- Camouflaged prototype is bathed in wild aero parts, including a big wing.
- Positioned at the front is an aggressive new grille and an extended front splitter.
- Aston Martin is expected to boost the car’s 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8.
The Aston Martin Vantage is about to get a lot angrier. Our spy photographers have caught a heavily camouflaged prototype of the long-awaited Vantage RS testing near the Nürburgring, and it looks like a properly unhinged piece of machinery.
Several prototypes of this track-focused model have been spotted over the past few months, but this is the first one wearing what appears to be production-ready bodywork along with a full set of bespoke aero.
Read: Aston Martin Cranks The Vantage Up To 11 With New Hardcore Variant
Baldauf
Clearly, there’s a lot going on with the car’s front-end. Aston Martin has developed a new grille and a splitter for the car, no doubt aimed at boosting cooling and improving grip. The air curtains on the sides of the bumper are also a little different than previous prototypes.
The upgrades carry on down the flanks, where the car rides on special black wheels wrapped in Pirelli P Zero R rubber, with fluoro-green calipers peeking through. Larger vents sit behind the front wheels to help extract hot air from the arches.
What Else Is New?
Baldauf
Whereas another tester from June had a temporary carbon-fiber rear wing, this car appears to have a production-spec unit, similar to the wing on the pre-facelifted, limited-run V12 Vantage, albeit sitting even taller. Rounding out the modifications are a wild new diffuser and four centrally-mounted tailpipes.
Beyond the aero changes, it seems inevitable that Aston Martin will also tweak the Vantage’s 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 for this model. As standard, the car delivers 670 hp and 590 lb-ft (800 Nm), but some fettling could easily boost horsepower to beyond 700 hp and torque to over the 600 lb-ft mark. We wouldn’t put it past Aston Martin to fit this car with its 5.2-liter twin-turbo V12, though dropping it in here would eat into Vanquish sales, which makes it an unlikely business decision.
These shots give us nothing of the cabin. However, we expect changes in there as well, most likely a heavier hand with the carbon fiber and Alcantara.
Baldauf
