Aston Martin turns up the volume with new Vantage S

Drive the latest Aston Martin Vantage and you’re unlikely to think it needs more power. But that’s exactly what the company has done, with a new variant called the Vantage S.

Revealed today, 9 July, the Vantage S will receive its public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend. The car has the same twin-turbocharged, 4.0-litre V8 engine as the regular Vantage, but power has been increased slightly from 665 to 680 PS, equaling Aston’s larger grand tourer, the DB12.

Torque for the S remains the same as the Vantage, at 800 Nm, but the extra power has reduced the 0-62 mph (100 km/h) time from 3.4 to 3.3 seconds. The zero to 124 mph (200 km/h) sprint takes 10.1 seconds and the top speed remains unchanged at 202 mph.

Following soon after the launch of the DBX S, Aston Martin says the new Vantage S has a refined and calibrated throttle pedal weight, with a response “aligned with ‘S’ characteristics.” Aston Martin explains: “By offering a resistance matched to a drive-by-wire throttle map bespoke to ‘S’, and tuned for each of the drive modes, Vantage S delivers an even greater sense of connection with all controls working in harmony.”

Further calibration changes have been made to the powertrain, with improvements to the standard Vantage’s launch control system helping to shave 0.1 seconds from the 0-62 mph time. The new S model also has changes to its suspension hardware, in a bid to increase front-end feel and low-speed ride quality, while the engine mounts and software have been further tweaked to “bring greater agility along with improvements in feel, driver engagement and composure,” Aston says.

I’m pleased to see Aston Martin is looking at ways to improve the Vantage’s low-speed ride comfort, which is something I felt the standard car struggled with when I drove it in 2024.

Design changes for the Vantage S include new, centrally-mounted bonnet blades, finished in gloss black or a carbon fibre twill, and designed to extract more air from the V8 engine, whose turbochargers are mounted between the ‘V’ of the cylinders. At the rear, the S is equipped with a full-width spoiler that is said to increase rear downforce by 44 kg – albeit at 202 mph – to a total of 111 kg. Other aerodynamic changes include a greater bias towards the front, aiding turn-in response, plus a new front air dam and Venturi vanes along the underside of the floor.

One of the biggest visual changes is the red detailing around the leading edges of the front splitter, side sills and rear diffuser. This is joined by red detailing on the unique wheels, and red ‘S’ badges on the front fenders.

Inside, the cabin gains a set of ‘S’ badges, and a pair of unique seats finished in leather and Alcantara with carbon fibre inlays and ‘S’ logos stitched into the headrests. Lastly, the drive mode selector – which surrounds the engine start/stop button in the centre of the cabin – can be specified in a red or silver anodised finish. The Vantage S will make its dynamic debut at Goodwood this week, and is available to offer now in both coupe and convertible Roadster body styles. Deliveries are expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2025.