Aston Martin just replaced the most successful model in company history with a car straight out of a Bond movie

• Aston Martin unveiled the new Vantage sports car on Tuesday.
• It will be powered by a 503 horsepower, twin-turbocharged V8.
• The new Vantage will arrive in 2018 with a price tag of $149,995.

After more than a decade of faithful service, it has come time for Aston Martin to retire the venerable Vantage sports car. To replace the most successful model in company history is no small feat. But that's exactly what Aston Martin has done with the unveiling of its next-generation Vantage on Tuesday.

"I'm enormously excited by what we've created: a new Vantage that's more explicit in looks and intent, wrapping heart-pounding performance and dazzling dynamics into an everyday usable package," Aston Martin CEO, Dr. Andy Palmer said in a statement. "A true sports car with a sharper look and a keener dynamic edge, the new Vantage is the Aston Martin pure driving machine enthusiasts have been waiting for."

With a long hood, fastback tail, sleek greenhouse, and perfect proportions, the Vantage is undeniably an Aston Martin. It's the latest work of Aston design boss Marek Reichman and draws heavily from the DB10 movie car created for James Bond's 24th adventure in 2015's "Spectre."

Under the Aston's stylish hood lives a 4.0 liter, twin-turbocharged V8 that's shared with the company's pricier DB11 V8 Coupe and Volante convertible. Here, it produces 503 horsepower. Mated to a rear-mounted, ZF eight-speed automatic transmission, Aston claims the Vantage can hit 60mph from a standstill in just 3.6 seconds.

The 3,373-pounds sports car is good for a manufacturer-claimed top speed of 195 mph.

Roughly 70% of the Vantage's rigid and lightweight bonded aluminum structure is brand new. With the engine set low and as far back in the chassis as possible, Aston has managed to achieve perfect 50:50, front to rear weight distribution.

In addition, the Vantage will be loaded with the latest high tech goodies in Aston Martin's arsenal. This includes dynamic stability control, dynamic torque vectoring, active dampers, and electronic rear differential, a company first.

Inside, the Vantage's cabin comes in several flavors with more luxury-minded versions getting Aston's traditional leather and wood treatment, while more sporting interiors will receive a heavier dose of Alcantara and carbon fiber. The Vantage will also get an 8-inch LCD screen running a Mercedes-Benz-sourced infotainment system.

The new Aston Martin Vantage is expected to arrive in US showrooms sometime during the second quarter of 2018 with a price tag of $149,995.

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