Hotter Aston Martin Vantage Prototype Spied Possibly Hiding A V12 Engine

Aston Martin is quite busy with the launches of the mid-engined Valhalla and Valkyrie V12 Spider, however, the British company hasn’t forgotten about their front-engined models. What appears to be a hotter variant of the Vantage was spied testing at the Nürburgring, wearing a wide bodykit and a new bonnet possibly hiding Aston Martin’s V12 engine.

The current generation of the Vantage was unveiled in 2017 and is due for a facelift in 2022 when it is expected to lose the option of a manual gearbox. This could be the perfect timing for Aston Martin to introduce a performance flagship of the Vantage range using their V12.

In 2020, the limited-production V12 Speedster that was based on the Vantage, came with the twin-turbo 5.2-liter V12 producing 690 hp (515 kW / 700 PS) and 555 lb-ft (752 Nm) of torque. The same engine – possibly with a different tune – could be fitted to the facelifted Vantage following the steps of its predecessor and offered alongside the V8 models.

As a reminder, the previous Vantage was offered with twelve cylinders in the series production V12 Vantage and in the limited-production V600 V12 Vantage while Italian design house Zagato created his own V12 Zagato models available in both coupe and speedster bodystyles.

The pictured prototype spotted testing at the Nürburgring is clearly a Vantage, but it comes with a series of modifications that make it look tougher and more focused than all of the current production variants.

These include a redesigned front bumper with additional side intakes and a prominent splitter below the larger grille. The bonnet is covered in camouflage but it appears to have a V-shaped scoop possibly hinting on the V12 powertrain. There are also wider front and rear fenders, an extension to the integrated ductail spoiler, and dual center-mounted exhaust pipes.

While the bodywork shows the model is still in early stages of development, Aston Martin could introduce the fastest ever Vantage sometime in 2022 or 2023. The facelifted Vantage – both in V8 and V12 guise – will be the last of its kind, as the next generation is rumored to be fully electric.