Aston Martin V12 Vantage unveiled before Geneva 09

Aston Martin has given us a preview of the Aston Martin V12 Vantage, based on the successful V8 Vantage model. Under the hood is a 6.0 litre V12 putting out 510 horsepower and a massive 570Nm of torque, which can take the coupe up to 100km/h in just 4.2 seconds. A concept version of the car was unveiled in late 2007, and this production version will be revealed just over a year later at the Geneva motorshow in March 2009.

Externally, the V12 Vantage looks similiar to the V8 Vantage, but under the hood there have been some engineering changes especially at the front to fit the larger engine. The rear suspension gets a more compact dual-rate spring design to accommodate the wider rear wheels. The transaxle gearbox’s (tranxle = mounted at the rear, to help with weight distribution) final ratio has also been modified from 3.909:1 to 3.71:1, to allow a higher top speed and lower cruising engine speed as made available by the higher torque levels. It also has an LSD.

There are two driving modes – a regular normal mode and a Sport mode that can be activated at the touch of a button. This gives the driver sharper throttle response and a sportier exhaust note. A revised stability control system allows the driver to either leave it on, enter a more lenient “track mode”, or completely switch it off, much like BMW with its DSC, DTC and DSC off modes.

The V12 Vantage’s standard brakes are Carbon Ceramic Matrix (CCM) brakes, which are cooled by air ducts positioned within the front grille. These brakes are a massive 398mm in diameter with 6 pistons at the front and 360mm at the rear with 4 pistons. They are also 12.5kg lighter than regular brakes while being tougher and having better heat dissipation properties.

This is the Aston Martin equivalent of say, shoehorning the large 5.0 litre V10 engine from the M5 into the BMW M3. Given that even in Malaysia the difference in price between the M3 and the M3 is just a little over RM100k, why not just go out and buy an M5, or in this case an Aston Martin DBS?

Look after the jump for more photos and a full spec list.

Aston Martin V12 Vantage Specifications

Body:
Two door, two seat coupe body
Bonded aluminium structure
Aluminium, magnesium alloy, composite and steel body
Extruded aluminium door side impact beams
High Intensity Discharge Headlamps (dipped beam)
Halogen projector headlamps (main beam)
LED rear lamps

Engine:
All alloy quad overhead cam 48 valve 5935cc V12
Compression ratio 10.9:1
Front mid-mounted engine, rear wheel drive
Fully catalysed stainless steel exhaust system with active bypass valves

Maximum Power
510 bhp (380 kW / 517 PS) at 6500 rpm

Maximum Torque
570 Nm (420 lb.ft) at 5750 rpm

Acceleration
0-62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.2 seconds
0-60 mph in 4.1 seconds

Maximum Speed
190 mph (305 km/h)

Fuel Economy
Urban 11.64 mpg 24.26 l/100km
Extra Urban 24.05 mpg 11.74 l/100km
Combined 17.28 mpg 16.35 l/100km
CO2 388 g/km

Transmission:
Rear mid-mounted six speed manual gearbox. Alloy torque tube with carbon fibre propeller shaft
Limited slip differential
Final Drive Ratio 3.71:1

Steering:
Rack and pinion
Column tilt and reach adjustment

Suspension:
Front: Independent double wishbone incorporating anti-dive geometry, coil springs, anti-roll bar and monotube dampers
Rear: Independent double wishbones with anti-squat and anti-lift geometry, dual-rate coil springs, anti-roll bar and monotube dampers

Wheels
Front: 9″ x 19″
Rear: 11″ x 19″

Tyres:
Front: Pirelli P Zero Corsa 255/35 ZR19
Rear: Pirelli P Zero Corsa 295/30 ZR19

Brakes:
Front: Ventilated Carbon Ceramic discs 398 mm diameter with six piston callipers
Rear: Ventilated Carbon Ceramic discs 360 mm diameter with four piston callipers
Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) with Track mode
Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)
Emergency Brake Assist (EBA)
Traction Control

Dimensions
Length: 4380 mm (172.5″)
Width: 1865 mm (73.5″) (excluding door mirrors)
2025 mm (80″) (including door mirrors)
Height: 1241 mm (49″)
Wheelbase: 2600 mm (107.9″)
Fuel tank capacity: 80 litres (17.6 Imp. Gal. / 21.1 US Gal)
Weight: 1680 kgs (3704 lb)

Interior:
Carbon fibre door pulls
Memory seats and exterior mirrors (3 positions)
Sports seats with 10 way electric adjustment, including height, tilt and lumbar
adjustment
Dual stage driver and passenger front airbags
Side airbags (Sports seats only)
Heated rear screen
Automatic temperature control
Organic Electroluminescent (OEL) displays
Trip computer
Cruise control
Hard Disk Drive (HDD) satellite navigation system*
Bluetooth telephone preparation*
Powerfold exterior mirrors
Rear parking sensors
Auto dimming interior rear view mirror
Tyre pressure monitoring*
Alarm and immobiliser
Remote-control central door locking and boot release
Battery disconnect switch
Tracking device (UK only)

In Car Entertainment
160W Aston Martin Audio System
MP3 player connectivity

Options
Lightweight seats with 6 way adjustment, including front and rear height adjust. (Does not include side airbags or Passenger Airbag Cut-Off Switch)
700W Aston Martin Premium Audio System with Dolby® Pro Logic II®
Piano Black facia trim
Graphite Alloy facia trim
Personalised sill plaques
Garage door opener (Europe only)
Tracking device**
First aid kit
Ashtray and cigar lighter
Boot mounted umbrella
Front parking sensors
Heated seats (Sports seats only)
ISOFIX and fixed-height passenger seat (Sports seat only)
Battery conditioner

*Not available in all markets
**Complies with UK Thatcham Category 5 requirements. Excludes subscription. Standard in UK