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It's the end of an era for Aston Martin's sonorous 5.2-liter, twin-turbocharged V12 engine. The 2023 Aston Martin V12 Vantage, limited to 333 examples, will be its final home as the company moves to hybridization and eventually electric vehicles. Deliveries of the sendoff will happen in the next few months.
"Every great sportscar brand has a hero car. For Aston Martin in more recent years that car has been the V12 Vantage," said Aston Martin Chief Executive Officer, Tobias Moers in a press release. "Right from the moment the first V12 Vantage RS Concept was shown back in 2007 our customers and fans around the world fell in love with the idea of fitting our biggest engine into our smallest and most sporting model."
The new V12 will deliver 690 horsepower and 555 pound-feet (lb-ft) of torque to the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. That leads to a 0-60 mph time of 3.4 seconds and a top speed at 200 mph. All examples are predictably sold out.
"The recipe has been refined over the years with great success, but the essence has remained the same. Now it is time to bring this bloodline to a close, fittingly with the most spectacular example yet – the fastest, most powerful and most dynamically capable V12 Vantage ever," said Moers. "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."
Aston Martin put the Vantage on a diet for the final V12 model. The bumpers, hood, fenders, side sills and trunklid are all made from carbon fiber. The battery is lightweight, as is the exhaust, which saves about 15 pounds alone.
The last V12 Vantage features a new adaptive suspension including antiroll bars, bushings, springs and dampers. Suspension spring rates are up 50 percent in the front and 40 percent in the rear. That means it will corner flatter, however a secondary tender spring has been added, which Aston says enhances comfort without affecting performance.
The Vantage comes standard with racing-style carbon ceramic brake disc (saving 50 pounds over steel discs) measuring 16.1 inches in front and 14.1 inches in back. The brake calipers have six pistons in front and four pistons in back to mitigate heat when stopping from high speeds.
The new coupe is widened 1.5 inches and features a unique front end for more cooling airflow and downforce. The Vantage has a new hood vent, new side sills and rear bumper.
Semi-aniline leather-wrapped seats carry driver and passenger while carbon fiber manually adjustable seats are optional, saving 16 pounds. The company also notes that almost everything can be customized through its "Q by Aston Martin" service.
Though all examples of the final V12 Vantage have been sold (for around $300,000 each, in a matter of days), luxury supercars like this live on in museums and collections, and eventually change hands.
"It's always tough to predict what's going to be a collectible years or decades into the future. Especially these days, at the upper end of the market, there's no shortage of limited and special-edition supercars," Graham Kozak, managing editor at RM Sotheby's told Newsweek.
"It remains to be seen how many will be relevant to collectors down the road. True last-of-the-line vehicles have a way of cutting through the clutter, though, and we can expect to see a wave of compelling examples like this as automakers shift toward electrification."
The one thing that did surprise Kozak was the automatic transmission in this final model.
"In addition to the rarity factor, modern collectors are asking: What experience can I not get, at any price, in a new car? For example, it's no secret that well-preserved manual transmission Ferraris of all ages are being snapped up for their analog appeal. Ditto Porsches, both air- and, lately, water-cooled," said Kozak.
The important factor is that these cars will still be considered important, even as newer, more technologically advanced vehicles take the stage.
"It's not much of a reach to predict that the next Aston Martins, whether hybridized or full electric, will outperform this Vantage by any number of metrics," said Kozak. "But they won't have a V12, and that's significant."
About the writer
Jake Lingeman is a Newsweek Autos managing editor based in Detroit. His focus is reporting on the auto industry. He has covered ... Read more