The British Are Doing A Better Job With AMG’s Twin-Turbo V8 Than Mercedes-Benz

The Germans are not going to like it, but the Brits may be doing a much better job at tweaking one of their powerhouse engines and placing it in a quintessentially English vehicle, the 2025 Aston Martin Vantage. While AMG has certainly produced some stellar vehicles housing its 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 (like the GT Coupe), Aston Martin seems to have gone a few steps further to make the Vantage a standout. In fact, it’s proven that the British can wield AMG’s great V8 with even greater finesse, and in this article, we’ll take a closer look at how they did it.

Aston Pushes The AMG V8 Further

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The 2025 Aston Martin Vantage shows what can happen when Aston’s passionate engineering combines with Mercedes’ potent power plant. For this vehicle, Aston Martin sourced the M177 V8 from Mercedes-AMG and then let its engineers loose to work their magic. These experts made some significant modifications, including optimized compression ratios, revised cam profiles, and larger turbochargers. They fitted cooling systems to ensure consistent performance under high loads, and a new and bespoke exhaust system, which delivers a raw and emotive soundtrack as well. These modifications were enough to boost output to an impressive 656 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque, a 30% power increase, and a 15% torque gain over the previous Vantage. By further comparison, the M177-equipped 2024 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 PRO 4MATIC+, which is probably the closest rival to the Vantage, turns out 603 hp and 627 lb.-ft of torque.

The Vantage can now rocket to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds on its way to a top speed of 202 MPH. This outpaces the AMG GT Coupe’s 196 MPH. These tuning modifications are enough to give the Vantage a distinct personality of its own, to align with the company’s heritage of crafting stand out and emotionally engaging sports cars.

Still, this is not to say that the Mercedes-AMG offerings are substandard in any way. On the contrary, they’re undoubtedly impressive and undeniably capable, while the company may be capping the potential of its full-fat V8 in its standard offerings. In the past, the GT Black Series boasted up to 720 hp, but there’s nothing in the current Mercedes-AMG lineup that can match the new Vantage output. And even the DBX 707 from Aston Martin can produce 697 hp from the very same AMG V8. This suggests that engineers at Aston can consistently unlock more from this engine than Mercedes-Benz currently allows back home.

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Tailoring The Chassis And Vehicle Dynamics For Extra Thrills

Where British Sports Car Know-How Really Works

There’s plenty to love about Aston Martin’s new Vantage and its superiority certainly extends beyond raw power. The company has built the car on a bonded aluminum platform with a 50/50 weight distribution and a stiffer body structure than its predecessor. It also has a repositioned front cross member, a lighter front engine cross brace, and additional stiffening within the rear suspension. All these tweaks contribute to an improved steering feel and sharper handling.

The Vantage features rear-wheel drive and an electronically controlled differential which locks within 135 milliseconds for pinpoint power delivery. Other technical standouts include the integrated vehicle dynamics estimation system, with a nine-stage adjustable traction control and six-axis accelerometer. These allow Aston engineers to tailor the behavior of the car from maximum grip levels on the one hand, to nicely controlled slides on the other.

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The Mercedes-AMG GT Coupe is more stable and composed by comparison, and many of its higher trims lean towards all-wheel drive. This tends to dilute the raw excitement associated with rear-wheel drive, which typically defines a true sports car. The GT has a dual-clutch transmission instead of the eight-speed ZF automatic in the Vantage and the latter would probably offer more tactile engagement. So, the Vantage setup is far more likely to offer the purist a true connection to the road than some of its competitors.

The Vantage also has double wishbones at the front and a multi-link rear suspension. In Sport mode, it feels very composed even on the sketchiest roads, while Sport+ and Track will sharpen responses considerably. This combination is likely to deliver a driving experience that’s closer to a Porsche 911 for outright feedback. Meanwhile, the Mercedes GT tends to prioritize straight line speed and stability, so it’s more clinical than the Vantage with its lively dynamics.

Inside And Outside, British Elegance Meets German Muscle

2024 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 PRO 4MATIC

The Aston Martin brand has long been synonymous with timeless elegance, and this is a good way to describe the 2025 Vantage. On the outside, you’ll find a bold front fascia, a larger radiator grille that gives 50% more airflow, and styling that represents a mix between aggression and sophistication. There’s a long hood up front and a compact rear to reflect a classic sports car formula. By contrast, the AMG GT is rather bulbous when it comes to its appearance and style, so it loses out to the Vantage in this department.

On the inside, Aston Martin has a proprietary 10.25-inch touchscreen which can integrate with a redesigned dashboard that draws inspiration from the DB12. There’s plenty of tactile switch gear for the analog lover but also bags of modern technology for everyone else. By contrast, the AMG GT Coupe has its own MBUX infotainment system and good technology, but all-in-all, there’s less character. Aston offers a low-slung seating position and an adjustable steering wheel, so you can create a cockpit position that’s perfect for performance driving.

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A Little Diversity In DNA Can Lead To Great Things

In the 2025 Vantage, Aston Martin has been able to blend some top-quality German engineering with traditional British soul. Its success with these AMG V8 modifications has as much to do with its smaller-scale operation as it is with the high-volume approach of its German counterpart. After all, Aston Martin is known for crafting limited production cars that prioritize driving purity, and its managers may have fewer constraints to consider than their counterparts at the engine provider.

The partnership between Aston Martin and Mercedes-AMG also goes back a long way, giving Aston plenty of leeway to focus on chassis development and styling, while it leans on AMG’s undoubted engine expertise. Aston can then produce a quality driver’s car without having to make any compromise between performance and practicality. As such, these cars can appeal to a broader audience who may crave the thrill of a rear-wheel-drive supercar, without any unnecessary restraints. And whichever way you look at it, Aston can also fly the flag for Mercedes-AMG by showing just how versatile the latter’s engines really are.

The British Score A Victory

The 2025 Aston Martin Vantage represents a perfect Anglo-German achievement. This car proves that the British can take a German masterpiece in the shape of the Mercedes-AMG 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 and make it their own. In doing so, Aston Martin shows that the new Vantage delivers a more engaging and emotive experience than the Mercedes-AMG GT Coupe. And for enthusiasts in the US who are looking for a supercar that combines raw power with real soul, the Vantage proves that Aston Martin can do a better job with an AMG V8 than Mercedes-Benz itself.

Sources: Aston Martin, Mercedes-AMG