Aston Martin V12 Vantage

Aston Martin’s engineers obviously thought that the regular Vantage V8 was too slow - so they shoe-horned in the 6.0-litre V12 engine, lowered the suspension, and fitted carbon ceramic brakes; and lo! The Vantage V12 was born.

It sounds like it might be a bit of a mish-mash but the reality is that it is an astonishingly accomplished car that delivers awesome performance and has the handling and grip to match.

It’s a dedicated sports car and makes no attempt to be a Grand Tourer too; this makes it hard-edged and focussed and, quite possibly, the “best of all modern Aston Martins”.

Interior

It’s cosy, beautifully trimmed and decadent inside with all the equipment that you’ll ever need. Some have noted that the gear lever is placed too far back and the throttle pedal is “mushy”, but other than that there is little to complain about.

The optional carbon fibre and Kevlar seats are much more supportive than the standard versions, and save 17kgs each too, so are a wise buy in the view of the experts.

Driving

In a word, ‘fantastic’. Motoring Journalists rave about how fast it feels, with one saying that “it’s one of those rare cars that feels so fast it’s actually a bit scary.” If you then press the ‘Sport’ button, the acceleration apparently becomes “genuinely uncomfortable”.

It handles well too. It does need a “lightness of touch”, which can take some time to acquire, but after that it provides “enormous and immediate grip” alongside an unexpected suppleness; “seldom does a car hide its mass so well.”

Engines

The 6.0-litre V12 engine laughs in the face of emissions legislation and would be a Top Trumps winner, should they ever introduce a CO2 statistic…

What it does do – and do very well – it to propel the Vantage to very high speeds very quickly. The raw performance figures (510bhp, 420lb ft, 0-62mph in 4.2 seconds and a top speed of 190mph) don’t convey the sheer accelerative capacity of the car. When seasoned motoring journalists use expressions like “ready torrent of energy” and “significant urge at all times” you can be assured that you’ll never find it wanting for power.

It sounds good too, having a “wonderfully thunderous engine and exhaust sound”.

Value for money

Well, it costs a heady £50k more than the V8 version, but for those who have just go to have the fastest Vantage ever made (and the most accelerative Aston Martin to boot) the cost is almost irrelevant.

Worth noting

The rev counter flicks in an anti-clockwise, rather than the more usual clockwise, direction.

Conclusion

The Aston Martin Vantage V12 is wonderfully anachronistic and a reminder that sometimes more is better; the installation of the V12 engine turns the Vantage from a comfortable and quick Grand Tourer into an indecently fast sports car – and adds a sprinkling of handling magic into the equation too.

It’s only competition comes from the Ferrari 458 Italia, but in reality they are poles apart in the way that they drive and the customers that they appeal to. No, if you want a very fast old-school sports car then the Vantage V12 fits the bill beautifully.