Aston Martin V12 Vantage |
|---|
|
| Topic Navigation |
|---|
|
Wikipedia: Aston Martin Vantage (2005)
Page Sections History Documents Article Index |
History
The following section is an excerpt from Wikipedia's Aston Martin Vantage (2005) page on 21 November 2015, text available via the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
The Aston Martin V8 Vantage and the Aston Martin V12 Vantage are a series of hand-built sports cars from the British manufacturer Aston Martin. Aston Martin has previously used the "Vantage" name on high-performance variants of their existing GT models, notably on the Virage-based car of the 1990s. The modern car, in contrast, is the leanest and most agile car in Aston's lineup. As such, it is intended as a more focused model to reach out to potential buyers of cars such as the Porsche 911 as well as the exotic sports and GT cars with which Aston Martins traditionally compete.
On 11 December 2007, as part of Aston Martin's opening of their own design studio, the company unveiled a concept based on the V8 Vantage. The car, known as the V12 Vantage RS, featured the V12 engine from the DBS and produced 510 hp (380 kW). The power along with the weight of 3,704 pounds (1,680 kg) allows the car to reach 60 mph (97 km/h) in 4.1 seconds and achieve a top speed of 190 mph (310 km/h).
Other additions include a new rear diffuser, a rear-wing which can be raised or lowered, and carbon-ceramic brakes. The bootlid and vented bonnet are also made from carbon fibre to help decrease the car's weight. In early 2008, Aston Martin's CEO confirmed production for V12 Vantage RS for mid-2009.
Development prototypes of the V12 Vantage RS appeared in April 2008 before Aston Martin unveiled the official V12 Vantage in 2009.
On the finale of the 13th series of Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson drove the car simply saying that "It's wonderful, wonderful, wonderful".
The V12 Vantage has been confirmed for United States market. Dr. Urlich Bez has personally confirmed that USA homologation is underway. This is in response to the decision of expanding the production run beyond 1,000 units. According to the automaker, some subtle changes were necessary to the structure of the car in order for it to meet North and South American regulations. In addition to these enhancements, Aston has also announced that it will be adding a new Carbon Black version of the V12 Vantage exclusively for the American market.
The V12 Vantage is a drivable vehicle on the video game's Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit. It is available in both factory form and as a police version with full police livery. The Carbon Black edition is available in Test Drive Unlimited 2 as a special pre-order or DLC car along with the standard model. It also featured in Gran Turismo 5 via the Car Pack 3 DLC.
On 24 August 2011, Aston Martin announced that they are developing a GT3 version of the V12 Vantage, to replace the Aston Martin DBRS9. The race car is expected to be delivered by early 2012.
V12 Vantage S
On 28 May 2013, Aston Martin announced the V12 Vantage S - a sportier version of the V12 Vantage supercar that it is replacing.
The V12 Vantage S produces 565 hp (421 kW) and 457 lb·ft (620 N·m) of torque from a newly designed 5.9-liter (5935cc) V12 engine called the AM28, which they will use as a base for future engines. The power will be transferred to the rear wheels using a new seven-speed Sportshift III automated manual with no option for a manual transmission, which weighs 55 pounds (25 kg) more than the Sportshift III.
The exhaust on the V12 Vantage S was developed from the company's own One-77 supercar, and promises to give the car a sound unique to the new model.
Although specific performance details are yet to be released, the V12 Vantage S is claimed to reach a top speed of 205 mph (330 km/h), making it the fastest production Aston Martin in history.
The V12 Vantage S is 15 kilograms (33 lb) lighter than the V12 Vantage, features new three-stage adaptive damping for the suspension, new carbon ceramic brakes, and a unique track-mode to help drivers who want to take their car to the track.
Styling and aerodynamic changes include a new carbon fiber front grille, black roof and rear grille, lightweight forged alloy wheels, and new finishes on the interior seats, doors and controls.
| Date | Document Name & Details | Documents |
|---|---|---|
| 15 January 2014 | Aston Martin Recall 13V228 To: Jennifer Timian, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration From: Bill Donnelly, Aston Martin Lagonda of North America |  PDF - 312KB - 4 pages |
| 16 January 2014 | NHTSA Recall 14V010000 2008-2014 Aston Martin DB9, 2009-2012 Aston Martin DBS, 2010-2012 Aston Martin Rapide, 2014 Aston Martin Rapide S, 2011-2012 Aston Martin V12 Vantage Coupe, 2008-2014 Aston Martin V8 Vantage, 2011-2014 Aston Martin V8 Vantage S, 2014 Aston Martin Virage National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | Recall Page - 1 page |
| 30 January 2014 | Accelerator Pedal Arm May Break To: Bill Donnelly, Aston Martin Lagonda of North America From: Jennifer Timian, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | PDF - 50KB - 2 pages |
| 31 January 2014 | Aston Martin Recall 14V-010 To: Jennifer Timian, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration From: Bill Donnelly, Aston Martin Lagonda of North America | PDF - 40KB - 1 pages |
| Date | Article | Author/Source |
|---|---|---|
| 15 July 2012 | Aston Martin V12 Vantage Roadster  | Matt Hubbard, Speedmonkey |
| 29 May 2013 | Aston Martin V12 Vantage S - Humungous engine in quite a small car | Matt Hubbard, Speedmonkey |