Vantage V12: Finally Exceptional POWER to match Exceptional Design

Aston has just announced that they are bringing the V12 powered version of the Vantage to the US. The beautiful baby Aston now can fitted with a V12 engine stuffed in the front. Aston has gone out of its way to make sure that there is no mistake will be made between the V12 and V8. The premium you shell out will be made aware as soon as this beast approaches you. With a output of 510 hp, no longer will the Vantage owner feel the guilt (or embarrassment) when a Porsche Turbo rolls up to the stoplight.

The glaring array of carbon fiber vents on the hood is unnecessarily busy. Who knows if that many vents are even required to cool the V12 power plant. But the hood certainly does make a statement; but ruins the vehicles clean, simplistic and bold design that the Vantage is known for. Possibly the two inner "nostril" vents could have been done without, leaving the two outer longer vent to just add enough aggression to this gentleman's GT-ish sports car.

However the side profile with its newly contoured and more edgy side skirts does enhance the sporting profile of the vehicle visually bridging the front and rear fender flares. The front is cleanly styled with an all business carbon front lip and feautures a vissul gap between the front aprons sides. This trend has been quite a common design theme seen also on the Nissan GTR, Porsche GT2 and SL63 AMG. The rear diffuser is also adorned in carbon fiber and like most special spec version sports cars tends to be unporportionally large and cuts high into the rear to reduce the visual bulk of the lower bumper and visually differentiate itself from the already aggressive base V8 version.

Auto manufactures are now not only into engineering high specification of vehicles, but rather styling them in ways that generate a reaction to match the increase in performance in price. Not necessarily are these design attributes bennificial to the vehicle from a strictly a design aspect, but factor in marketibily and differentiaion for the sake of change. Aston Martin has been reluctant to jump on the this bandwagen until recently, but with the vented and blinged out DBS and now this flaring nostril Vantage we notice that understated integrated design and a blistering performance (190 mph top speed) is no longer an option even with Aston. Gone are the days when a discrete fender mounted V12 badge does the dob of letting your buddies know at the country club you opted for the top of the line!