This is the Aston Martin V12 Vantage S, and it’s faster than any production Aston ever made – bar the ultra-exclusive £1m One-77 hypercar – with a 205mph top speed.
That’s 15mph faster than the standard V12 Vantage, and has been achieved by Aston fitting the Vanquish’s 6.0-litre V12, which delivers 55bhp much more than the V12 Vantage, at 565bhp.
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The company has also added a new engine management system and a stainless steel exhaust, and replaced the old six-speed manual gearbox with a third-generation seven-speed automated manual transmission.
No extra aerodynamic tweaks were needed for the Vantage S, so designer Marek Reichman has instead focused on ensuring the styling shows a clear link between the race track and the road.
The yellow paint on our car contrasts nicely with the new 10-spoke lightweight black alloy wheels, and a special painted black graphic has been added to the roofing system and across the boot to make the S look larger and lower than the regular V12 Vantage.
The new floating grille is inspired by the CC100 concept, and allows much more cooling air to be fed into the tuned engine at higher speeds. It incorporates carbon elements that mirror the bonnet vents and rear diffuser, while completing the look is a distinctive ‘S’ badge on the boot.