HomeAston Martin Vantage S: new British supercar breaks cover at Goodwood

Aston Martin Vantage S: new British supercar breaks cover at Goodwood

Starting with the new 2025 Vantage S, which debuts at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, we tell the story of a British institution.

July 12, 2025

New Aston Martin Vantage S revealed
© Aston Martin
Aston Martin’s junior supercar has shifted up a gear with the arrival of the Vantage S. Making its debut at the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed, the new flagship Vantage boasts sportier styling, more power and sharper dynamics. It’s available in coupe and Roadster body styles, too. Read on for what you need to know about the Vantage S, followed by the Aston Martin Vantage story so far.
2025 Aston Martin Vantage S
© Aston Martin
You can recognise the Vantage S by its carbon fibre bonnet blades and subtle rear lip spoiler. There are also brass ‘S’ badges on the front wings, a new splitter and optional Y-spoke alloy wheels with red accents. The 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 hasn’t been ignored, either. It gains an extra 15hp, for 680hp in total – sufficient for 0-62mph in 3.4 seconds and a 204mph maximum.
2025 Aston Martin Vantage S
© Aston Martin
The quickest current Vantage also has recalibrated adaptive dampers for greater cornering poise: apparently achieved without sacrificing ride comfort. Inside, you will find satin carbon fibre trim, ‘S’ logos on the seats and sill covers, and even the option of racy red seatbelts. The car will be in action on the Goodwood hill climb at the Festival of Speed all weekend.
Back to the beginning
© Aston Martin
Now let’s rewind to the very beginning. One of Aston Martin’s most famous badges, ‘Vantage’ was first introduced as an equipment specification in 1960 – then eventually became a car in its own right. To date, more than 40,000 vehicles have sported the name during 75 years of sports cars.
Aston Martin DB2 with Vantage Specification
© Aston Martin
Vantage began as an optional upgrade for DB2 buyers. From day one, it was associated with performance. ‘Vantage Specification’ in historic Aston Martins essentially means an uprated engine.
DB2 Vantage: Le Mans-proven power
© Aston Martin
In the case of the DB2, that meant SU HV6 carburettors and 8.16:1 compression. This upped the 2.6-litre Lagonda engine’s power by around 20hp to more than 125hp. A press release said: ‘On the 1951 Earl’s Court stand will be displayed two DB.II saloons, one fitted with the Vantage engine. The high-speed regularity of which was demonstrated so forcibly at Le Mans this year and last’.
Aston Martin DB4 Vantage
© Aston Martin
The next of the DBs to get the Vantage treatment was the DB4. Vantage spec gave it uprated carburettors, revised heads, bigger valves and more compression. It shows its Vantage-ness on the outside, too. The DB4 Vantage wears the fared-in headlights of the GT racer, as well as bright aluminium trim.
DB4 Vantage: Ad-vantage Mr Bond
© Aston Martin
Some of the ‘DB5’ shots in Goldfinger – the famous first flirtation between Aston Martin and James Bond – were actually filmed using DB4s. Specifically, the car was a later DB4 Series V Vantage, referred to by Aston Martin as ‘effectively a prototype DB5’. The DB4 was also the basis for the ‘gadget car’.
Aston Martin DB5 Vantage
© Aston Martin
By now, the Vantage was established as a high-performance variant, so the DB5 was sure to follow suit. Its triple-Weber 4.0-litre engine is good for 330hp – 40hp more than the standard car. However, the Vantage-spec DB5 was far less popular than its predecessor. Just 68 of the saloons were specified as such, along with only eight convertibles.
DB5 Vantage: ‘Rapid acceleration, higher speeds ensured’
© Aston Martin
Over the years, however, Vantage Specification became a popular modification for DB5s. The appearance of a physical ‘Vantage’ badge began with the DB5, too. Revealing the DB5 at the 1965 Geneva Motor Show, an Aston Martin press release read: ‘with this extra power, more rapid acceleration and higher average speeds are ensured’.
Aston Martin DB6 Vantage
© Aston Martin
The formula was now established, and the more spacious DB6 Vantage was offered with similar upgrades. It even retained its DB5 Vantage predecessor’s 330hp output. These cars, like the DB5, are very rare and desirable today.
Aston Martin DBS Vantage
© Aston Martin
Towards the end of the 1960s, change was on the way for Aston. The arrival of the DBS added muscle car looks (penned by William Towns) to a previously curvaceous range. When it came to upgrading the straight-six engine, Vantage Specification introduced more aggressive camshafts.
AM Vantage
© Aston Martin
The Vantage evolved in 1972, pushing the DBS aside to become a new model – rather than merely a trim level. Oddly, though, the AM Vantage was the least potent car Aston Martin offered at the time.
