Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Aston Martin V-12 Vantage _ for U.S. sale


Finding a more attractive performance luxury tourer than the Aston Martin V-12 Vantage is a tough, if not impossible, task. Combining the raw brawn of a V-12 engine with the sleek form of the Vantage coupe makes for an undeniably exciting package. And now those of us on the American side of the Atlantic can find reason for hope: CEO Ulrich Bez says the company is gearing up for U.S. sale.


That's great news to anyone who can appreciate the sonorous nature of an Aston-tuned V-12, or 510 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque. Jetting from 0-62 mph in just 4.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 190 mph can be fun, too.

Those with acute memories will recall our story from late June noting that U.S. sale hadn't been completely ruled out, thanks in part to the potential roadster version of the V-12 Vantage that may yet be in the works.


Only 1,000 of the cars were supposed to be built, according to Aston's official website, and none of those cars were headed to North America, but Bez recently told press at the Frankfurt auto show that the car is indeed being homologated for U.S. sale.


There will still be a lot of work to be done homologating the V-12 version to U.S. safety standards, however, as much of the room previous reserved for crumple zones in the V-8 version is now occupied by the larger engine and related hardware.


But that's not enough to stop Aston Martin, says Bez. And we're glad to hear it. Now go read up on our coverage of the 2010 Aston Martin V-12 Vantage so you're ready to rattle off all the stats when your buddy calls you up asking if he should buy one.
via:motorauthority