12 facts about the Aston Martin Vantage V12S

THE Aston Martin V12 S is all about automotive art.

I had roughly 24 hours to spend with Aston Martin’s very beautiful and alluring, not to mention, sensually seductive Vantage V12S.

Twenty-four hours to do whatever I wanted to do (well, sort of) with it. And after 24 hours, I am at a loss for words with the Aston.

It’s unlike any other supercar I have ever driven. The feel, experience and balls-out fun it delivered is incomparable to any other supercar from Germany or Italy.

So, here are 12 really good reasons to consider buying one (if you have the cash for it).

1. That gloriously sounding, normally aspirated V12 engine

Sure, Ferrari and Lamborghini make equally fine, and even more powerful V12 engines. But none have the same bassy, snarly bellowing growl as ferocious as the Aston Martin’s, an in-house powerplant hand-assembled in Britain, in this case finally inspected and signed off by a certain Dan Rhodes.

Power is a heady 565 hp and 630 Newton meters of torque transmitted exclusively to the rear wheels from this 6-liter lump.

Thanks to normal aspiration, the sound isn’t spoilt by turbochargers which tend to make many cars sound rather farty.

2. That classic GT shape

Viewed at every angle, the Aston Martin Vantage looks handsome, a superbly chiseled specimen of motoring art, which is truly a fine interpretation of man’s desire to go fast on four wheels.

CARBON Ceramic brakes

It looks big, but is surprisingly very compact. Inside, it seems tight, but you realize, it fits you perfectly, like a fine driving glove, or a well-cut body-hugging suit.

3. That simple, well laid-out and functional interior

The Aston Martin Vantage’s interior is a simple, classy and purposeful interior.

There’s no high-tech multi-media this and that, which can distract you from the business (and pleasure) of driving.

A rather old-school infotainment system with superb sounding audio aside from the glorious V12 is all you get.

The Vantage was meant to be a more driver-focused sports car, and the interior makes sure you don’t stray from its true purpose.

The seats themselves are impressive: fixed bucket items that look uncomfortable, but surprisingly offer impressive comfort and support even on very long stints behind the wheel, even in traffic.

4. The taut, compact proportions

The long tail, and the short, stylish and perky rump accentuated by a ducktail spoiler makes the Vantage look taut, athletic, aggressive, a true brute in a suite.

DOORS open slightly upward and outward

It doesn’t look fat or bloated, or cartoonish with its oversized wheels or unnecessary vents, scoops and louvers. The proportions focus on its dynamic potential.

5. The impressive suspension

While a tad jumpy in sport mode, the Aston offers just enough compliance to make even Edsa bearable in normal mode, while making high speed runs supremely stable.

It feels alive, and in a good way, as more modern performance cars suffer that clinical, disconnected feel in pursuit of greater performance.

The Aston feels very organic, very old school. Thanks to Bilstein for supplying the best dampers in the business.

6. Eye-watering braking performance

SIMPLE yet elegant interior

The V12 Vantage S comes with Brembo’s carbon-ceramic brakes, offering physics-numbing braking performance even at very high speeds.

While feel is a bit over-assisted and grabby at low speeds, it somehow feels right as speeds pile up. Perfect for endless lapping sessions on the track.

Did I mention that the brake discs were massive?

7. The steering feel

The Vantage S has impressive steering feel, hands down.

There’s a decent amount of heft, with the steering feeling precise, responsive and crucially, very organic.

It’s not desensitized from nuances on the road so you really feel part of the equation. While heft and effort are greater than many modern supercars, it adds to the overall aural enjoyment.

DRIVER’S side handbrake

You have to work for it in the Aston, but the added effort makes the drive even more fulfilling and exciting.

8. Its overall handling

The Vantage is an honest-to-goodness RWD car: you have to respect it and the 565 hp/630 Nm of torque.

You have to warm up the massive Pirelli P-Zero Corsa trackday-tires to get the most out of them. It requires a far higher skill level than say, a Nissan GTR, which will admittedly be faster in the hands of most normal people.

But learn how to drive the Vantage right (which means clean and tidy), and it feels infinitely more satisfying than a computer-controlled mecha Godzilla robot beast warrior fighter thingy.

9. It’s a very good ‘all-arounder’

The Aston is the perfect supercar to own if you’re single, married with no kids, or an empty nester.

POWERED by a 6-liter V12 normally aspirated engine

The boot is big, getting in and out isn’t very difficult relative to other supercars, and you look good driving an Aston in any clothing: suit, jeans, shorts or racing overalls. Perfect for the office run, a night out on town, a long drive to the countryside or a day at the track.

10. It has real character

In car terms, character is an abused word that people use to hide negative aspects about a car. Not the Aston. It has real charm and character, from the way it looks, to the way you get in, start up the engine, and how the various noises and vibrations the Vantage emits makes you feel tingly and delighted.

The Vantage is the absolute best of high-performance motoring from a previous era, a celebration of all things good before computers took over motoring.

11. It’s rare

You don’t see a lot of Astons around now, do you? Rarity is good in a segment that always wants to be noticed.

In a sea of Porsches, Ferraris, Lamborghinis, BMW M cars and Mercedes-Benz AMGs, the Aston is rare, uncommon and thus truly unique.

12. There will never be another one like it

Aston Martins of the future will be very different from those of today. Engines and electronics from Mercedes-Benz AMG means the Aston will be less British, and the turbocharged engines will have different characteristics and feel from the current normally aspirated lump.

Buy it before it’s too late!

So there you have it folks. While the Vantage may not be as high-tech as an Audi R8, or have the motorsports pedigree of a Porsche 911, the drama of a Ferrari, or the brashness of a Lamborghini, it separates itself from them by being the best of what the British have to offer: charm, character, mixed with its own brand of performance, handling and of course, motorsports pedigree.