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Aston Martin V12 Vantage revealed as the last of the line

The Aston Martin V12 Vantage is here, and it's a wild sendoff to the littlest 12-cylinder, front-engine sports car in the company's lineup. Yes, this will be the last Vantage to get the twin-turbo 5.2-liter V12. As such, it's going to be produced in very limited numbers with a whole bunch of special features to make the most of the beefy engine under the hood. That V12 is a familiar unit, as it has also appeared in DB11 and DBS variants, as well as the Vantage-based V12 Speedster. The engine is tuned to the V12 Speedster's specifications with 690 horsepower and 555 pound-feet of torque, the latter of which is available from between 1,800 to 6,000 rpm. It's paired to an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission in the middle and a mechanical limited-slip differential at the rear. Aston says the powertrain will propel the V12 Vantage to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds on the way to a 200 mph top speed. Surrounding the engine is a thoroughly revised body. It's about 1.6 inches wider overall to accommodate the wider track and fat tires (275-mm front and 315-mm rear). The front grille is 25% larger than on a normal Vantage to provide more cooling, and the hood has a scalloped vent for the same reason. Many of the body components are made of carbon fiber for weight savings including the bumpers, side skirts, fenders, hood and trunk lid. Adding both visual excitement and additional downforce are the front splitter, side skirts, rear diffuser and wing. They provide 450 pounds of downforce at top speed. If a buyer finds the wing to be a bit much, though, it can be deleted, though downforce would be reduced. The V12 Vantage also gets a special center-exit exhaust that weighs nearly 16 pounds less than the standard Vantage exhaust. Naturally, the chassis gets upgrades to handle the V12 Vantage's power. In addition to being wider, the V12 Vantage's chassis is stiffer thanks to added sheer panels, a rear shock tower brace and fuel tank bracing. The adaptive suspension features stiffer springs are stiffer, as are various bushings and the front anti-roll bar. The rear anti-roll bar is actually softer, though. Carbon ceramic brakes are standard with six-piston front calipers and 4-piston rear calipers. On the inside, the V12 Vantage is pretty similar to a regular model, but it gets standard Sports Plus Seats with semi-aniline leather with quilted stitching and perforations.

New Bond car nets Xcar Aston Martin retrospective

Well, there's something to be said for timing. With the announcement that MI6 Agent James Bond would take the wheel of the all-new Aston Martin DB10 in his next film, Spectre, Xcar has taken a look back at 007's most iconic vehicle – the DB5. There's also something about some such special edition Vanquish, but it all kind of pales in the glory of the iconic DB5. Okay, so it's not just some special edition Vanquish. It's the gorgeous Centenary Edition, a limited run of just 100 cars – one for each of Aston Martin's history – that's been adorned inside and out with a number of premium touches. In the other corner, though, there's the real subject of Xcar's latest video. This stunning example of the DB5 only gets puttered around a parking garage, but that doesn't make it any less beautiful. Take a look.

Spectre shreds $37 million in cars

Much as you can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs, you apparently can't film a James Bond movie without trashing a few cars. And by "a few cars," we actually mean $37 million worth. That's how much the producers of the all-new 007 flick, Spectre, trashed in the process of filming. And yes, that's a record. "We set the record for smashing up cars on Spectre," stunt coordinator Gary Powell told The Daily Mail (with what we can only imagine was a very boastful grin). "In Rome, we wrecked millions of pounds worth. They were going into the Vatican at top speeds of 110 [miles per hour]. We shot one entire night for four seconds of film." But because this was Bond, producers didn't just destroy $37 million worth of budget hatchbacks. Instead, seven out of ten specially produced Aston Martin DB10s were sacrificed in the name of cinema, including a major crash sequence featuring Rome's Colosseum, River Tiber, and the Vatican. American filmgoers will be waiting until November 6 to see if the destruction of all those Aston Martins was worthwhile. Somehow, we don't think anyone is going to be disappointed. Related Video: News Source: Daily Mail via Vanity FairImage Credit: Angelo Carconi / AP TV/Movies Aston Martin Coupe Luxury Performance spectre aston martin db10