Set to be one of Aston Martin’s all time greats, Exec Digital discovers what putting a V12 in a Vantage will do for the British auto maker
by Jade Sermon
At last the British motor industry has something to be proud of. For months, a once proud car nation has had little to celebrate, but now Aston is back and flying under the union flag once again.
Since Dave Richards, the founder of Prodrive, took the world famous marque from Ford and back under British ownership he’s been plotting to put his own stamp on it. And after announcing a return to top level racing at Le Mans and tempting us with a four door limo, in March he is set to wow the world with Aston’s fastest car ever.
Aston Martin will take the wraps off the most potent production sports car in the company’s 95-year history at the Geneva motor show this month.
Based on the hugely successful V8, the V12 Vantage will feature a 6.0 litre V12 engine producing 510 bhp and 570 Nm of torque with a top speed of 190mph and 0-62mph in 4.2 seconds.
The latest incarnation of the Vantage family is designed to provide a unique character, appealing to different driver tastes. And I can’t wait to get my hands on one. I’ve driven a few of the V8 versions and the raw true drive it provides wowed me enough. I can’t imagine what fun I’m going to have in this one – a machine with the same beauty but even more power. I can’t wait, but I’m going to have to and so will you if you want one – at least until the end of June in any case. And you’ll have to hurry as only 300-500 will be produced each year.
Aston Martin Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ulrich Bez says: “This is the ultimate performance interpretation of the Vantage range, combining our most agile model with our most powerful engine.”
The original V12 Vantage concept was unveiled at the opening of the Aston Martin Design Studio in December 2007.
Subsequently, Aston Martin engineers brought the V12 Vantage to market in 12 months. That’s an impressive turnaround and illustrates one of Aston Martin’s key strengths – the ability to act quickly and turn concepts and ideas into reality.
What the V12 Aston will be up against in Geneva
Porsche GT3: Hot on the heels of Aston Martin’s new V12 Vantage is Porsche’s revised 911 GT3, which also makes its world debut in Geneva this month.
Along with an upgraded intake and exhaust system, the bGT3’s flat-six engine has grown from 3.6 litres to 3.8 litres boosting power to 435bhp.
Due to a lighter overall weight, the GT3 betters the V12 Vantage’s 0-62mph time by 0.1sec at 4.1 and nudges just over the 190mph limited top speed of the Aston too.
Other changes to the GT3 include cosmetic upgrades employed on other 911s: LED lights and new bumpers.
Like the Aston, this Porsche is targeted at hardcore drivers, meaning that only a manual gearbox is available.
You can also expect the GT3 to be significantly cheaper than the V12 Vantage.
The greenest Bentley ever
All we got was a picture of a Bentley in the shadows and a 54-word statement. But the simple fact that the British-made, if German owned, luxury supercar maker is about to launch a biofuel car in Geneva has caused quite a stir.
The new Bentley, to run on petrol or a blend of up to 85 percent ethanol, represents a big step from the manufacturer as it aims to bring its entire fleet towards the 120g/km carbon dioxide emission level.
Not only will the car be green, it will also be the manufacturer’s most powerful performance car ever despite the fact that it can run on biofuels. The model will use the D1 platform that is famous on vehicles such as the Continental GT and the Continental Flying Spur.
