The new 656hp Aston Martin Vantage is the fastest one ever made

Aston Martin has launched an all-new Vantage, their latest luxury sports car with 656hp and 800Nm of torque to become the fastest and most driver-focused Vantage in Aston Martin's history.

First, the headline figures. The new Vantage is fitted with a 4-litre, twin-turbo V8 that produces 656hp and a monstrous 800Nm of torque, a 30 per cent and 15per cent bump up over the outgoing Vantage respectively. The power is sent to the rear wheels only through an 8-speed ZF automatic gearbox with a shorter final drive to increase driving pleasure. There's still enough gear to get from 0-100km/h in just 3.4 seconds on your way to a top speed of 325km/h. 

The Vantage has also been treated to a complete redesign. The new-look front end has added cooling and aerodynamic functionalities, while still looking as refined and elegant as an Aston should with hints of the One-77 supercar from years ago. The car is also 30mm wider than before overall, resulting in a more muscular stance. 

The new Vantage also features perfect 50:50 weight distribution and a bonded aluminium body structure for reduced weight and added stiffness. The dampers of the new Vantage have received precise calibration to ensure an inherently sporty feel while still maintaining progression through the various drive modes. 

To maximise front-end grip and steering response, the Vantage will ship with special Michelin Pilot Sport 5S tyres made specifically for Aston Martin. The 275/35 front and 325/30 rear tyres will be wrapped around 21-inch forged alloy wheels as standard. Other standard equipment includes cast-iron 400mm front and 360mm rear brakes though carbon ceramic brakes that save 27kg in unsprung weight available as an option. 

Aston Martin has focused on an advanced vehicle dynamics control system as a new key ingredient in the Vantage's handling capabilities. While it remains to see how well it works in person, Aston claims the system is able to take information from multiple car and driver sensors and apply that information to manage the ESP system as needed. Other handling innovations on the new Vantage include an Electronic Rear Differential, Brake Slip Vectoring, and Adjustable Traction Control.

The interior of the new Vantage has also been redesigned with luxury, elegance, and useability in mind. An array of physical switches have been chosen over touchpads/haptic buttons, bucking the trend seen in many other cars. 

A hand-stitched Bridge of Weir leather interior brings an air of opulence to the cabin where the occupants can enjoy being cosseted by the supple material. Passengers will also be able to enjoy their music played through either the standard Aston Martin sound system or the optional Bowers & Wilkins 15-speaker, double-amplified, 1,170W surround sound system. 

The new Vantage will also feature Aston Martin's in-house infotainment system first seen in the DB12 with connectivity options for iOS and Android devices available. The infotainment system will be controllable through a 10.25-inch touchscreen display mounted in the centre of the dashboard.

The new Aston Martin Vantage may make its first appearance in Singapore in Q2 as part of an Asian tour, while the local launch is expected to be in Q3. 

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This article was first published in Motorist.