British automaker Aston Martin shocked many when it unveiled the “refreshed” 2025 Vantage. Typically, such midlife updates of a model bring light cosmetic touch-ups and the addition of a few relevant features. But this constitutes a major leap forward, though it pulls short of launching a new generation.
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Immediately of note is the mostly unchanged body, save a nip and tuck here or there. After all, it’s unwise to mess with perfection and in a sea of questionable modern design aesthetics, Aston Martin hit an absolute homerun with the Vantage.
Among the few exterior changes are standard LED headlights, a more prominent front grille, plus a revised front bumper and fenders. The whole thing rides on 21-inch forged alloy wheels with wider tires than before, hence the reworked fenders.
One area of tremendous change is the powertrain. The old version of the sports car pumped out 528-horsepower as the V8 F1 Edition, a respectable figure if it were still 2012. Thankfully, Aston Martin realized such a looker of a performance car should back that up with some real gusto. Now, the V8 produces 656-hp, blowing away many of the Vantage’s rivals. It’s enough to melt our hearts.
All the power in the world does a car no good if it handles poorly, but the engineers thought of that for the 2025 Vantage. They stiffened the structure of the Aston Martin and tuned up the active dynamics systems so this sports car will whip through turns better than many might expect.
The other area of big improvements is the interior. You’ll note the presence of an infotainment touchscreen. Thankfully, Aston Martin didn’t follow the hideous example of so many, affixing what looks like a cheap iPad to the top of the center stack, a design choice guaranteed to ruin even the most sumptuous cabins. Instead, it’s neatly integrated in the middle of the center stack and isn’t humongous.
What’s more, an array of actual switchgear are present below. For too long, automakers have migrated simple functions to the touchscreen, burying them several menus deep, making adjusting the air temperature or switching on a seat heater a ridiculously complex task.
According to Aston Martin, deliveries of the 2025 Vantage will begin in the second quarter of this year, which isn’t too far off. Many expect base MSRP to be somewhere around $190,000 but that figure hasn’t been officially confirmed.
We think this is one Aston Martin which will age gracefully, making for a fine modern collectible.
Images via Aston Martin
Shawn Henry
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