WE DRIVE: Aston's Vantage V12 supercar

By Denis Droppa

Aston Martin recently shoehorned its largest-calibre engine into its smallest-calibre car and produced the Vantage V12, a limited edition run of just 1000 units. Want one?

South African units are available by special order only, at a price of R3 050 000.

It creates some new excitement in a range that was launched back in 2005, originally with a 4.3-litre V8 engine and then a 4.7 that raised outputs to 313kW and 470Nm. The monster 6-litre V12 now brandished by the Vantage is the same engine used in the larger Aston DBS and DB9 models, and the front-mid mounted unit fires 380kW and 570Nm of "hell-yeah" to the rear wheels New excitement in a range that was launched back in 2005 .

It's no rocket science to work out that this gives the car a power-to-weight ratio of note, while other upgrades give it claws to go with the fangs. The rear suspension's been modified to accommodate a wider wheel and tyre combination, improving grip and traction, while the ride height's been lowered by 15mm and the springs stiffened.

Every component of the V12 Vantage has been honed for maximum performance and even the light carbon-fibre in the opulent cabin isn't just for show.

We bagged the first V12 Vantage to reach South African soil,and moments after gunning the throttle for the first time I realised this car didn't conform to the usual Aston Martin "grand tourer" recipe. This is no watered-down, one-size-fits-all sports car but a hardcore machine that sends all your senses racing and requires some driving skill to tame Every component of the V12 Vantage has been honed .

Driving this British beast is a loud and visceral experience, with the engine shrieking its 12-cylinder symphony and the super-firm suspension jittering you about even though you're plugged into a narrow bucket seat and gripping that small, suede-covered wheel.

The better-than-average driving skills are needed because those abovementioned fangs can bite if you're not careful.

Dispatching 380kW to the road is not an easy business. With traction control engaged the car simply bogs down when you dump the clutch and a well-driven Nissan 370Z would out-sprint you.

With the traction control switched off it takes nothing for those rear Pirelli P Zero Corsa 295/30s to light up in a lurid slide that would break several anti-smoking laws. It took a few tries to bring our 0-100km/h time down to 5.5sec at altitude.

ACCELERATION IS INTENSE

There's perhaps another couple of tenths in there if you have a spare clutch on standby; at sea level Aston Martin says the normally-aspirated car should manage 4.2sec.

Once it's found traction the 12-cylinder Vantage's acceleration is intense, and it rips forward like a greyhound after a hare. There's no speed governor and the car only runs out of steam at 305km/h.

When you press a button marked "S" - which stands for Sport but could just as easily stand for See-ree-yus - it changes the character of the car from merely fast to foam-at-the-mouth. The livened-up throttle responds to every tickle and the V12 hollers a more hedonistic blare, just in case the hair on your arms wasn't standing at attention already.

The car wants a smooth piece of tarmac to chase such scenery-blurring speeds, though, as even mildly rippled tar causes this Vantage to buck and jitter alarmingly on its ultra-firm suspension.

Although the V12 engine weighs 100kg more than the V8, light materials - including carbon ceramic brakes, lighter forged aluminium wheels, lightt inner rear quarter panels and lightt seats - keep the kerb weight gain to only 50kg. The ensuing weight distribution provides near-perfect 51:49 front-to-rear balance. The body is made of aluminium, magnesium alloy, composite and steel to keep mass down to 1680kg.

IMMENSE STOPPING POWER

The light 19" alloy rims are clad with wide Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres specific to the V12 Vantage and enabling it to generate the highest cornering forces of any Aston Martin; 1.3g is possible.

The V12 Vantage comes with carbon ceramic matrix brakes that provide immense stopping power. Air ducts in the lower grille feed coolong air directly on to them.

A more purposeful stance is created by enhanced aerodynamic and cooling aids optically widening the car, while retaining traditional understated Aston Martin design.

VERDICT

Basically this feels like an Aston Martin that's swallowed a dose of extra-hot chilli sauce with a dash of Viagra. The British firm set out to make the V12 Vantage its most exhilarating sports car, and I call it mission accomplished.

Grand Tourer? Grand Terror, more like it.