Of the handful of brands that both car lovers and non-enthusiasts can recognise, Aston Martin has to be well up there. Their range, with a distinctive shape and style that’s proven timeless, immediately evokes feelings of sophistication, class, and beauty.
With the 2025 Vantage Coupé, the brand has sharpened up their most accessible car, widening the stance, increasing the power output and raising the price point. Yet it remains aspirational for those who don’t have one, and a symbol of success for those that do.
For this reviewer, who attended the Sydney Motorshow in 2012, I remember spending a lot of time looking over the Aston Martin One-77 on the stand – a limited edition work of art from one of my favourite brands.
At a safe distance behind barriers to keep the public at bay, I thought I’d never get closer than this to another one. And yet, this new Vantage takes more than a few cues from the One-77’s design – even more than a decade later.
Sure, the dimensions are slightly different with a mere 4.0-litre twin turbocharged V8 under the Vantage’s bonnet instead of a V12, and the interior has had some major revisions, but the proportions are quite similar.
Much like the rest of their lineup, Aston Martin are still producing some absolute stunners. The cost of entry to the brand has gone up with the arrival of this generation though, now costing from $410,000 to get into the Vantage coupe, plus on roads (and options).
Looking fast and mean, the front air dam has been enlarged over the previous model for better cooling, and the headlights have been enlarged, and are now more akin to those from the DB12.
There are purposeful lines and curves that help with the car’s presence and aggressive stance. The taillights have a familiar look from the previous car, but the rear haunches have been further accentuated.
Like any sportscar, it stands out, and that would be the case even without the bright Cosmos Orange paintwork. Contrasting against the vibrant paint that changes hue in different light, our car came with carbon fibre skirts, front splitter, rear diffuser and roof.
Black 21-inch rims wearing Michelin Pilot Sport S5 tyres, specifically developed with Aston Martin and huge carbon ceramic brakes sit on each corner, with blackened exhaust tips and badging continuing the theme.
It’s a striking spec that guarantees head turns and whiplash from everyone around you. The new Vantage has grown ever so slightly over the previous car, and there’s been some weight gain at 1760kg over the previous 1643kg.
The car can now fit 346-litres of luggage in the boot over the previous 280-litres, but those aren’t the only numbers that have increased. Under the bonnet and behind the front axle, the 4.0-litre Mercedes-AMG sourced powerplant has seen a 30 per cent increase in power.
It’s also gained 15 per cent more torque, putting out 489kW at 6000rpm and a monstrous 800Nm that’s available from 2000-5000rpm. It sends all that power to the rear wheels and fat 325 section tyres.
If you can manage the traction, the Vantage can reach 100km/h in under 3.5 seconds. The sound out of that V8 is glorious, in any drive mode, and there is a button to the left of the centre console to open and close the exhaust valves manually.
Similarly, the suspension can be adjusted for softness if needed. The changes don’t end with the exterior and powertrain either. Inside sees a new floating centre console and a gear selector, now a toggle switch, doing away with the old style transmission buttons.
There are a few buttons and rollers that are nice to the touch with a brand new infotainment system ditching the old Mercedes-Benz setup – although it still does lag at times, with some features remaining a bit hard to locate.
A new digital instrument cluster replaces the old three-gauged binnacle, which we may have preferred, but there is plenty of customisation on offer. The steering wheel and paddle shifters feel comfortable, with an array of buttons and options within easy reach.
Wireless Apple CarPlay was available in our car along with a wireless phone charger. CarPlay Ultra will be offered in newer models, while the rest of us can make use of a wired Android Auto connection.
The factory system includes sat-nav, although most will probably end up using their preferred phone app instead. Holding occupants in place, our car had the optional carbon fibre bucket seats installed.
These look great but may take away some of longer journey comfort. Electronic adjustability is available for all movements except for moving the seats forward and back, where a leather strap between the occupant’s legs needs to be pulled instead.
They aren’t the easiest seats to get in and out of, but they are more than capable of affording a good seating position – just not for that extended road trip. We were informed that the standard seats are quite a comfortable option, without the price premium.
When you’re not wanting to listen to the exhaust note (pardon the pun) from the V8, there is a standard 360-watt, eleven speaker audio system. You can opt for a Bowers & Wilkins 1170 watt, double amplified, fifteen speaker 3D headliner system and subwoofer.
The latter had been installed in our test vehicle and the sound out of this system almost rivalled the engine noise – it was quite impressive. On the road, the Vantage can be quite compliant and comfortable when in Sport mode – which is the lowest available setting.
Oddly enough, this includes engine Stop/Start that can be deactivated via a button in the centre console or by changing the drive mode. Sport+ opens the exhaust valves and engine response for a bit more fun (and was our mode of choice).
Track offers the most visceral driving experience, with the option to alter the traction control interference through nine different levels (including completely off). Finally, there is a Wet mode, though our time with the car never required its use.
The Vantage has a 50:50 weight distribution thanks in part to the front-mid engine positioning, the eight speed ZF automatic transmission being located at the rear and some 75 per cent of the overall mass sitting between the axles.
The combination provides a lower centre of gravity, at only 49cm off the ground. This all translates to a car that is more than capable of cornering and carving up your favourite road or racetrack.
Given the specifications of our review car, it would likely be more at home at the nearest circuit, but we still had plenty of fun along some rural roads and found that even with a wide footprint and a long nose, the car is quite easy to place and position.
That meant it was easy to build up confidence while being respectful to the amount of power and torque on tap. Sydney’s speed limits came to us all too quickly though. Aston Martin quote a combined fuel economy of 12.1-litres/100km.
We managed to average 14.3-litres/100km during our time, which really isn’t all that bad, though we figure no one buying this car will be too bothered. For the mundane driving, the Vantage is easy enough to navigate through suburbia and inner-city streets.
There’s a decent camera suite with dynamic guides to help with positioning and parking the car – especially for those concerned about the low front bumper and carbon fibre front splitter.
In Aston Martin fashion, the doors open upwards to avoid kerbs for some additional peace of mind. While we absolutely love the car, it’s not all perfect. There were some issues with the boot not latching properly when closing.
The passenger side door would sometimes refuse to open and some of the exterior panel gaps didn’t look great, particularly around where the bonnet and bumper meet. But we figure these would be looked at and sorted out quickly by the brand.
It also comes with modern safety features like a speed limit warning that you will have going off at you quite a lot if you want to enjoy driving the car, and the lane keep assist can be a bit forceful.
Otherwise, it’s a beautifully striking car and an absolute blast to drive. It’s hard to have a bad day when you get to drive something like this and although slightly anxious and apprehensive at first, we found that we got comfortable with it quite quickly.
If you have a lazy few hundred thousand and want a fun little car that will grab attention, scream success and give you a smile from ear to ear, get down to your nearest Aston Martin dealership for a chat.
You can find out more about the 2025 Aston Martin Vantage on their website, or by talking to your local dealership. To get a low rate finance quote, talk to Australia’s best reviewed car finance broker; Credit One.
To see a great range of vehicles for sale, check out OnlyCars.com.au.
Our test vehicle was provided by Aston Martin Asia-Pacific for independent review purposes. Exhaust Notes Australia has not been paid to review this vehicle.
