Revealed: Aston Martin Vantage S

V8 Vantage range gets new flagship model

Aston Martin has popped a cherry on the top of its V8 Vantage range-cake in the form of this, the new V8 Vantage S.

Intended, says Aston, to 'bridge the gap between road car and race car', the new Vantage S gains only a modest 10bhp and 15lb ft over the regular car, bringing peak poke of the 4.7-litre V8 to 430bhp at 7300rpm, and torque to 361lb ft at 5000rpm. Mind you, there are plenty of other performance-oriented tweaks to justify the 'S' tag.

Most significant is the introduction of a brand-new seven-speed transmission, dubbed Sportshift II, which has been specifically designed for the Vantage S with short ratio gears to 'deliver the most engaging and intense driver involvement'.

The new automated manual transmission is apparently 20 per cent quicker to shift than the original Sportshift 'box, while the extra gear permits shorter ratios, to help keep the car closer to the engine's optimum torque. Aston also reckons there are inherent benefits of a single-clutch system in that it reduces complexity and weight over a dual-clutch transmission.

Dynamic revisions to the Vantage S include a quickened steering rack ratio of 15:1 (compared with 17:1 on the standard car), larger diameter front brake discs with new six-piston front brake callipers, new springs and dampers and wider rear wheels (complete with a set of bespoke Bridgestone tyres).

The dynamic stability control (DSC) system has been specifically tuned to the Vantage S, while the car also gets a new brake module that includes Hydraulic Brake Assist (HBA) and Hill Start Assist (HSA).

Visual tweaks involve a new lower front bumper with a larger air intake finished in carbon fibre. The splitter, meanwhile, combined with the extended bootlid 'flip', provides increased downforce at speed. New 19-inch 'V' spoke wheel styles are also standard, with an optional 10-spoke lightweight forged wheel available as an alternative. Oh, and there's a new rear bumper and side sills.

Specification

Body:

Two-seat, two-door coupe or soft-cover convertible top body style
Extruded bonded aluminium VH body structure
Aluminium, magnesium alloy, composite and steel body
Extruded aluminium door side-impact beams
Halogen projector headlamps (main beam)
High Intensity Discharge headlamps (dipped beam)
LED rear lamps
Clear rear lamps
Carbon fibre front splitter and rear diffuser

Engine:

All-alloy quad overhead camshaft, 32-valve 4735 cc V8
Front mid-mounted engine, rear-wheel drive
Fully catalysed stainless steel exhaust system with active bypass valves
Compression ratio 11.3:1
Maximum Power 321 kW (430 bhp / 436 PS) at 7300 rpm
Maximum Torque 490 Nm (361 lb.ft) at 5000 rpm
Acceleration 0-60 mph tbc; 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) tbc
Maximum Speed 189 mph (305 km/h)

Transmission:

Rear mid-mounted ‘Sportshift II’ 7-speed single clutch automated manual transmission
Alloy torque tube with carbon fibre propeller shaft
Limited slip differential
Final Drive Ratio 4.182:1

Steering:

Rack and pinion, Servotronic speed-sensitive power-assisted steering, 2.6 turns lock-to-lock
Column tilt and reach adjustment.

Wheels & tyres

19” V-Sspoke cast alloy silver painted wheels with diamond turned finish
Front8.5J x 19” Bridgestone Potenza RE050 245/40 R19
Rear 10.0J x 19” Bridgestone Potenza RE050 285/35 R19

Suspension:

Front Independent double wishbones incorporating anti-dive geometry, coil springs, anti-roll bar and monotube dampers
Rear Independent double wishbones with anti- squat and anti-lift geometry, coil springs, anti-roll bar and monotube dampers

Brakes:

Front Ventilated and grooved two-piece floating discs, 380mm diameter with six piston calipers
Rear Ventilated and grooved steel discs, 330mm diameter with four piston calipers
Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)
Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)
Emergency Brake Assist (EBA)
Hydraulic Brake Assist (HBA)
Positive Torque Control (PTC)
Hill Start Assist (HSA)
Traction Control

Interior:

Full grain leather interior
Weave Alloy facia trim
Iridium Silver centre console outer finish and Graphite inner finish
Leather-trimmed sports steering wheel
Embroidered ‘Vantage S’ seat logo
Embroidered ‘Vantage S’ carpet logo
Electrically operated Sports seats with side airbags
Dual-stage driver and passenger front airbags
Heated rear screen
Automatic temperature control
Organic Electroluminescent (OEL) displays
Trip computer
Cruise control
Bluetooth telephone preparation¹
Glass ECU
LED map lamps
Rear parking sensors
Powerfold exterior heated mirrors
Tyre-pressure monitoring
Alarm and immobiliser
Remote-controlled central door locking and boot release
Tracking device (UK only)³
Anodised black ‘S’ theme tread plates

In Car Entertainment:

160 W Aston Martin audio system with six-CD autochanger
Integrated Apple iPod^® connector⁴
USB connector with Waveform Audio Format (WAF), Windows Media Player (WMA) and MPEG (MP3) audio file compatibility

Exterior Options:

V-Spoke cast alloy graphite painted wheels with diamond turned finish
10-Spoke forged alloy silver painted wheels with diamond turned finish
10-Spoke forged alloy graphite painted wheels with diamond turned finish
Bright finish grille
Carbon fibre side strakes
Magnum Silver bonnet and side stake meshes
Alternative brake caliper finish – black, red, silver
Front parking sensors
Delete ‘Vantage S’ model badging
Delete protective tape

Interior Options:

Lightweight seats with six-way electrical adjustment (does not include side airbags; not available in USA or Canada)¹
Memory front seats and exterior mirrors (three positions)
Heated seats (included as standard with Lightweight seats)
ISOFIX and fixed height passenger seat (Sports seats only)
Alternative facia trim finishes – Prism Alloy, Piano Black, Piano Black Interior Pack
Alcantara trimmed steering wheel
Auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror
Auto dimming interior rear view mirror with garage door opener¹
Hard Disk Drive (HDD) satellite navigation system^1,2
700 W Aston Martin Premium Audio system with Dolby® Pro Logic II®
1000 W Bang & Olufsen BeoSound audio system with ICEpower^®technology
Satellite radio system (USA and Canada only)
Alarm upgrade (volumetric and tilt sensor)
Tracking device^1,3
Second glass ECU
Delete embroidered ‘Vantage S’ seat logo
Delete embroidered ‘Vantage S’ carpet logo
Personalised sill plaques
Wind deflector (Roadster only)
First aid kit
Ashtray and cigar lighter
Boot mounted umbrella