Last month, we received spy shots of a very crude, early development mule for a hardcore version of the Aston Martin Vantage, and now we’ve got an early look at the unexpected roadster version. This development mule is still in the relatively early stages of testing, but it has a far more attractive wing than the coupe we saw last month, with shapes that call to mind the Valkyrie AMR Pro. Also unlike the coupe prototype, this roadster has a relatively traditional four-pipe exhaust setup, with the exits moving close together in the rear diffuser. Whether Aston Martin has something more extreme in mind remains to be seen, but lately, it’s been going overboard with the exhaust finishers.
V12 Could Come To The Extreme Aston Martin Vantage
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The spy shots also reveal a deep front splitter, but if you can look past this and the fixed rear wing, the rest of the styling seems relatively restrained. Carbon-ceramic brakes and stiffer suspension will appear on the hardcore Vantage, rumored to be called Vantage RS, and while the 4.0-liter AMG-sourced twin-turbo V8 is the obvious choice, some insiders claim Gaydon’s engineers will cram a V12 under the hood, something they’ve previously admitted is technically possible. Either way, this looks like the most extreme drop-top Vantage yet, and with such wild aero, it appears to be aimed at the Porsche 911 GT3 RS, a car it will easily outmuscle in the power stakes (unless the turbo GT3 RS rumors are true), with over 700 horsepower all but guaranteed for the baby Aston. For the record, the regular Vantage produces a healthy 670 hp with 590 lb-ft of torque. Expect this ‘RS’ variant to cut the 0-60 mph sprint time to below three seconds, helped by a recalibrated ZF eight-speed automatic, and expect some significant weight-reduction measures, including expanded use of carbon fiber.
Autoblog’s Take
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The Aston Martin Vantage is the brand’s most accessible sports car, and applying the hardcore treatment to any “entry-level” vehicle of this ilk is always exciting. Given that this Vantage, which debuted in 2024, is an evolution of the car that debuted in 2018, and considering that the marque has now revealed the Valen with a wildly different aesthetic, it seems like the right time to introduce a special-edition send-off to slowly introduce customers to a more aggressive aesthetic before the designers reinvent the Vantage’s looks once again. Furthermore, European emissions regulations mean that this may be Aston Martin’s last chance to put its biggest engine in its smallest car. With this development mule sighting being our first, Aston Martin likely still has considerable work to do, but it should still debut in 2027, with a starting price far beyond the regular Vantage’s sub-$200k base MSRP.
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