On a racetrack in rural Spain, the clearest distillation yet of Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll’s vision for Aston Martin is thundering down the main straight, hitting 260 kilometres an hour before the first corner. The new 2025 Vantage sports car dives forward under braking as if caught by a giant elastic band, before slipping and sliding its way around the first corner to the giddy delight of its driver.
Perhaps for those reasons, last year the company only sold 3 per cent more vehicles than it did in 2022, but revenue was up 18 per cent, owing to higher average selling prices. Customers opted for higher-end models, loading them with pricey personalized options. While the company reduced its operating loss, it was still £111-million in the red and deeply in debt.
And before you assume it’s the electronic stability control taming this rear-drive beast, it isn’t. Switching off stability control entirely – and turning the new, manually adjustable traction control system down until it’s nearly off – only makes the car sweeter and more biddable.The new Aston still can’t match the visceral feel of a Porsche 911 GT3, but it wasn’t meant to be a track-day toy like that car. The Vantage is more comfortable on the road.
“Some of the switchgear, or the quality, that wasn’t necessarily there in the older models. They were very pretty. They were very fun to drive, but they lacked some elements,” Owen said. The new Vantage has an all-new infotainment system – designed in-house by Aston - replacing the outdated Mercedes one on the old model.At least it’s now obvious where all the fresh investment Stroll has brought into the company has been going. After the DB12 and Vantage, a similarly overhauled DBX707 SUV is on the way, also with the new in-house infotainment system.