Autoblog

REPORT: Aston Martin V12 Vantage bound for U.S.?

Chris Shunk — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:58:00 EST

Aston Martin V12 Vantage - Click above for high-res image gallery

For our money, there are few vehicles in the world more beautiful than the Aston Martin Vantage. And when we scribble out our lottery list, the limited edition 510 hp 6.0L V12 variant is always near the top. Unfortunately, Aston announced early on that none of the 1,000 DB9-powered Vantages would be imported into the U.S. Pity. But according to Car and Driver, our prayers may have been answered.

Aston CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez told the buff book that the V12 Vantage would be available in the US after all, and that the ultra exclusive GT specialists could keep the 12-pot variants coming past the 1,000 unit mark. That's great news for the people that can appreciate (and afford) the best cars money can buy. And if the V12 Vantage goes on sale in the States, that means there's a chance we'll get to drive one.

Gallery: Aston Martin V12 Vantage

[Source: Car and Driver]

REPORT: Aston Martin V12 Vantage bound for U.S.? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BREAKING: Top Gear not dead [w/VIDEO]

Jonny Lieberman — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:28:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Etc., Videos, Aston Martin, UK, Celebrities

Jeremy Clarkson waxes euphoric about the Aston Martin V12 Vantage - Click above to watch the video

Internet rumors are a funny thing. Back during the last presidential campaign, 10% of voters polled thought Barack Obama was a Muslim... until his campaign staffers came out and denied he was a Muslim. Then 14% of us thought he was a Muslim. And you can see the same thing happening with another bout of "Top Gear is dead!" rumormongering. Seriously folks, the "TG is dead" gossip that accompanies the end of every single season is getting just as old as "Will Brett Favre come out of retirement?" Both have surpassed the point of story and are now borderline ritual. Actually, it's looking like this year, Favre's staying on the farm down in Mississippi. Which makes the Top Gear rumors even more annoying.

The last segment of the last episode of Season 13 showed an uncharacteristically toned down Clarkson waxing extra-poetic about the Aston Martin V12 Vantage and how he fears that because of environmental worries, the busted global economy and the particularly British "War On Speed," that the days of the supercar are finished. As a result, he seems a bit sad. So sad, in fact, that many around the globe (and especially those at their keyboards) started in with the inevitable, "Top Gear is dead" refrain. Well, that and James May might have been seen crossing a street not wearing any shoes. But guess what? Everyone's favorite car show is coming back for a 14th season.

According to both The Sun and some website called Top Gear, Jezza, Hammond and May are going no where. Says Clarkson, "I can assure everyone I'll be back in November doing Top Gear. We're filming the next series and already have several things in the can. I couldn't think of anything I'd want to do more." So you heard it here first - Top Gear Season 14 starts in November. Amazing what a bit of research can do, no?

Speaking of which - we unearthed Clarkson's actual review of the V12 Vantage. And much unlike the three sentences he said about the car for the now infamous segment, Jeremy didn't like Aston Martin very much at all. See, Jeremy thinks that the real top Aston is the DBS. But it costs $269,000. Now, the V12 Vantage goes for $209,000, but is the new car 99% of the DBS for $60,000 less? Says Jezza, "I was pondering this earlier on today while blasting down a sun-flickered Cotswold road in my wife's 4.7-liter V8 Vantage convertible. And then the obvious answer hit me: The car I'd buy is the one I was in." Indeed. For those interested parties, the notorious video is posted after the jump.

Gallery: Aston Martin V12 Vantage

[Sources: The Sun; Top Gear]

Continue reading BREAKING: Top Gear not dead [w/VIDEO]

BREAKING: Top Gear not dead [w/VIDEO] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aston to field half-dozen V12 Vantage racers at Nürburgring 24

Jonathon Ramsey — Sat, 23 May 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Aston Martin

Click above for a high-res gallery of the V12 Vantage preparing for the Nürburgring 24-hour race

It started with one lone V8 Vantage, dubbed the N24, that ran the Nürburgring 24-hour race in 2006. Last year, that first racer, a yellow car dubbed "Rose," won class honors in the race. This year, it will be joined by five more Vantages, one of them being the 510 horsepower V12 Vantage introduced in Geneva earlier this year.

Only three of the six cars will be factory efforts. The slightly modified V12 Vantage will be piloted by Aston CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez and three co-drivers, and "Rose" will be driven by another team of three. Privateer entrants will be headed by Richard Kramer, an Austrian Aston dealer whose Vantage N24 is being supported by the factory.

