The first new Aston Martin Vantage in 13 years is the epitome of British cool. Aston Martin’s new two-seater is fitted with a Mercedes-AMG 4.0-litre twin-turbo-charged V8 under the hood delivering 503 hp and 505 ft lbs of torque with the power transferred to the back via an eight-speed transaxle torque-converter gearbox and an electronically controlled limited-slip differential.

A glimpse beneath the new Vantage’s skin reveals a treasure trove of advances Aston has made since the old VH architecture died and the new, still-all-aluminium structure was born.

There are more pressings and castings than extrusions in an Aston’s make-up these days. They’re more expensive but more space efficient for a given strength, so the Vantage seats two big people very comfortably and the boot, underneath a hatch tailgate, is big enough for two golf bags. The skin is a mix of aluminium and plastic composites, and dry weight is quoted at 1530kg including the lightest options.  This is the engineering that could place the new Vantage alongside such greats as the Porsche 911.

• Price: £120,900 / $157,000

• Engine: 4-litre twin turbo V8

• 0-62mph: 3.6 secs

• Top speed: 195mph

• Economy: 26.8mpg

• CO2: 245g/km

Visit the Aston Martin website for more information on all models