Aston Martin May Put a V12 in the New Vantage

While “technically possible,” a Vantage with a V12 may not align with the handling characteristics Aston is going for.

byChris Tsui|
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Unveiled in late November, the brand new Aston Martin Vantage will only come with one engine choice, an AMG-derived, 4.0-liter turbocharged V8, when it goes on sale next year. A more prestigious V12 version, à la

its predecessor, was nowhere to be found. If a new report is to be believed, that may not be the case for long.

According to Aston CEO Andy Palmer speaking to Autocar, a V12 powered variant of the new Vantage is "technically possible" and indeed under consideration, but will only become a thing if the company deems it fitting to the car's character. 

"The V12 is a question we’ll consider, but there has been no decision yet," Palmer told the British auto pub. "Technically, it is very possible. The engine bay has been designed to replicate that of the DB11, so the pick-up points and so on are all there. The V12 would fit without the need for extensive modifications."

"But we have to consider the character of the new Vantage," the Aston boss continued. "This is our rebel, a really sporty car that stands out for its handling. The V12 has many great attributes, but the extra weight would bring some differences in character that we’d need to consider."

With a seven-speed manual coming to the V8 model within the next year, Palmer went on to confirm that a convertible version is also in the works and scheduled to debut sometime in the next 18 to 24 months.

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