While the clock on large internal-combustion engines might be close to midnight, we know that the 2023 Aston Martin V12 Vantage is not going to be the final new model launched with a dozen cylinders. The Lamborghini Aventador's replacement will also stick with a V-12, albeit with hybrid assistance, and Ferrari's forthcoming Purosangue SUV will have one too. Others may also sneak under the bar.
But we do know that the new V12 Vantage will be the last of its line, the final twinning of the company's largest engine with its smallest sports car. A limited edition of 333 cars will be produced for all markets, and the run sold out within days of being announced last year. And while Aston hasn't released an official price tag for the car, we're told that it's around the $300,000 mark—very nearly as much as the bigger, grander, and quicker DBS Superleggera, which uses basically the same 5.2-liter twin-turbocharged engine. So, can less truly be more?
Much of the V12 Vantage's structure is shared with the minimalist V12 Speedster the company launched last year, which was itself based on a heavily modified Vantage Roadster platform. Despite that, there will only be a coupe version of the new V12 Vantage, with its engine in the same state of tune as the Speedster; with 690 horsepower and 555 pound-feet of torque, the Vantage's output isn't too far off that of the DBS. Output is delivered exclusively to the rear axle through an eight-speed automatic gearbox, and while the regular Vantage uses an electronically controlled active differential capable of biasing torque side to side, the V12 has a conventional plate-type limited-slip diff.
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