Aston Martin V12 Vantage

A great performance car needs to invigorate as many of the senses as possible, and with its stunning looks, unique interior and swathes of leather, the standard Aston Martin Vantage does a good job with sight, smell and touch. Add a V12 engine, and it has aural thrills covered, too.

Press the glass-topped key into the dash and the 510bhp 6.0-litre barks into life, leaving you in no doubt that this is a very special car. Aston has done a superb job of squeezing in the bigger V12, and by using lightweight materials, this Vantage is only 50kg heavier than the V8, even though the engine weighs 100kg more than the regular unit.

As a result, the smallest Aston’s handling balance remains: it turns in well and doesn’t feel nose heavy. The steering is direct and accurate, too, while body composure is improved. Turn off the traction system, and with delicate throttle control and steering inputs, the Vantage is huge fun.

Masses of power mean stunning straight-line pace, and while the standard ceramic brakes aren’t as powerful as those of the Porsche GT3 higher up our ranking, they still perform superbly. The wide transmission tunnel and chunky gearlever take some getting used to, but the six-speed manual has a light action, and the rest of the controls are well weighted.

On the track, the V12 completed a lap only four-tenths-of-a-second quicker than the far cheaper V8 did last year, yet on the road it’s superbly balanced. While it doesn’t have the ruthless efficiency of the GT3 or the near-perfect engineering of Audi’s R8, the V12 Vantage is beautiful, fast and charismatic.

CLICK HERE FOR AN EXCLUSIVE ON BOARD HOT-LAP IN THE ASTON V12 VANTAGE