- The Aston Martin V12 Vantage’s twin-turbo V-12 engine will make 690 horsepower and 555 pound-feet of torque.
- It will be limited to just 333 cars globally and comes only as a coupe.
- The V12 model features a revised suspension, a wider track, and a dramatic-looking aerodynamic kit.
We have long loved the combination of large engines in small cars, and few encapsulate the relative imbalance better than the freshly unveiled 2023 Aston Martin V12 Vantage. Aston has stuffed the mighty twin-turbo 5.2-liter V-12 from the DBS Superleggera into the baby Vantage. The combination will be produced in a limited run of 333 cars, and Aston says that the order book has already closed “due to unprecedented demand.”
While the previous-generation Vantage spawned multiple V-12–powered variants, all of which used the older 6.0-liter naturally aspirated engine, there will only be a single version of the new V12 Vantage this time around. It’s only available as a coupe and there won’t be a roadster version.
The engine is closely related to the one in the DB11 and DBS, sharing the latter’s headline power figure of 690 horsepower produced at 6500 rpm. Although impressive, the 555 pound-feet of torque is 108 pound-feet lower than in the Superleggera. The regular V-8–powered Vantage is no slouch, but Aston Martin claims that the V12 Vantage will have a power-to-weight ratio more than 20 percent better.
The gearbox is an eight-speed torque-converter automatic—a manual would have been too much to hope for—but with a unique calibration for quicker shifts. But unlike the regular Vantage, which uses an electronically controlled rear differential, the V12 features a conventional mechanical limited-slip differential, a feature previously only offered on the manual Vantage.
Other changes include extensive chassis revisions, many of these related to the ones made to allow the Vantage-based V12 Speedster to accommodate the V-12 last year. Aston CEO Tobias Moers recently told us that the revisions to the V12 Vantage are significant enough for it to be considered a new model, with these including spring rates increased by 40 percent at the front and 50 percent at the rear, new top mounts, revised sway bars, and a new secondary spring for the rear axle to improve ride comfort.
Aston says the V12 Vantage is 1.6 inch wider than the standard car and features many carbon-fiber panels. A rear strut brace and additional reinforcements have improved structural stiffness over the V-8 model, too. The steering system is revised and carbon ceramic brakes are standard, along with 21-inch wheels. There will be an option for a lightweight version of these wheels, and all V12 Vantages will wear Michelin Pilot 4S tires.
Much of the revised exterior design has been dictated by the need to manage the V12 Vantage’s high-speed airflow. The bonnet’s vast “horse shoe” vent seems to occupy more than half of the hood area and the radiator grille is also 25 percent larger than the regular Vantage’s. A new splitter element below the front bumper and a diffuser at the back improve aerodynamic performance, but the vast new wing makes the greatest contribution. Buyers will be able to forego this for a stealthier look, although doing so will diminish the 450 pounds of peak downforce the wing-wearing V12 Vantage is claimed to be capable of generating at peak speed.
Buyers will be able to choose between leather sports seats or lightweight buckets with exposed carbon shells and manual adjustment; selecting these will save another 16 pounds of mass. Buyers will also be able to use Aston’s Q customization service to select bespoke exterior and trim colors. The company is not expecting any two completed cars to be the same.
There is no official word on pricing yet, but we are told to expect around $300,000 before options in the U.S., with deliveries starting later this year. That would be more than twice as much as the standard Vantage, but this is also set to be a much rarer car. Aston has already said its V-12 engine is approaching emissions-enforced retirement; the Vantage will be one of its final applications.
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Source: Motor - aranddriver.com
