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Gaydon’s final twelve-cylinder Vantage aGaydon’s fi nal twelve-cylinder Vantage a sell-out success with all 333 units presold sell-out success with all 333 units presold

 MATT BROGAN

ASTON MARTIN has announced details of its last ever twin-turbocharged V12-powered Vantage. The Gaydon-based marque will produce only 333 examples of the specially honed variant.

With outputs of 515kW at 6500rpm and 753Nm between 1800-6000rpm from its 5.2-litre mill, the fi nal V12 Vantage is the most powerful yet; it is said to accelerate from zero to 100km/h in 3.4 seconds and go on to a top speed of 320km/h. Th e engine is paired exclusively to an eight-speed ZFsourced automatic transmission driving the rear wheels via a mechanical limited-slip diff .

Aston Martin says it has worked to deliver “utmost performance and unmatched enjoyment” from its wide-body (+40mm) model, of which the order book is already closed.

Since the model’s confi rmation in December 2021, there has been unprecedented demand for its “future icon” and an “oversubscribed register of interest waiting in the wings”.

Th e use of carbon-fi bre in the front bumper, bonnet, front guards and side sills, a lightweight batt ery as well as a composite rear bumper and boot lid, trim the V12-engined Vantage’s kerb weight, while the tuned stainless-steel exhaust is said to emit a soulful soundtrack.

For optimal dynamism, in addition to a wider wheel track, the V12 Vantage is equipped with a newly calibrated adaptive damping system, larger anti-roll bars, fi rmer bushes, and uprated springs and dampers. AM says the model’s spring rates are fi rmer (50 per cent up front and 40 per cent at the rear), combined with top-mount stiff ness increasing by 13 per cent and anti-roll bars that are fi ve per cent stiff er at the front and a staggering 41 per soft er at the rear.

Changes support steering setup

Additional front and rear sheer panels, a rear suspension tower strut brace and fuel-tank bracing increase body stiff ness by eight per cent and lateral stiff ness by 6.7 per cent.

Th e changes are supported by a recalibrated steering setup and stopping power courtesy of 410mm carbon ceramic rotors (with six-piston calipers) up front and 360mm discs with four-piston clamps (at the rear).

Th e fi nal V12 Vantage is available with a choice of two 21-inch alloy wheel designs shod with Michelin Pilot 4S rubber.

To improve cooling, the front grille of the V12 Vantage is 25 per cent larger than before. It is complemented by a horseshoe shaped vent set into the bonnet, and a unique diff user built into the rear bumper. Th e rear wing contributes to a maximum downforce pressure of 204kg at top speed, though this can be deleted from the build sheet if it is not to the customer’s taste.

Th e interior of the V12 Vantage is unchanged from the that of the model it’s based upon, apart for the inclusion of Aston Martin’s Sport Plus Seats trimmed in semi-aniline leather with Wings quilt and perforation patt ern. Six-way adjustable exposed carbon-fi bre performance seats, which further reduce the vehicle’s overall weight are optional.

“Every great sportscar brand has a hero car. For Aston Martin, in more recent years, that car has been the V12 Vantage. Right from the moment the fi rst V12 Vantage RS Concept was shown back in 2007, our customers and fans around the world fell in love with the idea of fi tt ing our biggest engine into our smallest and most sporting model,” said Aston Martin CEO Tobias Moers.

“Th e recipe has been refi ned over the years with great success, but the essence has remained the same. Now it is time to bring this bloodline to a close, fi tt ingly with the most spectacular example yet – the fastest, most powerful and most dynamically capable V12 Vantage ever.

“A celebration of its forebears and an embodiment of Aston Martin’s intensifying focus on driving dynamics, it ensures the V12 Vantage goes out on the highest of highs,” he added.

Production of the V12 is due to commence in Q1 of 2022, with fi rst deliveries scheduled to begin shortly. Th e next-generation Vantage, which is slated for arrival in 2025, will be purely electric.