Aston Martin has brought a pair of stunners to the Frankfurt Motor Show. Lining up alongside the Vanquish Volante is the mental new V12 Vantage S, which ditches Aston’s old V12 for a new, more powerful AM28 6.0-litre V12 unit.
This provides a massive 565bhp (up from 510) and 620Nm of torque (up from 570), all channeled through the Sportshift III AMT gearbox originally found in the V8 Vantage S. Although some will pine for the six-speed manual of old, the new paddle-shift system weighs 25kg less than the standard manual and changes gears in ‘milliseconds’.
If you’re brave enough to keep your right peg planted, the pair will help the V12 Vantage S blitz 0-62mph in a mere 3.9 seconds, before maxing out at 205mph, making it the fastest accelerating production car the British marque has ever made.
Debuting with the car will be adaptive damping, a first for the Vantage range. Drivers will be able to change the feel and responsiveness of the V12 Vantage S by choosing between ‘Normal’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Track’ modes, while a standalone Sport button makes the throttle more snappy, speeds up gear changes and makes the exhaust note more potent.
“V12 Vantage S may be our most extreme new sports car, but it is also a tribute to our engineering excellence,” Aston Martin CEO Dr Ulrich Bez said. “To master such formidable power, to make it usable and controllable, these are skills that are not commonly available. The engineering team at Gaydon have executed the installation of our most powerful engine in our smallest sports car with real skill.”
Like the Vanquish Volante, the V12 Vantage S will be arriving at your nearest purveyor of Aston Martin machinery over the next few weeks. Still no word on a price, but think of a large number and add some noughts and you’ll probably be in the right ballpark.
V12 Vantage S Pictures
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