500kW Aston Martin Vantage S unleashed

Aston Martin has expanded its high-performance ‘S’ sub-brand to include the 2026 Aston Martin Vantage S – an even faster, better-handling take on its front-engine sports car that has been built to beat the Porsche 911 Turbo S.

Unveiled ahead of its dynamic debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the Aston Martin Vantage S coupe and roadster will land in dealers globally in the final three months of this year.

Following on from the recently introduced Aston DBX S, the new Vantage S sticks to the recipe of adding more power, increasing aerodynamic performance, while sharpening up its dynamism both on road and track.

The big news is the Mercedes-AMG-sourced twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 has had power turned up to an incredible 500kW (+11kW), although the torque peak remains pegged at 800Nm.

Combined with an eight-speed automatic transmission, engineers say fine-tuning of the throttle pedal weighting and responses in each of its driving modes has increased the sense of connection. Optimisation of its Launch Control now sees the Aston coupe rocket from 0-100km/h in just 3.3 seconds – 0.1 seconds quicker than before – while top speed remains unchanged at 325km/h.

More tinkering of the Vantage has involved introducing new engine mounts, fresh suspension hardware and revised software to enhance agility and feel, while maintaining composure and refinement.

One of the chief benefits of the handling tweaks has been retuning and software changes to the Bilstein DTX adaptive dampers that are said to have increased the front-end feel.

The rear springs, meanwhile, have been softened to improve low speed ride quality.

By reducing the transmission mount stiffness 10 per cent Aston has brought further increases in refinement. Mounting the rear subframe to the body directly, rather than via rubber bushings, has dialled-up steering precision, too.

Finally, a complete rethink of the suspension geometry sees new settings for the camber, toe and caster, that aim to sharpen responses, improve front-end grip and enhance overall balance.

Ensuring it looks the part, the Vantage S gets new centrally mounted bonnet blades that can be finished in either gloss black or twill carbon-fibre – the aids help vent hot air from the two turbos that live within the hot-vee.

New S badging on the front fenders also appears, while at the rear a new boot-lid spoiler is said to boost downforce by 44kg to 111kg in total.

Beneath the skin, a revised underbody, that includes a front air dam and new venturi vanes, is claimed to generate a further 67kg of downforce, contributing to that total figure.

Fresh 21-inch Y-spoke alloy wheels are unique to the Vantage S and are finished in satin black with red wheel graphics and are combined with bronze brake calipers.

Inside, there’s a new Alcantara and leather interior as standard that’s contrasted with satin twill carbon-fibre inlays.

The new trim is said to bring a modest weight-saving and features S logos embroidered within the seats’ headrests.

For the first time Aston will also offer a unique embossing and debossing option that applies extreme pressure (1.5 tonnes) and heat to sculpt the wings into the leather, which is said to provide subtle and beautiful detailing.

Finally, the ‘S’ moniker appears on both the treadplates final inspection plaque within the engine bay.

For those who want to personalise their Vantage S further there’s the option of a red or silver anodised finish to the knurled metal, rotary drive-mode controller.

The outer edge of the rotary controller is colour matched to the seat belts and stitching, with further interior options offering buyers an unlimited scope to personalise and ramp up the Vantage S’ sporty nature.

Aston Martin says its new 2026 Vantage S coupe and roadster are available now with Australian pricing expected to arrive closer to its arrival.

Currently, the regular Aston Martin Vantage coupe costs $410,000 plus on-roads, with the Vantage Roadster priced from $435,000 (plus ORCs).

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