Aston Martin’s most extreme sports car, the new V12 Vantage S, is today confirmed as the brand’s fastest accelerating production car to date – with the exception of the limited edition, and sold-out, One-77 hypercar.
Taking just 3.7 seconds to sprint from 0-60 mph (3.9 seconds 0-100 km/h) the sports car underlines its position as not only the brand’s fastest accelerating production car, but also the most potent Vantage in Aston Martin’s glittering 100-year history.
Equipped with the new 573 PS AM28 6.0-litre V12 engine, featuring latest generation engine management, the car is capable of reaching 205 mph making it, also, the fastest sports car to wear the iconic Aston Martin wings – One-77 excepted.
With 620 Nm of torque available at 5,750 rpm the V12 Vantage S is as flexible as it is powerful. Low rev torque – measured at just 1,000 rpm – stands at 510 Nm and, driving the rear wheels through the new Sportshift™ III AMT (automated manual transmission) ensures the car boasts true sporting driveability.
Aston Martin CEO Dr Ulrich Bez said: “The new V12 Vantage S brings our winning GT3 race formula to the road. It’s a car for those customers who want superior sporting performance in a ‘gentleman’s suit’. It’s the most pure, yet understated, driving machine we can imagine today.”
As might be expected of such a potent machine, race car technology features throughout the V12 Vantage S. Aside from significant development time spent lapping the ‘green hell’ of Germany’s infamous Nürburgring to hone its dynamic capabilities and, of course, that motorsport-derived paddle shift gearbox, the new car includes such track-inspired components as CNC machined combustion chambers and hollow cam shafts.
Ian Minards, Product Development Director at Aston Martin, said: “Harnessing the sheer, raw, power of the AM28 engine – ensuring it is delivered in the most coherent, engaging way – has been a challenge for the Engineering team, but this record acceleration figure ably demonstrates that it is one we have more than met.
“With great motorsport successes already under our belt such as the WEC win at Silverstone and our superb showing at the recent Nürburgring 24 Hour race, plus the excitement of Le Mans just around the corner, it seems fitting that our most extreme road-going Vantage yet claims this acceleration record now.”
Nuanced, as well as potent, the new car includes technology which allows its driver to accurately tune its ride and handling. Three-stage adaptive damping means the driver can more precisely tailor the car’s dynamic character and exploit its clear performance potential. ‘Normal’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Track’ modes provide a broad swathe of dynamic capability, while the system also governs the level of power steering assistance offered.
Working alongside the extended adaptive damping system is a ‘Sport’ mode, controlled via a button on the centre console, which alters throttle response, gearshift speed and timing, and exhaust note to, once again, tune the character of the car to the driver’s requirements.
The new ZF-Servotronic™ power assisted steering boasts a quicker 15:1 ratio, in line with the car’s sporting pedigree, linked to the adaptive damping button. It offers two-mode steering assistance designed to best match the ‘Sport’ or ‘Normal’ settings generated by the Adaptive Damping System.
Pricing for the new V12 Vantage S is also confirmed.
In the UK the new car is available from £138,000 RRP; Germany €179,950 RRP; USA $184,995 MSRP; Dubai $230,995 (US$) and Australia AU$ 389,300, excluding local taxes where applicable.