Is this a testbed for the next V8 Vantage? Almost certainly.
We’ve known for quite some time that the next-generation Aston Martin V8 Vantage would recieve its heart from the engine wizards over at Mercedes-AMG. With the V12-powered DB11 done and soon reaching customer hands, Aston has to get to work on its sports car companion.
That’s why this DB11 prototype is running around the Nürburgring with what is almost assuredly an AMG V8 under the hood. Since the DB11 is probably not getting a V8 in the future, all signs point to this being a testbed for the V8 Vantage’s 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8. Unfortunately, this video only captures the V8’s noise at idle and low speed, but it’s clear the sound coming out of this DB11 isn’t a V12.
If the spec of that engine sounds familiar, it’s because it’s largely the same motor AMG uses in the GT and the C63. Aston likely hasn’t finalized its version of that engine yet, but when we spoke with CEO Andy Palmer at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, he gave us a preview of what to expect.
“It’s a bit different [to the AMG-spec],” said Palmer. “We want to create a lower center of
gravity, so that changes it. But fundamentally, we’re buying an AMG engine”
Unlike AMG, though, Aston will hook this motor up to an old-school manual transmission. To say we can’t wait to drive it would be an understatement.
