First Drive: 2011 Aston Martin V12 Vantage

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Adding four more cylinders only betters Vantage’s already capable road manners By John LeBlanc CARMEL VALLEY, Calif. – One look at the latest Aston Martin Vantage’s spec sheet, and one would have thought that that ‘ol Texan chicken farmer, Carroll Shelby, had a hand in its creation. By taking the biggest engine in the Aston barn—the 6.0-litre V12 from the topline DBS—and wedging it into the British marque’s smallest car, the new V12 Vantage looks for all the world like the reincarnation of Shelby’s famous 427 Cobras, the legendary AC Ace roadsters, stuffed with big Ford V8s, normally found under the hoods of Galaxie NASCAR racecars. The last time we checked, though, Shelby hadn’t been anywhere near Aston’s Gaydon, England headquarters since he was a factory driver, winning the 1959 24 Hours of LeMans in a DBR4/250 racecar. But after some seat time in the 2011 V12 Vantage, the big-engine-into-the-itty-bitty-car formula seems to work just fine, thank you very much. Unlike the Shelby 427 Cobras, the V12 Vantage isn’t a hardcore, track-only proposition. The $183,000 V12 model sits at the top of a three-model Vantage range that includes the $137,495 V8 starter, and the midrange $150,000 N420 (which adds upgraded sporty bits like bodywork and suspension.) Outside of an Aston Martin showroom, the V12 Vantage finds the $200,000 Porsche Turbo S, $198,000 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG and $198,000 Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4 as its chief rivals. There is no convertible V12 version, as with other Vantages. But there is a special edition $197,000 Carbon Black V12, if you need to spend more money. In addition to a carbon-fibre front splitter, Alcantara steering wheel, raised spoiler and carbon-ceramic brakes, the V12 Vantage’s main point of interest is under its vented engine hood. Replacing the 420 hp 4.7-litre V8, the 510 hp V12 is exclusively matched to the Graziano six-speed manual transaxle shared with the V8 Vantages. Aston says its VH (vertical/horizontal) chassis architecture was designed to hold the longer twelve-cylinder engine, and only required a slight modification to the radiator placement and structural bracing to meet North American safety requirements. The immediacy of the V12 Vantage’s prodigious grunt is like being slapped in the back of your head, and the first sign of the car’s newfound performance. The Aston isn’t quite the torque-meisters that the 479 lb-ft of torque Mercedes or 516 lb-ft Porsche are. But the Aston’s 420 lb-ft rating handily betters the Lambo’s 398 lb-ft. All three of these competitors are quicker from zero to 100 km/h—Gallardo in 3.7 seconds, SLS AMG in 3.8, 911 Turbo S in 4.1—but for a rear-wheel-drive car, the V12 Vantage’s 4.2 second time is nothing to sneeze at. Of course, it’s really never about “just the numbers” with an Aston. There are the less tangible qualities that consistently are built into each model. There’s the classy-yet-distinctive styling. A driver-oriented interior, that can still coddle with luxury items like the $8,375 Bang & Olufsen sound system my tester had. Due to its smaller dimensions and lighter weight than its larger, and heavier, Grand Touring DB9 and DBS stablemates, the V8 Vantage has always been the so-called “driver’s car” in Aston’s lineup; a real alternative to Porsche’s 911, the knee-jerk choice for many sports car fans. So while the idea of adding more weight sounds counterproductive, out on the twisty roads here in central California, it just made the Vantage a better sports car—in some regards, a better car to drive than the all-conquering $300,000-plus. DBS. First off, Aston’s front-mid-engine placement means that V12’s extra 70 kg of weight (over the V8) doesn’t make its front end act like a tennis ball in a tube sock. Its maker says 51 per cent of the V12 Vantage’s mass resides over its front wheels; 49 per cent at the rear. Add in the V12’s sport suspension from the N420 model (stiffer suspension, Bilstein dampers and added negative camber force) and the V12 Vantage is a comprehensive backroad weapon. The Aston’s ceramic brakes are strong like bull. But they squeak at more leisurely speeds. And the limited-slip differential make its presence known around town, as well. But that’s about it for nits to be picked. The two-seater is beautifully balanced in the corners, with understeer that can flicked away with a stab of the throttle. It’s much more direct than the Gallardo, which can sometimes be clumsy, more nimble than the robust ‘Benz, and offers much more feel from all of its controls than the anodyne Turbo S. In some ways, without the flamboyant body parts its flashier rivals wear, the V12 Vantage is a bit of a Q-Car. It may not attract the attention of the hotel valet, but then driving the car is a bit like carrying a concealed weapon. Only you know what you have on hand. That ethos seems to be in keeping with Aston’s goal to make the latest Vantage variant a “real” driver’s car. If you revel in making the perfect heel-and-toe downshift, the sound of the V12 as it barks like a British bulldog on its way up and down the gears, or can appreciate an engine and chassis that seem twinned at birth, the new V12 Vantage is hard not to recommend. And at two-thirds the cost of a DBS, for our money, it’s the Aston to get if you love to drive. First Drive: 2011 Aston Martin V12 Vantage WHAT I LIKED: Aston V12 makes one of the best automotive sounds on the planet; Wonderful balance between engine and chassis; Classy styling won’t alert the wrong kind of attention. WHAT I DIDN'T: Noisy brakes at city speeds; limited-slip differential makes odd noises; relatively conservative styling. Base price: $183,000 Type of vehicle: RWD two-door sports car Engine: 6.0-litre, 48-valve, V12 Power/Torque: 510-hp/420 lb.-ft. Transmission: Six-speed manual E.U. Cycle Fuel consumption L/100 km (city/hwy/combine): 11.64 / 11.74 / 16.35 Competition: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4, Porsche 911 Turbo S

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