With showroom appearances due next year, we’re approaching the official unveil of the next Aston Martin Vantage, a car which marks a pivotal point in the British sports car maker’s current roadmap as it will be the first car to be powered by a Mercedes-AMG engine.
That new (to Aston Martin but familiar to the rest of us) motor is clearly audible in the video below, the semi-frenetic rumble of the 4.0-litre unit that originated in the AMG GT is a sound signature we’ve become accustomed to, and seems fitting in the similarly proportioned Vantage.
Visually, and despite all the camouflage, the car here does bear a rather close resemblance to the DB11 currently on the market, and Aston has likely used a shorted version of their larger GT’s body to hide the final shape of the upcoming Vantage. Shame, as even the test mule looks like very attractive car underneath.
The AMG powerplant will likely be classified under a different engine ID than the M178/M177 it’s currently known as (the former uses dry-sump lubrication) and should be offered in two states of tune in the Aston Martin. The standard Vantage’s power output should power around 373kW (500hp) while the quicker Vantage S could see a bump to 410kW (550hp).
Though technically identical, engine should also behave somewhat differently as it’s pegged to be running under Aston Martin’s own engine management software. Above the V8-powered of the Vantage, the Gaydon-based automaker is also planning on rolling out an even more potent V12 version with the same 5.2-litre twin-turbocharged unit from the DB11 to replace the current 6.0-litre naturally aspirated engine.
As for transmissions, Aston Martin is likely to adopt the 7-speed dual-clutch automatic from Mercedes-AMG, the same used by its new German powertrain partners to transmit power in the AMG GT and ’63 variants of their sedans/coupes. Additionally, a manual transmission is also likely to be offered.
Following the Vantage’s release next year to round out their core cars, Aston Martin can then focus on other models such as refreshed versions of the Vanquish and Rapide as well as add totally new models to the range such as the DBX luxury SUV/crossover.
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