Before switching to electric and hybrid, the British are giving their V12 another chance: this is the Aston Martin V12 Vantage test
Electric? Really? Yes, there are increasing signs that the next Aston Martin Vantage will be electrified. Whether as a pure electric or hybrid is yet to be confirmed. We, for now, tested an Aston Martin that is among the last of its kind.
When the Brits showed up on the Nordschleife with a prototype about a year ago, fans were delighted. An irresistible rear, wide body and a sound to die for. It quickly became clear that Aston would go back to producing a V12, traditionally so to speak.
Design
The side view is just amazing. Each line fits with the others, the fins behind the front wheels, the perfectly sculpted rear spoiler…
12 cylinders are nothing new on a Vantage. A concept featuring the DBRS9 race car’s V12 was shown in 2007, and in 2009 the 510bhp Vantage was finally available for purchase.
A little history
It was followed by the V12 Zagato in 2012, then the V12 Vantage Roadster and in 2013 the V12 Vantage S, which was one of the first to enter our super test. In 2015, a Vantage GT12, a street racing car with a lightweight construction and parts from the GT3 race car, was added.
In the end, a Vantage V12 with the fingerprints of the then new Aston Martin Racing (AMR) sports department.
Best motor oils for cars and motorcycles
These oils will help you keep your engine practically intact and prevent long-term breakdowns.
The familiar 5.2-litre twin-turbocharged V12 from the DB11 arrived in the engine room as is, angled at 60 degrees and mated to a wide-awake ZF automatic.
Then in 2017 came the marriage to Mercedes-AMG and the start of a new Vantage era. With AMG technology and a fresh design, the intention was to attract a much larger audience than the usual enthusiasts.
And with success, because significantly more cars have been sold since the start of its production than in previous years. And with its 510 hp AMG V8 biturbo it drove really well. Not as smooth and fast as an AMG GT, and the interior is also a bit lacking in modernity, but overall it was a really good sports car.
The 333 vehicles sold in two hours
And this is supposed to be over now? Let’s put it that way, this V12 Vantage is at least the farewell to this era. And we want to celebrate that. The best way, of course, is to do a real test. After all, this 700hp machine has to be really fast.
But then the disappointment: there will be no test units, all 333 vehicles were sold in two hours. Not even a driving report? We received a “no” for an answer on the first try.
Finally, the long-awaited call came: we could drive a V12 Vantage destined for the internal museum, shortly before it is decommissioned. Not just anywhere, but right on the roads surrounding the Aston Martin factory in Gaydon, near Birmingham.
Engine and behavior
A summary of the technical characteristics: 5.2-liter twin-turbocharged V12 with 700 PS from the DB11, eight-speed automatic transmission with quicker shifts, new stabilizer bars (front 5 percent stiffer, rear 41 percent softer), stiffer springs , firmer bearing support, rigid chassis, sharper steering, 40 millimeter wider tracks, wide body, rear wing for 204 kilos of downforce.
And on top of all this: a bonnet with a horseshoe-shaped ventilation opening as a tribute to the wild GT12.
I enter from the right side, slide into the optional carbon shell bucket, turn on, boot up and open my ears very well. The sound is heavenly and hellish at the same time, nothing can be compared.
The address impresses from the first meter with a much more precise work than we have experienced so far from Aston Martin. The newly tuned adaptive suspension, on the other hand, conveys the road surface quite faithfully to the buttocks.
It feels like a race car. It can be forgiven a D-mode shifting clutch, as well as outdated navigation. The road is clear, so, flat out!
The transmission selects gears under full load really furiously on the rear axle. Unfortunately, the V12 lacks a bit of this brutality. It roars well, but the 700 CV ventured something more of savagery.
There are others faster in its power-to-weight ratio class. But this one knows how to link curves, and how. Fast corners it turns almost straight, on tight corners it confidently draws black lines behind it. The dance of the rear is never excessive, it is controlled very well,
Factors to decide the purchase
Exclusive, sexy, wicked, a little naughty – this Aston has sharper curves, treads harder and looks wilder than all the Vantages before it. Too bad it’s just a one night stand…
conclusion
The best
Design, response and sound of the engine, behavior in curves
Worst
Obsolete navigation system, but worst of all… they have all been sold!
