Aston confirms 835hp V12 for new Vanquish
DBS replacement has to be pretty special - a new, even more powerful V12 sounds like a good place to start
There’s plenty to keep Aston Martin busy at the moment, with the updated DBX 707 about to come on stream, both DB12 variants in production and the new Vantage imminent. Not to mention the hybrid Valhalla. Notably absent from all those cars, however, is a V12 engine; having produced so many memorable models over the past quarter of a century with twelve cylinders, the configuration has become a crucial part of Aston's history. And it’s not done just yet.
Following recent confirmation from Lawrence Stroll that Aston Martin will continue with combustion as long as it's allowed to, the point has been rammed home by the announcement of a new 835hp V12. It will power the DBS's replacement, the flagship sports GT of the range, which is set to resurrect the Vanquish name - ‘all will be vanquished’ does seem like quite a big hint.
Exact details beyond outputs - there’s 738lb ft alongside the headline number - are to follow, though the mere presence of a large, multi-cylinder combustion engine in a new car feels exciting enough. It must be an evolution of the 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 that launched with the DB11, because there was clearly a lot of headroom in it (the DBS Ultimate went to 770hp) and even Aston surely can’t justify a blank-sheet V12 in this day and age. But then it was assumed that the 5.2 would be an AMG carryover almost a decade ago, and it wasn’t - so let’s not be too hasty just yet.
Aston says that the new core V12 benefits from reduced inertia turbos for better throttle response and more power, higher flow injectors, redesigned heads, a stronger block and rods, plus new intake and exhaust ports compared to what came before. There will also be ‘class-leading efficiency gains’ and, as the video hints at, an appropriately rousing soundtrack.
As well as the DBS replacement, Aston says the V12 will feature in upcoming limited editions. So perhaps, just perhaps, cars like the V12 Vantage and Speedster aren’t dead yet. With an engine like this to deploy, and probably not very much longer to use it, there will surely be a temptation to create as many V12 heroes as is realistically possible. (Though it should be noted that the engine will be ‘handcrafted, year by year, in strictly limited numbers.’) As for the new DBS/Vanquish, we will see it for the first time later this year, alongside additional tech specs. So that probably means a launch in 2025 - plenty to keep them occupied in the meantime, anyway.
Aston CTO Roberto Fedeli said: “The V12 engine has long been a symbol of power and prestige, but it is also a statement of engineering passion and technical prowess. With 835PS and 1000Nm of torque this unparalleled engine represents nothing less than the dawn of a dazzling new V12 era for Aston Martin.” Bring it on.
I love power but what is the point in a road car? It was frustrating to never be able to give the rs4 beans without risking a licence, double that would mean even tickling the throttle would risk the wrath if dash cam man in his zafira...
The 650bhp in my Corvette is fun for about 2 seconds on UK roads. But of course I will never agree with anyone who tells me the Grand Sport is what I should have gone for as it has less power than my Z06 but looks the same.
Just hope its naturally aspirated and not an AMG engine.
The 650bhp in my Corvette is fun for about 2 seconds on UK roads. But of course I will never agree with anyone who tells me the Grand Sport is what I should have gone for as it has less power than my Z06 but looks the same.
However I also concede that 800bhp Astons are not designed to be driven for fun on the road but more numbers prestige for people who get off on it, they also have to be commended for developing ICE to this level. As an engineering excercise making a reliable comfortable road car with 800hp would have seemed like the stuff of dreams a couple of decades ago.
Anyway, nice to see the V12 getting a decent last outing. It's going to be a hard road for the manufacturers of exotica once drivetrain differentiation is no longer feasible.
Just hope its naturally aspirated and not an AMG engine.
I’m very much looking forward to this new Vanquish, I can’t afford one, but I can admire from afar.
I love power but what is the point in a road car? It was frustrating to never be able to give the rs4 beans without risking a licence, double that would mean even tickling the throttle would risk the wrath if dash cam man in his zafira...
I distinctly recall some reviewers saying that the old DBS already had too much power to be able to use on the road, and it's hardly a track car so that's where it will be used. I most definitely can't think of anyone who reviewed that car and thought that it lacked power. Unfortunately the prevailing wisdom of "some is good so more must be better" when it comes to power means that they couldn't possibly release a new car without making it significantly more powerful. But in reality adding more and more horses to these cars feels like razor manufacturers just adding more and more blades; there gets a point where they are doing it because they feel they have to rather than for any real benefit.
That said, having owned two V12 powered Aston Martins (DB7 and DB9) I am happy they are going to keep making cars with that configuration, as it really makes up a lot of the character of their GT cars in my opinion. And ultimately character is why people buy these cars, a Vanquish is not a car you buy with your sensible hat on.
Just hope its naturally aspirated and not an AMG engine.
I’m very much looking forward to this new Vanquish, I can’t afford one, but I can admire from afar.
Video please!
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