Aston announces V12 Vantage V600

Thought the old Vantage was dead and buried? Think again!

Remember the last Aston Vantage V600? (You should do - we featured one not so long ago.) 20 years old this year, it signed off the Newport Pagnell-era Astons in spectacular fashion; a twin-supercharged, 200mph, V8 palace on wheels, it could have come from nobody else but Aston Martin. And now there's a new V600. Based on an old one. But it's newer...

Promising to be the very last - honest, guv - of the 'VH' derived sports cars (the architecture ushered in soon after the last V600, when the Vanquish arrived) this V600 is based on the old V12 Vantage S. And that's a car which needs very little more said about it, given how much we've been crowing on about it since the 2013 launch, and especially so since the introduction of a manual in 2016.

Only this V600 is a little different to both of those models, as it now runs the faithful 5.9-litre V12 in Vanquish S specification. So yes, as the name implies, that does mean 600hp in a Vantage (well, V573 doesn't really sound as good, does it?). The run-out GT12 edition - a car we coincidentally featured earlier in the week - was similarly blessed, but it had to make do with Aston's less-than-perfect auto box. The 21st century version comes exclusively with a seven-speed manual. Which is just better.

If this is all starting to sound rather expensive, you won't be surprised to hear that the production run is limited to 14 examples (equally split between coupe and roadster) and that assembly is the responsibility of the 'Q by Aston Martin - Commission' department at Gaydon. To that end, and as you might have guessed already, this car isn't just a V12 Vantage S with another 27hp...

Every exterior panel is carbon fibre, with "aggressive styling cues" such as new side strakes and a bonnet bulge that pay homage to the 90s original. Note as well a new front grille, carbon rear diffuser and an intricate set of forged aluminium wheels. Given Marek Reichmann is quoted in the press release as saying customers "can create truly bespoke sports cars by personally collaborating with myself and Aston Martin's design team", this may not be as bold as some of the 14 V600s end up looking.

Aston Martin says its "ultimate analogue Vantage" will be delivered in the third quarter of this year, the car said to still be available on request - best dig out all the pennies from the sofa before you make that call. Still, it means a plain old V12 Vantage S could be justified as somewhat of a bargain, seeing as its mechanical package is so similar to the V600. This one is barely run in at 1,600 miles...