At the forefront of the update is an 11% boost in power to 420hp and a 15% rise in torque to 470Nm. The gains come from an additional 0.4L of displacement, bringing the V8 engine up to 4.7L. The new power and more responsive mid-range brings 0-60mph times down to just 4.7s and lets the Vantage carry on to a top speed of 180mph.
Because Aston is not a full-line car maker, and therefore doesn't have a minicar to help improve its overall emissions and fuel consumption figures, the company has put a lot of energy into improving the efficiency of its engines. Even with the significant rise in power and performance, the new engine also improves fuel economy and CO2 emissions by 13%, helped in part by the improved Sportshift transmission.
But the update isn't solely mechanical - there are significant upgrades inside the cabin as well. A revised center console houses new switchgear, and a new ECU replaces the previous model's 'V8 Vantage' key. The ECU is a construction of glass, stainless steel and polycarbonate that functions as a key, though it is not one by any classical definition. It was first used on the 2007 DBS. Other interior upgrades include a hard disk-based navigation system that features full iPod or MP3 player integration and improved graphics.
On the outside, a new range of 19-inch alloy wheels will let the aficionado spot the new model from a distance, though it will carry on with the V8 Vantage's winning looks otherwise.
Reader Comments
Fri May 23 2008 5:19 AM
HECTOR says
Beautiful. Looks ljust like every other Aston Martin.
Aston is like Porsche which has 17 variants of the 911. Except i can pretty much tell them apart, more or less.
Fri May 23 2008 7:37 AM
burke says
That's typical of a classic car. Little changes in appearance, but improved performance and refinements every year. Will this car be able to outperform Porsche 911 this time??? I don't think so.
Fri May 23 2008 8:40 AM
Alan says
i don't think it'll beat 911 or the R8, but an Aston is just so much cooler than either of them, sounds a lot better too.
However, looks like all of Aston's line up has now switched to the ECU replacing a standard key. I really don't get it, it might seemed like a cool idea at first but it's not, i find it going bit too far and trying to be cool, wish they had spend that money on more power instead. BUt the thing that annoys me the most about ECU is without a doubt the name, Emotion Control Unit..... what were they thinking???
Fri May 23 2008 9:43 AM
wang lee says
Excuse me, but could you please tell me how do you read "porsche 911"? Do you read "nine eleven", or "nine one one", or "nine double one", or something else?
Thank you :)
Fri May 23 2008 9:48 AM
admin says
"Nine eleven"
Fri May 23 2008 10:06 AM
wang lee says
Thank you. I've just attended for an interview of Porsche, lucky to have the right reading.
and, Aston Martin do have a great shape, though I'm afraid I can't tell it from a Mercedes SL, let alone its face...
Fri May 23 2008 11:22 AM
Gus says
Aston Martin and Jaguar XK, the best shapes out there right now.
Sat May 24 2008 12:26 PM
Trevor says
I like it, finally that car gets some real grunt to it.
Should be more exciting to drive now...
Always a gorgeous car...
One of the finest designs ever
Mon Jul 7 2008 1:28 PM
Gary says
One of the best gets even better. Astons are about much more than speed alone! They just have great "presence"... What the British call "Bespoke".
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