Aston Martin V12 Vantage: driven

Fitting a V12 in a Vantage was no easy feat. The effort was worth it, though you end up with 510bhp and 420lb ft of torque compared with the 420bhp and 346lb ft in the V8 version.

As with any Vantage, the driving experience is a physical, manly sort of affair a long-travel and heavy clutch, weighty steering, firm accelerator pedal, rock-hard ride and a gearshift thats like manoeuvring a girder around.

Its the sort of car you need to grab by the scruff of the neck, which is fine when you can find a clear road in the dry, but not so much fun in traffic or when the roads are wet. The near-slick tyres dont have too much purchase on damp surfaces, either.

Still, the throttle pedal is a wonderfully delicate tool for metering out the power, and the cars certainly quick when you get the chance to use it. Not as quick as you might think, though, in the exalted world of modern supercars and theres the V12 Vantages main problem. RS

Our verdict

One for show-offs. Appealing, if not the best