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Aston Martin appears to be testing a V12 Vantage in these spy photos

For a few years now, the Aston Martin Vantage has been without V12 power. It's technically been without Aston Martin power, too, since its twin-turbo V8 comes from Mercedes-AMG. But that may change in the near future based on these spy photos from the Nurburgring. They show a Vantage, but one that's wider and with exhaust that suggest it may get a few more cylinders like its close cousin, the V12 Speedster. Staring us down is the prototype's enormous front grille, taller and wider than standard Vantage units. It's flanked by two smaller inlets and underlined by an aggressive front splitter. The whole front seems to be wider, as evidenced by the mismatch around the front fender and hood. Speaking of the hood, there's a big mesh "V" sitting on top to cover what are likely heat-extracting vents, which would probably be important for handling the heat from a twin-turbo 5.2-liter V12. Changes at the back are a bit more subtle, but only a bit. The rear fenders have large fender flares, suggesting the production car will also be wider at the back with correspondingly larger tires. There's a little gurney flap on the rear spoiler, so we may see a more aggressive spoiler in production. We also see a center exhaust instead of each of the dual pipes on the ends of the rear diffuser. This exhaust looks a lot like what Aston used on the V12 Speedster, itself based on the Vantage, but without the roof section. This is probably the strongest evidence that the car has the extra cylinders. With Aston clearly knowing how to shove a V12 into a Vantage chassis, and the high-end sports car market's never-satiated desire for more powerful and rarer items, a V12 Vantage seems like a slam-dunk product. The question will be, what output will it make. The V12 Speedster made 700 horsepower, but it was a limited-production special edition. The V12 Vantage could get the DB11's 630-horsepower variant to give the Speedster a bit of breathing room. And that would still be a nice power increase over the 503 horsepower of the regular Vantage. Based on these spy shots, we'd bet we have around a year before we see the production model, maybe a little less, maybe a little more. Related Video:

Aston Martin values electric propulsion over downsizing

Not even small-volume manufacturers are being exempt from the automotive industry's pursuit of higher efficiency and lower emissions. At present, that means either electric propulsion (whether in part or in whole) or downsizing conventional engines, and for Aston Martin, the future apparently lines in the former. "I see in our future obviously V12s, V8s and probably battery-electric cars," Aston's CEO Palmer revealed to Autocar. "As time evolves, there's probably an inevitability to hybridisation, simply because, car by car, you can only downsize so much. I'd rather put a hybrid in there than an in-line four-cylinder." So just how does the company envision implementing electric or hybrid propulsion? "Imagine something like a 4x4, 1,000-bhp silent Rapide. I think 'Power, Beauty, Soul' doesn't say it has to be a gasoline engine. It just needs to be really powerful, really beautiful and set your heart on fire," Palmer explained. "I'd argue that 1,000 bhp on the ground would probably do that for you. So that's the route we could go." The British automaker demonstrated the DBX concept with an all-wheel-drive electric powertrain at the Geneva Motor Show a few months ago, and is currently in the process of revitalizing and expanding its current product range. Of course Aston isn't the only high-end niche automaker faced with the decision to either downsize or add hybrid propulsion. Ferrari is taking both approaches, using smaller turbocharged engines in its V8 models and moving towards hybrids with its V12s. Porsche offers an array of plug-in hybrids and is in the process of downsizing and turbocharging its naturally aspirated engines. Pagani switched from a big V12 in the Zonda to a smaller turbo V8 in the Huayra. Bugatti is expected to use electric turbochargers in its Veyron successor. And Lamborghini was recently reported to be considering a turbo five for the Huracan.

James Bond's ‘GoldenEye’ Aston Martin DB5 sells for $2.6 million

Last month, we wrote about the "GoldenEye" Aston Martin DB5 coming up for auction at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, and reported that it was estimated to bring in $1.6 million to $2.14 million. The Aston did a lot better, as it ended up selling for a comfortable $2.6 million. The cinematic Aston's buyer turned out to be the newly founded NYC spy museum Spyscape, which is already displaying the DB5 deal on its website. As a matter of fact, Spyscape will even be offering rides in the DB5 — not a lot of people have ridden in any DB5, let alone one that has been driven by James Bond. As Hemmings notes, the DB5 in question was found for filming by Aston Martin itself along with a couple other examples. After filming wrapped up, it was restored — reportedly to address damage accumulated during the shoot — and put on a promotional tour. Stirling Moss himself drove the car onstage at the Los Angeles Auto Show, when the spiritual successor for the DB5, the DB7, was presented. It's worth noting that the car sold in 2001 for $200,000, and that it was the most expensive piece of Bond-related stuff sold at the time. Last weekend's auction price puts a zero at the end of that price, and then some. Meanwhile, if you can't afford a $2.6 million James Bond car, how about the just-out Lego kit costing $149.99? Related Video: TV/Movies Aston Martin Auctions Luxury Classics aston martin db5 db5