You can read the full press release after the jump, and check out live action from the weekend's qualifying and race at the ADAC site.

Gallery: Aston Martin V12 Vantage at the Ring

[Source: Aston Martin]

Continue reading Aston to field half-dozen V12 Vantage racers at Nürburgring 24

Aston to field half-dozen V12 Vantage racers at Nürburgring 24 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 23 May 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aston gets social, releases 20 new pics of V12 Vantage on Facebook

Damon Lavrinc — Wed, 20 May 2009 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Europe, Supercars, Aston Martin

Aston Martin V12 Vantage - Click above for an image gallery

Reviews of the Aston Martin V12 Vantage are beginning to pop up around the interwebs and Aston decided to hype up the first drives by releasing an additional 20 photos of its new 510-hp GT through... Facebook. The real-world shots show a few more details of the hopped-up Vantage, including the racy carbon fiber hood vents, suede-lined seats and a eye-catching blood-red interior. Unfortunately, the V12 Vantage isn't headed Stateside, but rest assured, our non-essential organs are finding their way onto Craigslist for an opportunity to drive the new sports coupe abroad. Until that happens, check the gallery below for plenty of beauty shots.

Gallery: Aston Martin V2 Vantage on Facebook

Aston gets social, releases 20 new pics of V12 Vantage on Facebook originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 May 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aston Martin taking on the Nürburgring 24-Hour enduro in V12 Vantage

Damon Lavrinc — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:28:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Aston Martin

Aston Martin V12 Vantage - Click above for a high-res image

Aston Martin is returning to the grid for the 37th ADAC Nürburgring 24-hour race, and joining "Rose" - the yellow V8 Vantage that's clocked over 20,000 miles on the track and campaigned in every enduro since 2006 - will be Aston's latest model, the V12 Vantage.

According to Aston, the Nordschleife-bound V12 didn't need much in the way of modifications to make it ready for race day. The Vantage underwent a weight reduction program primarily comprised of ditching its luxurious interior in favor of a full roll cage and the required safety equipment, along with a re-tuned suspension and Pirelli P Zero Circuit Racing slicks. Otherwise, the 510-hp V12 powerplant remains unchanged and the bodywork is the same as the production model due to go on sale later this year.

This will be AM's fourth consecutive campaign at the Nürburgring, and joining some of the company's engineering team behind the wheel will be Aston Martin's CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez. The race gets underway on May 23, and if you want more information about the race, you can check out the ADAC website and Aston's press release below the fold.

Continue reading Aston Martin taking on the Nürburgring 24-Hour enduro in V12 Vantage

Aston Martin taking on the Nürburgring 24-Hour enduro in V12 Vantage originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Geneva 2009: Aston Martin V12 Vantage packed with power

Chris Shunk — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 12:04:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Supercars, Aston Martin

Click above for high-res gallery of the Aston Martin V12 Vantage

The V8 Vantage is a true beauty, and it's more powerful than ever with it's new 4.7L V8. That may be enough grunt for a lesser GT, but the Vantage is getting even more pony power later this year. The upgraded V12 Vantage will receive Aston Martin's 6.0L V12 engine capable of 510 hp and 420 lb-ft. With the recent horsepower wars, it seems as though you can get 510 hp anywhere, but the V12 Vantage is more than just the world's most beautiful sports coupe. Ginormous ceramic brakes, liberal use of carbon fiber and vastly stiffened spring rates ensure that the V12 Vantage is more than just a gussied up version of its V8-powered sibling.

If you're wealthy and looking to score this V12 beauty, you'll have to wait until after the 24 Hours of Nurburgring in May. Aston CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez announced that a V12 Vantage modified only with safety equipment would run the world's most famous track before the British supercar is given the go-ahead for production. After seeing the V12 Vantage in person on the floor of the Geneva Motor Show, we're guessing this twelve-pot Aston will be worth the wait.

Gallery: Geneva 2009: Aston Martin V12 Vantage

Continue reading Geneva 2009: Aston Martin V12 Vantage packed with power

Geneva 2009: Aston Martin V12 Vantage packed with power originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Mar 2009 12:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Aston Martin V12 Vantage

Noah Joseph — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:42:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Supercars, Aston Martin

Aston Martin shocked the industry when it took the wraps off of the baby-blue V12 Vantage RS concept back in December. The idea was revolutionary yet stunningly simple at the same time: take the lowest car in the line-up and turn it into the highest. Would Aston build it? We all hoped so, and our hopes were vindicated with spy shots of test mules running developmental laps around the race track.

