Aston Martin Vantage S Bows With More Potent 671 HP

New Aston Martin Vantage S bows as a more potent iteration of Gaydon's latest-gen V8 sports coupe.

Gaydon-based Aston Martin arguably struck all right chords with its latest generation Vantage model that first bowed globally some 18 months ago. Now, the marque has upped the ante for its two-door sportscar nameplate.

Announced earlier today was the new Aston Maritn Vantage S. Besides the newly added ‘S’ suffix to its name, the automaker elected to tweak the 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo powerplant sourced from Mercedes-AMG further.

File photo of the regular Vantage model's 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo supplied by Mercedes-AMG. In the Vantage S, the mill now puts out a more potent 671 HP.

Said mill now puts out 671 HP instead of 656 HP, though torque remains unchanged at 800 NM. Retained too is the ZF-sourced 8-speed automatic transmission tasked  with sending said outputs to the rear wheels.

Predictably, the power bump sees a 0.1-sec improvement to 0-100 KM/H sprint time, with the Vantage S doing so in just 3.4 secs. Before you ask, 0-200 KM/H takes 10.2 secs still, whereas V-Max continues unchanged too at 325 KM/H.

The power bump sees the Vantage S boast a 0.1-sec quicker sprint time of 3.3 secs.

Apart from being slightly quicker, Aston Martin also touts the Vantage S in having improved agility and handling too – as area where the latest-gen Vantage arguably presented the biggest improvement from its predecessor.

The promise of enhanced drive dynamics stems from the updated Bilstein DTX adaptive dampers that bring improved front-end feel and response. Similarly, the rear springs gain altered compression and rebound rates to improve low-speed ride quality.

Thankfully, Aston Martin resisted the urge to tack on any aero extensions. Instead, it elected for revised central blades in the hood and a subtly larger - and functional - rear decklid spoiler.

Other changes include transmission mounts that are 10% softer, rear subframe now mounted directly to the body without using rubber bushes, followed by revised camber, toe and caster settings too.

Aston Martin also thankfully resisted the urge to tack on any aerodynamic extensions in this potent new S-badged Vantage. Instead, the Gaydon-based automakers elected for revised central blades in the hood, and a subtly larger – and functional - rear decklid spoiler.

Aston Martin aslo imbued the Vantage S with a sharper chassis, revising its Bilstein DTX adaptive dampers, rear spring compression and rebound rate, and a host of other small revisions all around.

Other visual changes to note include a new set of 21-inch wheels dressed in Vantage S-specific satin black with red trims, as well as several subtle new red accents for the largely unchanged exterior.

Changed are equally mild on board too as the Vantage S sees its cabin gain variant-specific embroidery pattern for its plush leather upholstery. There’s also the option for red or silver finishes for the knurled metal drive mode knob here.

Changes on board are equally subtle too, with variant-specific embroidery pattern plus silver and red finish option for the drive mode knob being the only changes to note here.

Revealed as part of the brand's lead up to this year’s edition of the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed, pricing and availability of the new Aston Martin Vantage S haven’t been announced yet, though we reckon this won’t take too long.

Additionally, no word yet on a topless Roadster version yet, but this is also widely expected to spawn soon.