The Aston Martin V12 Vantage first debuted in 2007 and became an instant classic. It combined the Gaydon firm’s nimble little sports car with a fire breathing V12. You can almost think of it as a British take on American muscle cars.
Now, Aston Martin has revealed what will be the swansong for the iconic two-seater. “Fastest, fiercest and most dynamically accomplished,” as the company describes it.
This final edition celebrates the end of an era with the “ultimate expression of extreme performance and driver-focussed thrills, this remarkable machine mixes blistering straight-line speed and scintillating handling with spectacular looks and enviable exclusivity.”
At the heart of the beast lies a 5.2-litre V12 making 690bhp and 542lb-ft of torque. That combined with an 8-speed automatic gearbox gives it enough oomph to get to 60mph from rest in just 3.4 seconds and on to a top speed of 200mph. The gearbox is backed up by a mechanical limited-slip differential and specially calibrated software to improve gear changes.
Weight-saving measures also played a hand here. The new car uses carbon fibre for the front bumper, bonnet, front wheel arches, and side sills. That’s helped out further by composite rear bumper and deck lid, lightweight battery and a special centre-mounted twin-exit exhaust system. And the carbon-ceramic brakes help lose a few pounds as well as improving braking performance at the limits.
Production is being capped at 333 cars, all of which are spoken for.
