The Aston Martin V12 Vantage S
combines Aston's biggest, most powerful engine with its smallest car. It's a scary prospect: something that might excite a spped freak like Guy Martin, in fact.
Guy Martin is the motorbike road-racer with the Wolverine sideys and a
slightly wild look in his eye. Blokes like Martin apparently need to
almost die to feel alive. So what’s the car that Guy bought for a
four-wheeled rush? The Aston Martin V12 Vantage.
The recipe was simple: open a V8 Vantage’s bonnet, stuff in the DB9’s
V12. Except now V12 Vantage has become V12 Vantage S, with power and
torque rising by 55bhp and 37lb ft to 565bhp and 457lb ft. The same
engine as a Vanquish, in effect. I think Guy just twitched.
The V12 Vantage S
costs a heady £138k, but there’s more to it than simply squeezing 12
cylinders under that vented bonnet. It gets the Sportshift III automated
manual as standard – ‘a major development of the gearbox in the V8
Vantage,’ says Aston. ‘Saves 25kg over the six-speed manual’ – plus
lightweight forged alloys, carbon-ceramic brakes and three-stage
adaptive damping. There’s also a quicker 15:1 steering ratio and
two-stage steering assistance.
Early sensations are promising: the hydraulically assisted steering
is crisper than a poppadum, with feel that teaches the new 911 GT3 and
Jag F-type a thing or two. Nudge that Alcantara-wrapped wheel and the
nose darts eagerly left to right, the body feeling flat and composed.
The ride’s very connected, but there’s still a suppleness that prevents
it from feeling abruptly curtailed. That’s a line that Sport can
overstep; take Track literally. So, leave the dampers in Normal and
press the other Sport mode, the one that adds noise, quickens the shift
and gives that long-travel throttle extra pizzazz.
Go hard and this is a very quick car, but there’s still a hole
low-down the rev range – peak torque hits at 5750rpm – and it’s that and
the sticky Pirelli Corsas that allow the V12 S to deploy its power
surprisingly well. Shame there’s another hole when you change gear: the
automated manual just doesn’t carry the same momentum as the F-type’s
torque converter. Little cough, swig of water, where was I? I, er… Gear!
I’ve never been entirely sure about the Vantage’s handling balance,
and greasy roads probably aren’t the best time to put that one to bed. I
prefer the more languid feel of the longer DB9 and Vanquish, and to me
the Vantage always seems to communicate it’s going to slide from a point
behind you; I like that feeling to be pushed further up the car. It’s
ultimately benign enough, though you still need to have quick reactions.
Putting a V12 into a Vantage sounds deranged, but the fact is it
simply brings the Vantage into line with current expectations: the Porsche 911 Carrera S or Jaguar F-type R Coupe
if anything feel faster – though both lack the Aston’s 0-62mph and
top-speed bragging rights – and they’re certainly more frugal, based on
fresher designs and cost £50k less.
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