Aston Martin V8 Vantage
© Aston Martin
After that came the V8 Vantage, the name we all know. ‘Britain’s first supercar’ debuted in 1977, with a top speed of 170mph, plus Ferrari-beating acceleration. High-performance cams, increased compression, larger valves and bigger carbs gave the Lagonda V8 more muscle. Vantage was back!
AM V8: ‘a true British bruiser’
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Indeed, car magazines at the time compared the V8 Vantage to the Lamborghini Countach, Ferrari 512 BB and Porsche 911 Turbo. While 380hp is what they are understood to have produced today, back then Aston Martin simply said power was ‘adequate’.
V8 Vantage: Embracing aero, re-introducing Zagato
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Such was the V8 Vantage’s performance, much of its design was dictated by aerodynamics. An air dam, large spoiler and blanked-off grille are trademarks of Aston’s original muscle car. Towards the end of its reign, Zagato got hold of it for a re-body and weight-loss programme, with one eye on the racetrack.
Aston Martin V8 Vantage Supercharged
© Aston Martin
The 1990s saw Aston take the V8 Vantage’s status as Britain’s homegrown supercar to a new level. What became known as the Vantage Supercharged featured a twin-supercharged V8 with more than 550hp. Heady stuff in 1993…
Supercharged Vantage: the ‘brute in a suit’
© Aston Martin
It needed the power, though. At 1,990kg, the Vantage was no featherweight, but 362mm disc brakes with four-piston AP Racing callipers helped slow it down. They were the biggest brakes of any road car at the time.
V8 Vantage V600 Le Mans
© Aston Martin
The supercharged Vantage moved through V600 and Le Mans special editions, bumping up power and improving handling. Just 40 V600 Le Mans models were made, with lightweight wheels, uprated suspension and revised gearing, plus a power output in excess of 600hp. It marked 40 years (in 1999) since Aston’s 1959 Le Mans win. What some refer to as the last truly hand-built Aston Martin went out of production in 2000.
Aston Martin DB7 V12 Vantage
© Aston Martin
While Vantage as a model line died in 2000, Vantage as a specification had been reintroduced a year before. It was a return to the name’s origins, but up another level. Instead of fettling the DB7’s straight-six, Aston dropped in a new 6.0-litre V12. With just over 420hp, this engine had a way to go before it reached its 600hp+ final form.
Aston Martin AMV8 Concept
© Aston Martin
In 2003, with the successful introduction of the DB9 as an Aston Martin for the new millennium, the firm turned its attention to the Vantage model line once again. Unlike the brutes of the 1990s, the AMV8 Concept of 2003 previewed a sinewy entry-level sports car.
Aston Martin V8 Vantage
© Aston Martin
Based on the ‘VH’ architecture of the DB9, the V8 Vantage was revealed in 2005. It was almost identical to the beautiful AMV8 that previewed it, and there wasn’t a supercharger in sight. With a revvy 380hp 4.3-litre V8, plus a kerb weight of just 1,570kg, the car was now an athlete. A soft-top Vantage Roadster followed in 2007.
Aston Martin Vantage: 4.7 V8 and V12
© Aston Martin
Aston Martin didn’t stop there, though. Many variants of the Vantage followed, including a boost in engine size to 4.7 litres for more than 420hp. There were also race versions and the Vantage RS Concept, which previewed a V12-engined model. While the RS Concept mustered 600hp, the production car ‘made do’ with a 510hp V12, courtesy of the flagship DBS. It meant a 0-62mph time of 4.2 seconds and a top speed of 190mph.
V12 Vantage Zagato and V12 Vantage S
© Aston Martin
The V12 Zagato arrived in 2012. Just a handful were made, and it was raced at the Nurburgring 24 Hours. Then followed the V12 Vantage S, which upped power to nearly 570hp, reducing the 0-62mph time to less than four seconds. Although paddle-shift to begin with, a seven-speed ‘dog-leg’ manual gearbox was introduced in 2017. That transmission would live on in the latest Vantage.
GT12 and GT8
© Aston Martin
Before that, the ‘VH’ V8 Vantage had to go out with a bang. Enter the GT12 and GT8. The former packs a 600hp version of the mighty V12, while the GT8 upped the V8’s muscle to nearly 450hp. Both were significantly widened, with uprated suspension and their bodies draped in carbon fibre. A one-off roadster version of the GT12 was also created.
Vantage V600
© Aston Martin
Wings, bright colours and carbon fibre. It’s all rather garish, given we often think of Aston Martin as cool, sleek and svelte. So the last VH Vantage couldn’t be the GT8 or GT12. Happily, the re-bodied, ultra-limited V600 sent the car off in style. And like the Le Mans of 1999, the V600 had 600hp, courtesy of the GT12’s hopped-up V12.
