Scheduled for a public unveiling at this year’s Geneva show, the V12 Vantage has a 6.0-liter motor that, in addition to delivering the aforementioned horsepower figure, also serves up 420 pound-feet of torque and a zero to 60 mph time of 4.2 seconds.
The engine features a number of enhancements over the standard 6.0-litre V12 found in the DB9. These include a ‘by-pass’ engine air intake port that opens up at 5500 rpm, a revised induction system and re-profiled air inlet ports that further improve airflow into the combustion chamber to improve performance.
While the external dimensions of the V8 Vantage remain unchanged, the internal front structure has been extensively revised forward of the suspension towers to house the larger engine, brake cooling system, and twin air intake system.
Unique to the V12 Vantage is a the ability to toggle button between two powertrain modes. The default ‘normal’ provides a more progressive, throttle response, suited to more everyday situations. Selecting ‘Sport’ mode delivers a sharper throttle response together with a sportier exhaust note.
In default operation, the Dynamic Stability Control is automatically switched on. Depressing the DSC button for two seconds selects ‘track mode’ which raises the manner and threshold at which the system intervenes allowing the driver to explore the limits of the car’s considerable handling capabilities. Depressing the button for four seconds will switch off DSC completely.
Although the V12 engine weighs 220 pounds more than the standard car’s engine, the vehicle’s overall weight is only increased by 110 pounds. This is possible due to widespread use of lightweight materials, including carbon ceramic brakes, forged aluminium wheels, lightweight rear quarter panels, and optional lightweight seats. Weight distribution is a near-perfect 51:49.
The V12 Vantage’s Carbon Ceramic Matrix discs are 398 mm in diameter at the front and 360 mm at the rear while the brake callipers feature six pistons at the front, four at the rear and have a larger brake pad area compared to the V8 Vantage. Air ducts positioned within the lower front grille feed air directly onto the discs to aid cooling.
Exclusively available with a six-speed manual transmission, the gearbox uses a transaxle configuration to aid weight distribution. The V12 Vantage’s final drive ratio has also been modified from 3.909:1 to 3.71:1. This allows the Vantage to take full benefit of the high torque levels delivered by the engine to provide both flexibility at lower engine speeds as well as a high top speed of 190 mph.
Deliveries of the V12 Vantage are expected to commence during quarter three 2009 with prices to be confirmed at a later date. Production will be limited to between just 300-500 examples per year.
Article and text from leftlanenews.com