It's been a long time coming, but the wait is nearly over. Circle February 12th on your calendar, it's when the new Aston Martin Vantage debuts. Not only that, Aston will unveil the road car alongside the new Vantage GT3 race car and it's AMR24 Formula 1 challenger.
To hold us over, Aston Martin sent out the teaser seen above, focusing closely on the front fender. It grants us a clear look at the Vantage's trademark vents, which appear to mimic the shape and crease of the current model, but differ in execution overall.
The teaser image certainly offers a better look at the vents than we've seen previously in spy photos, and from this new perspective, the Vantage's rear wheel arches look seriously wide. That feature wasn't exactly hidden on the Aston's camouflaged prototypes, but this angle certainly accentuates the visual drama.
Gallery: Aston Martin Vantage Volante new spy photos
Aston's announcement doesn't offer anything beyond a debut date and that side shot, but we expect to find a familiar AMG-sourced 4.0-liter V-8 under the hood. That doesn't mean it will produce the same power as in the outgoing Vantage, and not just because this engine already makes considerably more horsepower in Mercedes-AMG models; The Aston Martin DB12 uses the twin-turbo V-8 to produce 671 hp, and we've heard reports that the new Vantage will eclipse the outgoing 528-hp F1 Edition by a healthy margin. With a high-output V12 model out of the picture, a new 600-hp V-8 certainly isn't out of the question.
What about a manual transmission? We aren't expecting a row-your-own option since the outgoing version is automatic-only. However, a special-edition trim with three pedals could appear at some point in the future. Aston Martin has stated it will continue to offer such vehicles in limited-run models, such as the Valour that debuted last July.
For now, we eagerly await the Vantage's unveiling. Check in with us for more details as they become available, and on February 12, when we'll dissect the full reveal.
