cylinder model; it scored a more notable power upgrade, however, with the 5.9-liter V-12 turned up to 565 hp and 457 lb-ft.
By 2016, the Vantage had been on sale for more than a decade, and it was growing long in the tooth; by contrast, its Porsche 911 Turbo rival had gone through three generations in that time. Still, Aston had one last trick up its sleeve to keep buyers interested: a manual for the V12 Vantage S, and an unconventional one at that. The seven-speed stick used a dogleg layout, with first gear tucked off down at the bottom-left to create a straight shot between second and third — the idea being that drivers on the boil shift between those two cogs far more than they do between first and second. A gimmick, perhaps, but one that kept the aging Vantage in enthusiasts’ hearts for a little bit longer.
