A conclusive argument
THE NEW V12 Vantage was always planned as a celebratory full stop on 12-cylinder Vantages, but it assumes extra significance as the final model launched under Tobias Moers, who departed as CEO just after we drove this pre-production example.
You can absolutely feel his influence – this is a far more aggressive and night-and-day faster machine than the F1 Edition that gently upped the Vantage’s game last year; one that’s more thrilling, if more compromised as a result.
It follows a bloodline of V12 Vantages stretching back to 2009, but this final descendant is the first to be fitted with the bi-turbo 5.2-litre that made its debut in the DB11. A robust 690bhp/555lb ft slots it between that and the DBS Superleggera; the F1 Edition trails by 163bhp and 50lb ft.
This is the Grizzly of V12s: a thunderous noise, gutsy and muscular in the mid-range, and real fire in its belly when you prod its bristly throttle to 7000rpm. Way shy of a 9500rpm Ferrari that might be, but it’s still furious when you’re boosting up there.
Inevitably there’s a substantial weight penalty over the F1 Edition (to the tune of 105kg, for 1795kg all told), which makes weight distribution slide from an even split to 53:47 front-to-rear, like gold on The Italian Job bus.
A quick glance at the engorged body reveals big changes to mitigate that. A new carbonfibre front end covers a 40mm wider track, there’s wider 21in Pilot Sport 4S rubber, splitters and spoilers for extra downforce, carbon-ceramic brakes as standard and – the stuff you can’t see – spring rates up 50% front, 40% rear, extra body bracing, all sorts.
On Aston’s Silverstone test track the dynamic gains over the F1 Edition feel huge, mostly because you can lean so much harder on the front end, even though this track usually makes everything seem too understeery. The V12 just digs in and settles calmly, so, rather than waiting for tyres to chew through understeer, you’re constantly tweaking the attitude of the front end to get it pointing where you want – lovely.
Perhaps even more surprising is is how much traction this overpowered rear-driver musters. Even when you take liberties and brake way too late, the V12 simply rolls into fluid oversteer, sits there for a second with a raised eyebrow, then powers off again– yes, it’ll showboat, but it wants to be more mature and hooked up than that.
De-merits include ponderous downshifts from the eight-speed auto, so-so steering feel and a midway ESP setting that’s too cautious on track, but it’s huge fun here at Silverstone.
Rowdier road manners are the inevitable trade: road noise like breakers on the shore, diff ’ whine at motorway speeds, pads that honk when the brakes heat up on the road (though we’re told that’s a pre-production thing) and a stiffer if far from crashy ride. Even then, you’ll surely forget all that on a favourite road, when the noise, performance and malleable handling fuse into one blissful whole. I certainly did.
Just 333 V12 Vantages will be produced, all of them coupés, and all have already been snapped up despite a £265,000 sticker. That’s £140,000 more than the F1 Edition, which is also the better all-round car. Why bother? Because for trackdays, special road drives and pure collectability, the V12 Vantage is the one.