2012 Aston Martin V8 Vantage S

Highlights

• Desirable 4.7-litre V8 ‘S’ model
• 7-speed Sportshift II transmission
• Lovely spec, presented in gorgeous condition
• Just 42,649 miles on the clock, verified
• MOT to July 2026

Overview

Every Aston Martin Vantage is a desirable thing. They’re all beautifully styled, characterful and luxuriously appointed. But arguably the pick of the range would be the 2011-2017 V8 Vantage S.

Let’s address the most obvious reason first, and that is… well just look at it. Have you ever seen a prettier, better proportioned car? We’re not sure we have. From every angle, it’s achingly gorgeous. And at this point in their history, Aston’s design language meant smooth, flowing curves and as little aero frippery as possible were the order of the day. The result is a sporty, purposefully styled car that never appears vulgar or brash. When a car works this well in black (a notoriously fickle colour), you know the designers knocked it out of the park.

Secondly, there’s that engine: 4.7-litres, eight cylinders and all of the good noises. And we do mean all of them. While it may have a gentle, bassy smoothness at low revs, get that beast on song and they’ll hear you bounce off the limiter from a week away.

But while there’s power and pace aplenty here, the Vantage S is no track-focussed monster, imbued as it is with a ride that is supremely well-judged for the road. Aston perfectly calibrated the balance of handling, grip and ride to offer a car that is as happy attacking a series of vicious hairpins as it is gently burbling through the French countryside.

With less than 43,000 miles on the clock, this one’s barely run in too. You can tell from how well the bodywork and interior have been looked after that this car has not lived a hard life. What an interior it is too. Wonderfully crafted, presented in fine condition and replete with every luxury you could reasonably want.

We think you’d have to go a hell of a long way to find a better example of “peak Aston”. It really is that good.

History and documentation

• Registered on 5 March 2012
• Current MOT with no advisories expires 18 July 2026
• 42,649 miles, verified by the MOT record
• Full document pack
• Service book shows stamps for the following services: Apr 2014 @ 12,007 miles, 20,000 mile/ 24 month service date and mileage illegible, Mar 2015 @ 19,828 miles, Mar 2016 @ 28,110 miles, Mar 2017 @ 34,758 miles, Mar 2018 @ 38,612 miles, Apr 2019 @ 40,515 miles
• Further invoices for services in Jul 2024 and Feb 2025
• Two keys
• V5 present in owner’s name
• HPI clear
• The private registration in the photos will be removed for sale
• London ULEZ compliant

Interior

• Beautifully finished black leather upholstery, with white contrast stitching to the seats and dashboard and ‘Vantage S’ embroidery to the headrests
• All of the leather appears to be in lovely condition, with some very light creasing to the bolsters of the seats, but no notable wear, no tears and no sagging we could see
• Electrically adjustable seats with 3-position memory function for both the driver and passenger
• Black carpet and matched, branded overmats, which all appear to be in excellent order, with no threading or staining apparent
• Air conditioning
• Factory fitted satellite navigation system
• 700W premium audio system, with CD and radio
• Electrically operated windows and door mirrors
• Auto-dimming rear view mirror
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Piano black trim, which all shows very well, with no damage we could identify
• Lovely, tactile magnesium paddle-shifters for the transmission
• Multifunction steering wheel, finished in Alcantara
• Tailors Grey Alcantara headlining, which shows no signs of damage, staining or sagging
• All of the switchgear, instrument panels and controls are in fine fettle, with no significant wear and tear, crisp graphics and a general look of solidity
• Generous rear shelf area, perfect for extra luggage
• The boot is well-sized and neatly trimmed in black carpet – it also contains a branded Aston Martin golf umbrella, warning triangle, compressor and a bag of Gtechniq paintwork treatments
• The vendor reports no faults or issues with any of the cabin’s functions and features

Exterior

• Black metallic paintwork, which presents in lovely condition, with a deep gloss and no significant marks or blemishes we could discern
• There are a small number of stone chips to the front bumper, but they are quite minimal
• All of the bodywork looks to be in very good order, with no obvious corrosion or damage, neat panels gaps and clean, smooth curves
• Both door shuts and the undersides of the doors are very clean and free from any corrosion we could see
• Carbon front splitter and rear diffuser, bright finish front grille
• The headlights are clear and free from misting, cracking or chipping
• We noted a little misting in the rear light clusters, but they are free from cracks and chips
• All of the glass looks to be in fine condition
• The external trim and badging all appears to be complete and in good order, with no obvious warping, damage or UV fading
• Underneath the floor pans, inner wheel arches and sills look to be clean and straight
• We love the subtle detail of the black painted callipers peeking out from behind the graphite alloy wheels
• 19-inch Aston Martin alloy wheels, finished in graphite with diamond-cut faces, all of which look to be in very nice condition for their age, with no notable kerb damage or lacquer peel
• A matched set of Bridgestone Potenza tyres adorns the wheels (245/40 front, 285/35 rear), which all appear to be in good condition, with no sidewall damage we could identify and good tread depth

Mechanical

• Dry-sumped, 4,735cc naturally-aspirated V8
• Rear-wheel drive
• 7-speed Sportshift II transmission (auto / paddle-shift) developed by Prodrive
• Factory performance figures: 430bhp, 361lb-ft, 0-62mph in 4.8 seconds, top speed of 190mph
• Sport mode, ABS, PAS, TCS and cruise control
• We are assured that the car runs smoothly, drives just as it should and has no known mechanical faults or issues
• It also sounds absolutely incredible…

Summary

Everyone wants an Aston in their garage, don’t they? And of all the models they’ve made, we reckon the V8 Vantage S is probably the best all-round ownership proposition. It looks fabulous, drives brilliantly, and sounds like a pack of angry wolves fighting a grizzly bear.

Make no mistake about it, that V8 is a work of art, wrapped in bodywork that can stop traffic. You could park this in the middle of the Louvre and it wouldn’t look out of place.

This example is very well specified and presented in exceptionally good condition for its age too. Clearly, the owners have cherished it and lavished it with care. Inside and out, there’s nothing we would change.

You may have already gathered this, but we adore this thing. It’s everything we love about cars, in one gorgeous, lip-bitingly attractive package…

To arrange a viewing, click the 'Book Viewing' button located under the 'Place Bid' button. Viewings can be booked up until the day before the auction ends, after which the option will change to 'Contact Seller' for further enquiries. This seller is located near Witney in Oxfordshire so you could pop to Clarkson’s pub as your first stop after collecting it.