V12V / V12VS - Essential Options

[V8V Pete]

ChristAlmighty did you really lean your bike up against your Aston?

ChristAlmighty said:

[RobDown]

jimmybell said:

.. for now. i read the new v12 from db11 is going to be in the vantage - hopefully in a more racey tune (i'd also read aston is aiming to differentiate the models further and give them more distinct sports/gt/supergt identities)

We'd all hoped for that.

But the mood music coming out of AML recently suggests the v12 won't make into new Vantage (part of the differentiation?). Indeed I had one dealer suggest to me that the v12 might be dropped across the whole range (albeit I find that hard to believe)

[V8V Pete]

Wouldn't make any sense to go to all the trouble and expense of developing the twin turbo version of the V12 then dropping it after a couple of years. My bet goes on it being produced for at least 10 years. Just guessing but I think it's a better guess than your Dealer's.

[ChristAlmighty]

V8V Pete said:

Haha! Nope it’s against the door :-) Shame I couldn’t sort the rotated photo though!

[AdamV12V]

V8V Pete said:

Wouldn't make any sense to go to all the trouble and expense of developing the twin turbo version of the V12 then dropping it after a couple of years. My bet goes on it being produced for at least 10 years. Just guessing but I think it's a better guess than your Dealer's.

I'd agree that dropping it across the whole range makes little sense, but equally putting it in a Vantage makes little sense either when there are already AMG versions of the V8 that can develop just as much and would require almost no mods to drop in over the std power offering V8.

and anyway, even if they do put the DB11 engine into the new Vantage it is a turbo so it will never be a real replacement for the end of line V12 Vantages of this generation.

So to sum up there is one more essential option on your V12V(S)

• NO TURBOS

[alscar]

I had sports seats on my SP10 ( V8S ) and having sought comments on here specced the Lightweight seats on my V12S - I wouldnt buy another AM without them given just how supportive and comfortable they are but also the look of them and how they suit the car.Alcantara covered, even in winter I dont miss the heated sports seats.The £2,495 was money well spent as retrofit can be anything up to £ 16k apparently and you would easily get your money back on that option alone given comments on here about how few dealers spec with them.
Personally I also prefer the black window surround , carbon fascia ( stops the glare from the normal piano black ) , 700w stereo , and the lightweight wheels ( either satin black or silver depending on body colour ).Never having had an automated manual previously I was a bit uncertain ( I got seduced by a Millbrook experience with Aston ) but 10k miles later think its so perfect for the car and its character - never use auto ( genuinely awful ) and as a daily driver its fabulous.Secondary decat , fill with petrol , drive ,grin , fill with petrol and repeat - Done.
All imho obviously.

[HBradley]

AdamV12V said:

I'd agree that dropping it across the whole range makes little sense, but equally putting it in a Vantage makes little sense either when there are already AMG versions of the V8 that can develop just as much and would require almost no mods to drop in over the std power offering V8.

and anyway, even if they do put the DB11 engine into the new Vantage it is a turbo so it will never be a real replacement for the end of line V12 Vantages of this generation.

So to sum up there is one more essential option on your V12V(S)

• NO TURBOS

I hear the sound of sledgehammers being readied to smash up those new-fangled spinning machines!!!!

[Zod]

cayman-black said:

I fully agree. I have the sport seats, ideally i would have preferred LWS but the car was perfect and with such low miles that the seats where not so important to me as to not buy it. I do like the fact that the seat belt fastner on the sport seats is covered in leather as well and the fact that they are heated.

Although it takes the heating element in the seat about five minutes to warm up and after that it is almost immediately too warm, while in our BMW, it is almost instant and more comfortable. If only they could find a way of transferring the heat from the boot floor to the seat!

[12pack]

AdamV12V said:

So to sum up there is one more essential option on your V12V(S)

• NO TURBOS

Interesting how the world has now turned to turbo's given emissions requirements. Way back, I had an FD RX7 tuned to a bhp/weight ratio to die for. It even had twin scroll turbos that the exotics are now claiming as innovations to reduce lag.

Now that I can finally afford to be in a V12 - we're back to the turbos

Edited by 12pack on Thursday 20th July 12:42

[Simon T]

alscar said:

I had sports seats on my SP10 ( V8S ) and having sought comments on here specced the Lightweight seats on my V12S - I wouldnt buy another AM without them given just how supportive and comfortable they are but also the look of them and how they suit the car.Alcantara covered, even in winter I dont miss the heated sports seats.The £2,495 was money well spent as retrofit can be anything up to £ 16k apparently and you would easily get your money back on that option alone given comments on here about how few dealers spec with them.
Personally I also prefer the black window surround , carbon fascia ( stops the glare from the normal piano black ) , 700w stereo , and the lightweight wheels ( either satin black or silver depending on body colour ).Never having had an automated manual previously I was a bit uncertain ( I got seduced by a Millbrook experience with Aston ) but 10k miles later think its so perfect for the car and its character - never use auto ( genuinely awful ) and as a daily driver its fabulous.Secondary decat , fill with petrol , drive ,grin , fill with petrol and repeat - Done.
All imho obviously.

This?

