The S badge is shorthand for a sportier Aston. Does it also denote a superior one?
When we road tested the current generation of Aston Martin Vantage in 2024, we concluded by wondering where it could go from there. This thorough update of the car that was all-new in 2018 was an improvement across the board, with more performance, poise and predictability, yet a more docile feel at a cruise.But the engineers can’t stop tweaking, which is just as well because a lowish-volume sports car like this can’t just be left to run its five-year model cycle with no attention; there have to be new versions and special editions to lure customers back to the configurator, and hopefully the showrooms.So the Vantage is the latest car to get the S treatment, after the DBX and the DB12. The formula is fairly straightforward, and the same as for all the 21st-century S models: a smidgen more power, some sportier visual details and a more focused chassis, although Aston claims they don’t come at the expense of compliance and refinement.Although the standard car remains on sale, the Aston Martin Vantage S promises simply to be like a better Vantage. Time to find out if it is.
