Aston Martin Vantage S review: should be pointless, actually utterly sublime Reviews 2026

Aston Martin’s updated Vantage S is framed as less of a new trim and more of a “finished” version of the baby Aston’s most forceful promise. The review says the earlier generation had handling and drivability issues—loss of body control on difficult roads, rear tire unstick under suspension movement, numb steering, and a gearbox that couldn’t match Ferrari or Porsche’s twin-clutch paddles. For this recode, Aston reprogrammed Bilstein dampers with new software and reset geometry (camber, caster, toe). It also softens mounts for the rear-mounted eight-speed gearbox and adjusts rear spring aid stiffness to improve low-speed ride quality. The standout claim: no AWD tricks, hybrid boost, or e-turbos.