Aston Martin V12 Vantage looms

ASTON Martin is believed to be preparing a V12-engined version of its Vantage sportscar, returning a high-displacement flagship variant to market for the first time in this generation after unveiling the closely related V12 Speedster earlier this month.

While stopping short of confirming its production, Aston Martin Lagonda (AML) executive vice-president and chief creative officer Marek Reichman was enthusiastic about a V12 Vantage returning to showrooms when asked about its prospects when he was in Melbourne last week.

“We don’t typically talk about future products, but the philosophy is that it fits, so who knows,” Mr Reichman revealed.

“One of my favourite cars in our whole line-up we’ve ever done – and I’ve been there 15 years – is the V12 Vantage. It’s just one of the most wonderful cars to drive. It’s not the car you’d want to take racing, it’s just something about putting a big engine in a small platform.”

The V12 is a staple of the larger DB11 range that arrived here in 2016 and which shares much of its architecture and componentry with the second-generation Vantage launched two years later.

While the all-new V12 Speedster is not coming to Australia due to homologation issues – it will, however, be sold in New Zealand – the limited-run retro racer-inspired roofless model is an amalgam of the Vantage and DB11-based DBS Superleggera that only recently arrived in local showrooms.

Starting from £765,000 ($A1.49 million) in its UK home market, the V12 Speedster’s 5.2-litre twin-turbocharged V12 pumps out 522kW of power and 753Nm of torque and drives the rear wheels via an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission.

Aston claims it can hit 100km/h from standstill in 3.5 seconds, on the way to an electronically limited 300km/h top speed.

Backing Mr Reichman up was Aston Martin Lagonda Asia-Pacific president Patrik Nilsson, who said the V12 remained an important and relevant part of the British brand’s line-up.

“Our plan is for them to continue. We keep making them more and more effective. You’ve seen from last generation to this generation that we’ve gone to smaller-sized V8s and V12s with turbochargers on them, so they’re much more environmentally friendly and much more powerful and drink less fuel,” he said.

“I think we’ll also identify as a V8 and V12 company. And I know our boss (CEO Andy Palmer) correctly, he will make sure we will be that as long as possible.”

The current Vantage is powered by the Mercedes-Benz M177 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8, similarly driving the rear wheels via an eight-speed ZF automatic.

With 375kW and 685Nm, it manages 100km/h in 3.7 seconds, and is capable of reaching 314km/h.