2014 Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Auto

The end of an era

With the introduction of the V12 vantage S, Aston Martin also brought about the end of an era dating back decades for high-performance naturally aspirated performance cars. The V12 S was to be the last non-turbo engine before they were forced to move to turbo charging with tightened emissions regulations.

At the time the V12 Vantage S it was the quickest series production Aston Martin ever with a top speed on 325km/h, and a 0-100 time of only 3.7 seconds. Perhaps the biggest change from the regular V12 Vantage was the adoption of a new 7-speed Sportshift III gearbox fitted as standard with near-seamless gear changes at high engine speeds. This maximises the performance potential of the engine when compared to the previous 6-speed manual gearshift. When first launched and for the first three years of production, a conventional manual gearbox was not available for the V12 Vantage S whatsoever.

The ‘S’ also introduces 3-stage Adaptive Damping (normal, sport and track) and Servotronic Steering to extract the maximum amount of the potential performance in the widest range of situations. The AM28 engine has a power increase of 55 bhp from 510 bhp to 565 bhp, matching the new Vanquish. Of greater real-world significance is the immediate increase in torque when pulling away from only 1000 rpm where an additional 70 Nm is available versus the V12 Vantage. A new and advanced Bosch engine management system (unique to the ‘S’) controls AM28 alongside the debut of Dual Variable Camshaft Timing and knock-sensing – all improving efficiency and engine capability. This makes the car considerably quicker both when accelerating from stand-still and through the gears. Special attention has been paid to achieve greater aerodynamic efficiency to both aid cooling and increase vital downforce.

With a raucous engine note to accompany the simply unbeatable Yellow Tang Metallic paint work, this is a car thats meant to be seen, heard and appreciated.