Aston Martin Unveils new V12 Vantage S

The Iconic British Carmaker, Aston Martin has now unveiled the successor to the legendary V12 Vantage, named V12 Vantage S. Scheduled to arrive in Early 2014, the New V12 Vantage S will be priced under $200,000. Having powered by a AM28 6.0-litre V12 engine, the car produces the maximum power output of 573bhp, with the top speed of 330kmph, making it one of the fastest road-going Aston Martin ever offered.  

Peak and low rev torque improves appreciably, too. With 620Nm available at 5,750 rpm – up from 570Nm previously – the V12 Vantage S is not to be found wanting. Crucially, too, low rev torque – measured at just 1,000rpm – leaps from 440Nm to 510Nm. This serves to both flatten and fatten the torque curve, thereby significantly improving driveability. Aston Martin Chief Executive Officer Dr Ulrich Bez said: “The new V12 Vantage S is, simply, pure Aston Martin. It is extreme in its nature yet truly timeless in its design language. Learning from our successes on the track feeds the development of this type of car and I’m proud to launch such an exciting sports car in this, our centenary year.”

The new V12 Vantage S also gets a new gearbox. The Sportshift III AMT (automated manual transmission) is a major development of the automated manual gearbox that appears in the current V8 Vantage S. Designed and engineered to exploit the full sporting potential of the V12 engine, the new Sportshift III hydraulically actuated automated manual transmission provides motorsport-style paddle shift changes for optimum performance delivery and efficiency. The unit is also appreciably lighter than the outgoing six-speed manual gearbox – saving 25 kg.

The Sportshift III transaxle, from transmission experts Oerlikon Graziano, joins an extensive array of new sport- and track-focused developments that ensure the V12 Vantage S is fully equipped to exploit the huge performance potential of its 6.0-litre naturally aspirated AM28 engine. The debut of three-stage adaptive damping – another ‘first’ for the Vantage family – allows the driver to more precisely tailor the car’s dynamic character. ‘Normal’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Track’ modes provide a broad swathe of dynamic performance that can be tuned to better suit the driver’s requirements. The system also governs the level of power steering assistance offered. A whole new exhaust system – derived from that of the One-77 hypercar, no less – is lighter, smaller and, crucially, even more sonorous than that of the outgoing car.

The ZF Servotronic power assisted steering is new, too. With a quicker 15:1 ratio, it is linked to the adaptive damping button and offers two-mode steering assistance designed to best match the ‘Sport’ or ‘Normal’ settings generated by the Adaptive Damping System.