A New Aston Martin V12 Vantage Is Officially On The Way

Sticking a V12 in the front of the current Aston Martin Vantage is, when you think about it, pretty pointless. The Mercedes-AMG 4.0-litre V8 currently used by the car is, as proven by cars like the AMG GT Black Series and Aston’s own reborn Valhalla hypercar, good for over 700bhp with some changes. Why put dump something with around that same power but a whole lot more weight on the front end?

“Because why not” seems to be Aston’s answer, as the British company has just confirmed an all-new V12 Vantage. That it makes little sense merely makes us all the more glad it’s happening.

The press release is so short we might as well reproduce the whole thing:

“You’ve heard about it. You will certainly hear it coming. V12 Vantage. It’s not just a Limited Edition, it’s a Final Edition. Returning in 2022.”

Yep, you heard that right - ‘Final Edition’, a name no doubt chosen because the end is nigh for Aston Martin’s 5.2-litre, twin-turbo V12. It’ll be a fitting send-off as we’re expecting the power output to match that of the DBS Superleggera - 715bhp. In the Vantage’s compact package, this should make for an absolute riot of a driving experience.

It won’t be as sharp as the V8 to drive, as that V12 weighs around 100kg more than the AMG-sourced mill. That’s a lot of additional mass to burden the front end with, requiring an overhaul of the chassis. Judging by tests mules spotted not so long ago, the bodywork will also need to radically change to keep the bigger engine cool, with new air intakes and a freshly designed vented bonnet among the tweaks.

The V12 will be by far the most expensive Vantage we’ve seen yet. Since the F1 Edition is already £142,000, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a figure nudging £200,000 for the Final Edition.