From the latest batch, it appears that all those louvers on the hood will remain - a necessity for cooling the 600-hp V12 that is sitting where a 380-hp V8 usually resides - but the rear wing seems to have been reduced, with a big carbon-fiber diffuser taking over the balance (literally) of the downforce requirements. Eyewitness accounts indicate that the test mule is also wearing the carbon-ceramic disc brakes from the current top-of-the-line DBS, while insiders expect the imminently desirable supercar to bear an equally breathtaking pricetag at double that of the base V8 version. Worth it? We're betting yes.

[Source: NextAutos]

Spy Shots: Aston Martin V12 Vantage originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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V12 Vantage RS: Aston names color, considers production

Noah Joseph — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 09:57:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Performance, Supercars, Aston Martin

Click to view in our hi-res image gallery

Reactions to the Aston Martin V12 Vantage RS concept were all but universally the same across the motoring press: awesome car, strange color choice. Dark silver or British racing green would have seemed a more logical choice for such an aggressively styled and powered supercar, but then, we wouldn't be talking about its silver or green paintjob two months later, now would we?

The baby blue hue used on the V12 Vantage RS made a lot more sense when, a month later, Aston revealed it was reviving the classic Gulf racing livery for its Le Mans-challenging DBR9s, the same racing machine that donated its engine to the Vantage concept. But while it might have made sense to call the concept's color Gulf Blue, Aston instead opened up a contest to "name that hue". The results have since come in: "Mako Blue" was the name chosen, submitted by Mat Watson. Mako is not only the name of the fastest, most agile of sharks, but also the Maori name for "blue lightning".

Meanwhile Aston has also confirmed that if it finds enough potential customers, it could put the V12 Vantage RS into limited production. But while Mako Blue would likely be on the menu, most would probably go with silver or green. Follow the jump for the press release, and scope out the "Mako Blue" Aston Martin V12 Vantage RS in our gallery below.

Gallery: Aston Martin V12 Vantage RS Concept

[Source: Aston Martin]

Continue reading V12 Vantage RS: Aston names color, considers production

V12 Vantage RS: Aston names color, considers production originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Feb 2008 09:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pics Aplenty: Aston Martin serious about V12 Vantage RS

John Neff — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 10:51:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Coupe, Supercars, Aston Martin

click above image for big high-res gallery of the Aston Martin V12 Vantage RS

The Aston Martin V12 Vantage RS we told you about yesterday is the real deal. Though officially referred to as a "Performance Concept Car" during its debut at the opening of Aston Martin's new design center yesterday, it's fully functional like all of Aston's concepts and Ulrich Bez, the automaker's CEO, said if the interest is there, they'll build it. We don't know about you, but we're pretty interested in a 3,527-lbs. car with a race-derived V12 motor producing 600bhp. Performance for the car has been conservatively quoted as 4.0 seconds to 62 mph and 8.5 seconds to 100 mph.

Today we can better analyze the design of the V12 Vantage RS thanks to a bevy of high-res images released by Aston Martin this morning. What would you call that color, Cornflower or Baby Blue? Either way, we're not big fans of it for softening the demeanor of this British-born supercar. Despite that, the rest of the Vantage's already gorgeous exterior gets down to business with new carbon fiber pieces for the hood and trunk lid, as well as enough louvers on the bonnet to cool a nuclear reactor. A carbon fiber chin spoiler keeps things steady at high speed and out back the V12 Vantage RS has also been fitted with a retractable spoiler. The interior has also been wrapped entirely in grippy suede, including the heavily-bolstered though comfortable-looking seats.

What we love about the V12 Vantage RS is that it's not just a hat-tip to the recently defunct V12 Vanquish. It is its own car, and a fierce one at that. Though development of the car likely began before Aston Martin had been sold by Ford, we're glad the new owners didn't kill this concept to save some money.

Check out Aston Martin's official press release after the jump.

[Source: Aston Martin]

Gallery: Aston Martin V12 Vantage RS Concept

Continue reading Pics Aplenty: Aston Martin serious about V12 Vantage RS

Pics Aplenty: Aston Martin serious about V12 Vantage RS originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Dec 2007 10:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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