New 656-hp 2025 Aston Martin Vantage

A new green 2025 Aston Martin Vantage arriving at and leaving South OC Cars and Coffee at the Outlets at San Clemente. Introduced in February 2024, the refreshed Vantage features updated exterior styling with a redesigned front end, a new interior, and an upgraded chassis. With a starting price (MSRP) of around $194,000, it is powered by a revised twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter Mercedes-AMG V8 engine producing 656 horsepower, a 153-hp increase over the previous V8-powered Vantage.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm slightly disappointed after seeing the sexy new Vantage for the first time. But it's only because of how hard it is to tell apart from the outgoing Vantage, several of which were also at the event. Yes, the new car has revised front and rear bumpers, but they're strikingly similar to those on the previous V12-powered Vantage. And the new headlight design makes it harder to tell the Vantage apart from the bigger DB12 and Vanquish. But those aren't necessarily bad things since the V12 Vantage, DB12, and Vanquish are all incredibly gorgeous cars. Plus, Aston Martin retained probably my favorite design feature of the previous Vantage - the taillights that subtly mimic the shape of the iconic Aston grille. It's also those taillights that now really help the Vantage stand out visually from its stablemates. And while it may hard to justify any automaker having three distinct models in the ever-shrinking front-engined GT coupe segment, the Vantage stands out as the most nimble, least expensive, and most performance-focused while still wearing elegant styling worthy of a British secret agent.

Would you choose this Vantage over a DB12 or Vanquish? Leave a comment on YouTube and let me know!