Mega V12s for (not) every budget | Six of the Best
Go big or go home, right?
Ferrari Monza SP2, 2022, 75 miles, £3,250,000
You don’t need a V12 these days to conjure up a preposterous amount of power. Turbocharging (or tactfully positioned e-motors, if you must) will get you to a four-figure output. And pure EVs will go further than that. But none of these solutions possess the regal, God-given ferocity of 12 cylinders. This is why any OEM that wants to sit at the point where standout luxury and supreme performance intersect still builds one. Case in point, the naturally aspirated 6.5-litre engine that powers the spectacular Monza SP2. Sure, you could have the F140 in all manner of other Ferraris - including the likes of the much cheaper 599 and FF - but you get 810hp from it here, and a body that befits the theatrical amount of noise. Shock and awe, in every sense.
Brabus G800 Widestar, 2013, 10k, £174,950
Of course, you don’t necessarily have to have your V12 packaged in limited edition supercar. Mercedes has a rich heritage when it comes to 12 cylinders, and its twin-turbocharged 6.0-litre M279 motor has appeared in plenty of other formats - but you simply can’t beat the absurdity of the G65; proof that the G-wagen could truly go places (conceptually, literally) where no other 4x4 would dare. With more than 600hp (!) it was already the world’s most powerful SUV before Brabus got its hands on it and extracted somewhere in the region of 800hp (!!) for the aptly named G800 Widestar. We don’t like to think how it drives - but we do like looking at it. And reflecting on just how much car it is for £175k.
Lamborghini Aventador Ultimae, 2022, 2k, £749,995
We do know how the Ultimae drives, though: back in 2022, big John H called it the ‘perfect Lamborghini’. And with due respect to the formidable Revuelto that replaced it, that might still be true today. After all, you got 780hp courtesy of an atmospheric 6.5-litre V12 that sounds like an ‘80s-era F1 car if you stoke it beyond 8,000rpm. Which is something you’re going to do a lot because the Aventador encourages you to take scandalous liberties with its towering performance. Despite harnessing SVJ power, it never seeks to overawe you; until you get out, that is. In sumptuous Arancio Bruciato, even in pictures, it looks mind-boggling. And as safe a place for £750k as a Swiss bank vault.
Rolls-Royce Wraith Black Badge, 2021, 7k, £229,950
Where would Rolls-Royce be without the 6.6-litre turbocharged V12 supplied to it by BMW? In a much worse place, that’s where. It is very hard to claim to sell unparalleled opulence without the most opulent of engine layouts. Indeed, while its newer battery-powered models have been well received, Rolls has recently assured its buyers that the option of a V12 is going nowhere. For a perfect example of why, you need look no further than the 632hp Wraith. The Black Badge nudged torque output to 642lb ft; all the better to waft you up your tree-lined driveway. This one hasn’t even cracked 7k in five years, which is pretty much par for the course. Ditto the £230k asking price.
Aston Martin Vantage V12, 2009, 35k, PH Auctions
Just in case your trousers aren’t equipped with pockets like the Mariana Trench, there are more affordable ways into V12 ownership. In modern terms, our recommended option is Aston Martin, not just for the availability of old Vantages, but because it simultaneously gains you access to the prospect of a manual transmission. And while we wouldn’t suggest the combination is for everyone, there really is nothing so wonderfully analogue as shifting gears behind a 5.9-litre engine. This one, in Hammerhead Silver, and with just 35k on the clock, has already made its way under the PH hammer so you better act quick if you want to know why ‘wonderful, wonderful, wonderful’ was such an apt summation of the V12’s appeal.
Bentley Continental GT Speed, 2014, 70k, £33,225
Obviously if you’re hoping to access 12 cylinders on a (comparative) shoestring, the best way to do it is by abandoning the ‘vee’ bit of the equation. VW liked the concept of a W12 because it meant they could effectively fuse two VR6 engines together, the resulting 6.0-litre unit delivering all kinds of manufacturing and packaging advantages. Needless to say, it filled out the engine bay of a Bentley Continental GT splendidly, and in second generation Speed format supplied the car with 625hp. We very much like this one in Thunder Metallic - but the underlying attraction is the price, which is a smidge over £33k. Considerably less than you’ll pay for a new VW Golf GTI in 2026. And for three times the pleasure.
Lambo for me, nuts car in nuts colour.
SP2 maybe if lived in a warmer climate.
Would love a rapide though.
A Manual Murci would be in my lotto dream garage
And one of these
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/10947461
I ve never owned a v12 and really want to.
There was a delightful dark blue / tan 550 manual for sale in here recently, :dream:
There was a delightful dark blue / tan 550 manual for sale in here recently, :dream:
Lefty I have driven a lot of cars but totally underestimated how epic they are, if there is anyway you can put a V12 on your drive you should do it.
Oh and a 550 is practical so you can take it camping to Le Mans!
Gratuitous pic
But the gibberish, as usual, written by the PH auction sleekit re. the car’s service history beggars belief:
“Fully stamped main dealer service history with original service book showing inspections at the following intervals: 2002 @ 3,596 miles (service), 2013 @ 7,638 miles (service, anti-corrosion inspection), 2014 @ [mileage not recorded] (service), 2015 @ [mileage not recorded] (service), 2016 @ [mileage not recorded] (service), 2017 @ 27,615 miles (service), 2019 @ [mileage not recorded] (service), 2020 @ 30,592 miles (service), 2022 @ 30,678 miles (service, anti-corrosion inspection), 2023 @ 31,680 miles (service, anti-corrosion inspection), 2024 @ 32,157 miles (service, anti-corrosion inspection), 2025 @ 34,634 miles (service, anti-corrosion inspection), 2026 @ 35,572 miles (service, anti-corrosion inspection)”
It’s “fully stamped” is it?
Typo (“2002”) aside, this 2009 car only had two services up to and including 2013 – ie, it missed two – and then missed further services in 2018 and 2021.
In short, its owners have skipped four services to date.
Ergo, it ain’t “fully stamped”
Just what you don’t need when a car has a reputation for needing plenty of preventative maintenance and TLC.
A little less sales spiel and pretentious waffle – eg, “prior to”, the word you want is “before” – and more facts, please.
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