It’s the dawn of a new era for Aston Martin as the luxury brand is preparing to introduce no fewer than eight models between now and 2026. A direct successor to the DB11 will lead the way, and today, we can share the first spy shots of the new Vantage in Roadster guise. How new is it? Well, it appears to be more along the lines of a facelift rather than a true next-gen car unless this is an early test mule instead of a more evolved prototype.
That’s not all too surprising since the DB11’s replacement has been caught looking quite familiar, so Aston Martin apparently doesn’t intend to massively change the designs of its cars. From what we can tell, the new droptop Vantage has a wider grille and completely new headlights with a sweptback layout. A prominent front spoiler lip is hard to miss, as are hood vents repositioned closer to the center. The rear looks virtually unchanged, provided the camo isn’t hiding some minor revisions.
While the exterior is still as stunning as ever, the interior could use a complete refresh and ditch the old Mercedes-sourced infotainment for a newer setup. With automakers moving away from physical buttons and knobs, the Vantage’s current cabin can be described as cluttered by comparison since it has quite a few traditional controls. Not that there’s anything wrong with that as some people (including yours truly) still prefer the good ol’ buttons.
As for the oily bits, Aston Martin has already bid adieu to the V12, so expect the new Vantage Roadster to get V8 power. We’ll remind you that the F1 Edition had 527 horsepower and 505 pound-feet (685 Newton-meters) of torque from a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8.
Beyond its traditional front-engined machines, the folks from Gaydon are also working on the Valhalla and have not ruled out doing another wild hypercar to follow up on the Valkyrie. The real revolution will take place in 2025 when Aston Martin will introduce its first production EV.
