Aston Martin V12 Vantage S unveiled

In the world of sports cars, the British marquee of Aston Martin has always had its own special place. Combining elegance and beauty with form and function is something that the Gaydon based manufacturer has never had a problem doing and this is something that is quite evident with the new V12 Vantage S. While it bears the familiar Aston look and design, this is a completely reworked beast underneath and gives a new meaning to the term elegant but deadly. 

The Vantage S achieves its lunacy courtesy of its reworked naturally aspirated 6.0-litre V12 petrol mill. This engine produces 565PS and 644Nm of torque. Power is transmitted to the rear wheels via a new automated seven-speed manual gearbox dubbed the ‘Sportshift III AMT’ and is believed to be a major improvement over the current automated manual present in the V8 Vantage. It is also lighter than the current gearbox by 24-kgs.

Aston Martin also says that it has included many of the developments from its motorsports programme into the new car. All this power and technology is capable of propelling the V12 Vantage S from 0-60kmph in just under four seconds and then to a top-speed of 329kmph.  

The V12 Vantage will replace the current car as the flagship vehicle in the Vantage range. One of the most noticeable changes to this car is the new grille. The familiar aluminium slat design has been replaced by a carbon fibre grille or the optional titanium silver mesh. The former is believed to be inspired from the CC100 concept car that was unveiled recently. Other major external changes include new alloy wheels, revised external graphics and black roof. 

Inside, the V12 Vantage S in addition to the standard luxuries includes sports seats and the option to trim the insides in two types of leather or Alacantra. Aston Martin is also offering an optional carbon fibre pack that sees certain standard components like the door handles being trimmed out in the light weight material. 

 An Italian firm Investindustrial recently purchased a majority stake in Aston Martin and this is the first major product to roll out of their stables after the purchase. While they have not announced any prices for the car, it is believed that it will be priced close to 200, 000 USD (Rs 1.12 Crore) and should ideally go on sale within the next two months.