2026 Aston Martin Vantage S First Drive Review: Good News, It's Still Great

• The Vantage S brings a small power bump and some suspension tweaks to Aston Martin's rip-snorting sports car.
• Cosmetic tweaks are minor, limited to things like new wheels, a spoiler and additional hood vents.
• The S' upgrades don't detract from the Vantage's stellar on-road manners.

A little more of this, a little more of that

The Vantage S' visual enhancements are minor, and the mechanical changes follow suit. The twin-turbo V8 engine gets a 14-horsepower bump over the base Vantage, for 670 hp in total, but torque output remains the same at 590 lb-ft. With this skosh of extra power, plus retuned launch control programming, Aston Martin says the S is a tenth of a second quicker to 60 mph than the standard Vantage, doing the deed in just 3.3 seconds.

Aston Martin made adjustments to the throttle pedal so the Vantage is more responsive at tip-in, making it easier to unleash the coupe's extra power. The suspension's adaptive dampers are updated too: The front is a little stiffer, improving cornering response and bringing more feedback through the steering wheel, while the rear end is actually softer, improving ride comfort and reducing wheel hop over broken pavement.

Raucous and rowdy

I'm not going to try and tell you the Vantage S feels like a whole new car. I'd have to spend extensive time driving it back to back with the base car (totally up for that assignment, by the way) to really suss out if the S' enhancements make a meaningful difference. All I know is, the Vantage S freakin' slaps. And with the canyon roads near Malibu, California, at my disposal, testing the Vantage S is a borderline sinful way to define "Thursday morning at work."

The powertrain is undoubtedly the star of the show. This V8 engine seethes with aggression and has a soundtrack to match. Press the exhaust button on the Vantage's center console to hear those aural delights in surround sound, and dial up the car's Sport+ drive setting for the best on-road punch. Power arrives immediately but the retuned throttle is never touchy. And while there's enough midrange punch that you don't have to downshift to execute a quick pass, considering how great this engine sounds in its upper register, I wouldn't blame you for dropping a gear and flooring it anyway.

A special shoutout goes to the eight-speed automatic transmission which is perfectly tuned to match the V8's moods. Around town when the engine simmers, the gearbox is smooth and well behaved. But bring that 4.0-liter monster up to full boil in the canyons and the transmission responds accordingly, naturally holding gears through corners and happily letting you rev to redline while wringing the Vantage out on long straightaways. Steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters are there if you want 'em, but I recommend just letting the gearbox do its own thing. At no point does the eight-speed make missteps.

There are Sport and Sport+ settings for the suspension; the former is the Vantage's default mode. I'm always hesitant to dial up stiffness on anything but the glassiest of pavement surfaces, and the Vantage rewards my trepidation — the standard Sport setting is really all you'll need. This coupe is comfortable on the freeway and super sharp on winding roads without the uncouth bits of body lean I remember from older Aston Martin sports cars. You can get the Vantage's rear end to shimmy if you're too aggressive on the throttle coming out of a hairpin turn, but in a way that's playful, not perilous.

Think of it this way: Where a Porsche 911 is super buttoned-up with the goal of achieving maximum precision, the Aston Martin Vantage S loosens its collar and lives a little. I'll bet an equivalent 911 will deliver a faster lap time around a racetrack, but the Vantage is more playful and just wants to party. I'll choose the latter for a morning backroad run through Malibu.

It's worth the upgrade

The Vantage S costs $213,900 — that's $196K for the car itself plus a $14,400 import charge and $3,500 transportation and handling fee. You get the same updated interior as the standard Vantage, which is supple and surprisingly well built (that last one hasn't always been an Aston hallmark), and it comes with a 10.3-inch central touchscreen complete with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring. The tech's a little laggy, but not bad.

Outfitted in Podium Green ($9,700) with satin black wheels ($6,500) and a few other personalization touches, my test car costs $253,900. The only option I might add is the $10,800 carbon-ceramic brake upgrade; the standard steel stoppers show some fade after a few hours of roughhousing. That would bring this car's price up to $264,700, which is expensive but not unreasonable for a Vantage. Keep in mind, a lot of an Aston's as-tested price comes down to your desired spec. Remember the orange non-S Vantage we had at our test track last year? It cost about $40,000 more than this lovely green S.

That in mind, why not spring for the S if there's an Aston Martin Vantage in your future? It's a little bit better in appreciable ways, all without killing the snarling sophistication that makes the current Vantage such a doll in the first place.

Photos by Ryan Greger