Le Mans winner
© Aston Martin
The VH Vantage has racing provenance, too. After campaigning Vantages at Le Mans for four years, the marque got its GTE win in 2017, right at the end of the car’s racing life. Now that is a send-off.
The latest Aston Martin Vantage
© Aston Martin
In 2018, Aston Martin revealed an eagerly-anticipated new Vantage. Then-CEO Andy Palmer called it “a true sports car with a sharper look and a keener dynamic edge”, adding: “The new Vantage is the Aston Martin pure driving machine enthusiasts have been waiting for”. Power comes from a 510hp 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, giving the Vantage a top speed of 195mph and a 0-62mph time of 3.6 seconds.
Vantage AMR and manual gearbox
© Aston Martin
While that sounds great, and the Vantage looked aggressive and driver-focused, it was missing one thing: a manual gearbox. The ultra-limited Vantage AMR introduced a seven-speed manual transmission. Later, all Vantage coupes could be optioned with it, but then the car reverted to being auto-only again.
Aston Martin Vantage Roadster
© Aston Martin
The Vantage Roadster was launched in 2020, the Vantage name’s 70th year. If you’re not into the Vulcan-aping mesh-lined mouth of the coupe, the Roadster brought the option of a more traditional front grille. We like it very much.
Aston Martin V12 Speedster
© Aston Martin
The Vantage Roadster was followed by the radical, open-air V12 Speedster. It joins the DB10 and Rapide as an Aston Martin model that borrows heavily from the Vantage, without actually using the name. The former is a Bond car built on Vantage underpinnings. The latter uses the VH Vantage’s rear-end design. As for the Speedster, it has no windscreen and can reach a top speed of 186mph. Eye protection is definitely required.
Aston Martin Vantage F1 Edition
© Aston Martin
To mark its role as the official Formula One safety car, the British company launched a new flagship Vantage F1 Edition. It’s essentially the same spec as the safety car, with added power, a stiffer chassis and more downforce to enhance its on-track ability. Our review said: ‘The Vantage feels over-engined like a classic muscle car’.
The V12 Vantage makes a comeback
© Aston Martin
Speaking of over-engined, the (we’re told) final V12 Vantage used a 5.2-litre twin-turbocharged engine to deliver 690hp, 0-60mph in 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 200mph. Its muscular bodywork is 40mm wider, with a huge optional rear wing that generates 204kg of downforce at maximum speed. All 333 cars were sold straight away.
2024 Aston Martin Vantage
© Aston Martin
The current Vantage arrived in 2024, with a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 tuned to deliver 665hp and 590lb ft of torque. New multi-mode dampers, bespoke Michelin tyres and perfect 50:50 weight distribution also sharpened up its handling. It slots beneath the Vanquish and DB12 in an Aston Martin lineup that now includes the mid-engined Valhalla, alongside the DBX SUV.
2024 Aston Martin Vantage
© Aston Martin
We drove the latest Vantage on the road and track at the international launch in Spain, saying: ‘Unlike its big brother DB12, the Vantage never totally relaxes. It’s alert, feisty and up on its toes – and it will keep you on your toes, too. It’s an unequivocal and unapologetic supercar. Job done’.
2025 Aston Martin Vantage Roadster
© Aston Martin
Earlier this year, Aston Martin also launched the Vantage Roadster, with the same stonking 665hp V8 and an eight-layer fabric roof that retracts in 6.8 seconds. Luggage space is reduced to just 200 litres, but in other respects the Roadster is even better than the coupe. It’s surely one of the most handsome cars on sale, too.
2025 Aston Martin Vantage Roadster
© Aston Martin
After driving the Roadster on fabulous roads in the Austrian Alps, we said: ‘In default Sport mode, the Roadster feels effortless and sophisticated. But ratchet things up to Sport Plus and its sinews tighten, throttle response gets sharper and the exhaust baffles open to enhance the V8 volume. With the roof down, the soundtrack is even more evocative: a menacing rumble that swells and intensifies to a furious bellow. The electric supercars of the future might go faster, but they surely won’t sound like this’.
2025 Aston Martin Vantage S
© Aston Martin
That brings us full circle to the 2025 Vantage S. We don’t expect to see another V12 Vantage, but nor do we think this 680hp newcomer is the last word for Aston Martin’s smallest supercar. Could the Vantage name eventually adorn an EV? Probably, although Aston Martin doesn’t seem in a hurry to embrace electrification. And frankly, when it comes to emotive performance cars like this one, neither are we…