While most carmakers are busy working away on their next-gen fully electric powertrains of the future, Aston Martin has just announced a stonking new V12, which will appear in a new flagship model later this year.
Full specifications are yet to be confirmed, but Aston says the new monster will belt out a colossal 835PS and 1000Nm. That’s 614kW. The company describes it as a “technical masterpiece” and a “true leader in its class”. With those figures, it’ll certainly frighten a few high-end supercars.
The unit is a total redesign, we’re assuming compared with its outgoing 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12, featuring bolstered conrods and block, reshaped heads and new profiles for the cams, and relocated spark plugs. There’s also higher-flow injectors and freer-spinning turbochargers. Aston Martin chief technical officer, Roberto Fedeli, said:
“The V12 engine has long been a symbol of power and prestige, but it is also a statement of engineering passion and technical prowess. With 835PS and 1000Nm of torque this unparalleled engine represents nothing less than the dawn of a dazzling new V12 era for Aston Martin.”
So, what vehicles are going to receive this epic powerplant? Well, the company hasn’t specifically said but it has released a teaser video titled, Dawn of a new V12 era. All will be vanquished.
This kinda obviously suggests a new Vanquish is on the horizon, but Aston also says the new V12 will be used in its “most exclusive and limited availability” models in the future. It will be a handcrafted engine, produced in “strictly limited” numbers, and will make its debut later in 2024.
In 2022, Aston Martin said it will roll out four new EVs by the end of 2025. Now, it seems it is pausing those plans to focus on engines that produce sounds and smells. Aston Martin CEO Lawrence Stroll is quoted in an Autocar report, saying some interesting things. He said:
“We have all the products technically engineered and physically designed. We planned to launch at the end of 2025 and were ready to do so, but it seems there is a lot more hype in EVs, politically driven or whatever, than consumer demand, particularly at an Aston Martin price point.”
Instead, Stroll says the company will focus on plug-in hybrids for the time being. These will incorporate V6s and V8s, with the existing AMG V8 deal set to continue. Autocar reports there is hybrid technology planned for the V12 as well.
According to Stroll, demand for PHEVs could continue into the middle of the 2030s.
