As the quickest roadgoing Aston Martin however offered the brand new car replaces the outgoing V12 Vantage in markets all over the world and, with the exception of the One - 77 hypercar, arrives.

Supplying the most visceral yet participating sports car experience within the British luxury auto manufacturer's current range, the new Aston Martin V12 Vantage S delivers special athletic agility underpinned by estimable long distance refinement.

Equipped with the new 573 PS Aston Martin AM28 6.0litre V12 engine, featuring latest generation Bosch engine management, the automobile is really capable of reaching 205 mph.

Low rev torque and peak improves appreciably, also. Crucially, also, low rev torque - measured at only 1,000 rpm - leaps from 440 Nm to 510 Nm. This functions to both flatten and fatten the torque curve, therefore substantially enhancing driveability.

"The new V12 Vantage S is, just, pure Aston Martin. It's extreme in its nature yet actually classic in its design language. Learning from our successes to the course feeds the progression of this kind of car and I am proud to establish this kind of exciting sports car within this, our centenary year."

Race car technology runs right through the DNA of the Aston Martin V12 Vantage S with, for example, CNC machined hollow cam shafts and combustion chambers only two examples of path technology feeding through to the street.

The Sportshift(TMark) III AMT (automated manual transmission) is a significant development of the automated manual gearbox that appears in the present V8 Vantage S.

The unit is, in addition, appreciably lighter compared to the outgoing sixspeed manual gearbox - saving 25 kg.

This racederived and motorsport proven technology - used normally in Aston Martin Racing's racewinning Vantage GT4, GT3 and GTE contest cars - provides for amazing driver control with only milliseconds of torque interruption and produces precise and fleet gear shifts.

The Sportshift(TMark) III transaxle, from transmission experts Oerlikon Graziano, joins an extensive collection of new sport- and track-centered developments that ensure the Aston Martin V12 Vantage S is completely equipped to manipulate the tremendous performance potential of its 6.0litre naturally aspirated AM28 engine.

The advent of three-phase adaptive damping - another 'first' for the Vantage family - enables the driver to more precisely tailor the auto's dynamic nature. 'Ordinary', 'Sport' and 'Track' modes provide a wide swathe of dynamic functionality that may be tuned to better satisfy the driver's demands. The system also governs the amount of power steering help offered.

Working alongside the extensive adaptive damping system is a 'Sport' mode, controlled using a button to the center console, that changes throttle response, gearshift speed and time, and exhaust note to, yet again, tune the nature of the automobile to the driver's demands.

The ZF Servotronic power assisted steering is new, also. With a quicker 15:1 ratio, it's connected to the adaptive damping button and offers 2-mode steering aid designed to best match the 'Sport' or 'Ordinary' settings created by the Adaptive Damping System.

Pure power, attractively presented

The Aston Martin V12 Vantage S was restyled to reflect is standing as the flagship of the brand-new Vantage range.

Most noticeable, maybe, is the auto's grille that does away with the famed aluminium vanes - replacing them with a fresh carbon fibre organization which also contains sporty black carbon fibre or titanium silver net.

Other hints that single out the automobile as new include the advent of new lightweight forged alloy tenspoke wheels, along with a subtle yet identifying outdoor images package that contains partpainted boot panel and black painted roof.

While characteristics like flared wheel arches and the conspicuous bonnet vents underscore its athletic abilities, the new Aston Martin V12 Vantage S of course retains the same streamlined proportions and muscular stance as its predecessor.

Inside, as out, the fresh car was styled to represent its powerful nature. Newstyle chairs with Athletics and carbon fibre Lightweight seat options, welt detailing and revised stitching, two leather level options - semianiline and Luxmill - plus the chance to contain Alcantara, current V12 Vantage S buyers with a fantastic array of trim alternatives.

The discretionary Carbon Fibre Interior Pack, which adds the stuff to the auto's facia and door pulls, in addition to the availability for the very first time in an Aston Martin V12 Vantage S of black pedals, further improves personalisation choices for those seeking a genuinely bespoke sports car.

Dr Bez added: It's refined, however savage, and it's at the same time simple to control.

Aston Martin V12 Vantage - Top Gear Test