[cayman-black]

Simon T said:

alscar said:

I had sports seats on my SP10 ( V8S ) and having sought comments on here specced the Lightweight seats on my V12S - I wouldnt buy another AM without them given just how supportive and comfortable they are but also the look of them and how they suit the car.Alcantara covered, even in winter I dont miss the heated sports seats.The £2,495 was money well spent as retrofit can be anything up to £ 16k apparently and you would easily get your money back on that option alone given comments on here about how few dealers spec with them.
Personally I also prefer the black window surround , carbon fascia ( stops the glare from the normal piano black ) , 700w stereo , and the lightweight wheels ( either satin black or silver depending on body colour ).Never having had an automated manual previously I was a bit uncertain ( I got seduced by a Millbrook experience with Aston ) but 10k miles later think its so perfect for the car and its character - never use auto ( genuinely awful ) and as a daily driver its fabulous.Secondary decat , fill with petrol , drive ,grin , fill with petrol and repeat - Done.
All imho obviously.

This?

Yes this, just goes to show that we all like different things. I hate the black window surrounds and i love the piano black facia.

[jimmybell]

So to cut a long story short..

interesting colour
black wheels
lightweight bucket seats
not the cheap audio system.


not many of those around :< pricing seems a bit odd atm too - big jump between ~95k cars and ~125k cars for what seems like the addition of a new centre console and ami3.

[V8V Pete]

jimmybell said:

So to cut a long story short..

interesting colour
black wheels
lightweight bucket seats
not the cheap audio system.


not many of those around :< pricing seems a bit odd atm too - big jump between ~95k cars and ~125k cars for what seems like the addition of a new centre console and ami3.

Shame you missed this (Madagaskar, Lightweights, B&O, carbon everything) but it's still out there somewhere ......

[jimmybell]

V8V Pete said:

Shame you missed this (Madagaskar, Lightweights, B&O, carbon everything) but it's still out there somewhere ......

Indeed, madagascar and cinnabar are lovely. also like volcano + diavolo, even quite like yellow tang (theres one tang for sale i could entertain i guess)

[RobDown]

Love diavolo, never worked out why more people didn't spec it

[AdamV12V]

jimmybell said:

So to cut a long story short..

interesting colour
black wheels
lightweight bucket seats
not the cheap audio system.


not many of those around :< pricing seems a bit odd atm too - big jump between ~95k cars and ~125k cars for what seems like the addition of a new centre console and ami3.

Just to the earlier MY16 cars with the new centre console cars only have AMi2 - which is basically the same as AMi3 but without Apple carplay and Android Auto.

Only the last MY17 and new MY18 cars have AMi3 as std.

There is a lovely spec MY16 Flugplatz V12VS in Belfast for £125k, but then again for £126k you get a MY17 V12VS Manual - one of the last 2 ex-demo dogleg Manual cars for sale.

Edited by AdamV12V on Thursday 20th July 23:38

[Grant3]

jimmybell said:

I've obviously got a copy of the definitive guide but i couldn't seem to find any change in available options on V12VS over V12V, so perhaps there are none? Thus the answer should be the same for both? Clue me in ]

Great advice from the guys as usual, but just to clarify with regards to the guide...... you are right the options are pretty much the same. Under V12V specifications/options you will see the note in red "see V12S option notes overleaf" where within the text on the "S" you will find what's new option wise, as there wasn't many additions.......basically you have the new style Carbon grille surround and mesh (finishes) the Graphics Pack, new lightweight wheels and colour options for the new interior stripe detailing. Later the new Sports Plus Pack (plus manual option) and Performance Pack were introduced and are fully covered alongside all the model year changes and a direct keypoint comparison showing all the changes compared to the previous V12 Vantage
Best of luck with your search they are fabulous cars

[cayman-black]

V8V Pete said:

Shame you missed this (Madagaskar, Lightweights, B&O, carbon everything) but it's still out there somewhere ......

Pete its a shame YOU did not snap this one up as i know you still love it!
Must agree its a stunner. To think it was for sale 1st time round for over a year, hard to believe.

Edited by cayman-black on Friday 21st July 10:09

[cayman-black]

AdamV12V said:

Just to the earlier MY16 cars with the new centre console cars only have AMi2 - which is basically the same as AMi3 but without Apple carplay and Android Auto.

Only the last MY17 and new MY18 cars have AMi3 as std.

There is a lovely spec MY16 Flugplatz V12VS in Belfast for £125k, but then again for £126k you get a MY17 V12VS Manual - one of the last 2 ex-demo dogleg Manual cars for sale.

Edited by AdamV12V on Thursday 20th July 23:38

That Flugplatz car is superb , if it was manual it would be perfect!
Love the yellow callipers.
Just looked again and i,m not to impressed by the dirt on front and rear sills. Thats put me right off it. &#128549;
https://used.astonmartin.com/en-GB/Search/Details~...

Edited by cayman-black on Friday 21st July 10:20

[Padley69]

V8V Pete said:

jimmybell said:

So to cut a long story short..

interesting colour
black wheels
lightweight bucket seats
not the cheap audio system.


not many of those around :< pricing seems a bit odd atm too - big jump between ~95k cars and ~125k cars for what seems like the addition of a new centre console and ami3.

Shame you missed this (Madagaskar, Lightweights, B&O, carbon everything) but it's still out there somewhere ......

I remember seeing that up at Works. I felt it was fantastic to look at, but it was a bit bold for me - at the time. Having admired many of the more vibrant V12VS colour schemes, especially the most recent ones (take a bow Kermit!), I think Madagascar with the Orange piping on the seats might be my personal 'Ultimate Edition'.V12V.
Goes without saying therefore that I'm a fan of James Witton's Virage
Still love my V12V of course with it's own take on bold colours (and lightweights and 700w Premium audio for the OP), but I'm really taken with these bolder colours across the AM range.