cars news 10: 2017 Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Manual Tested on Ignition (W/Video)

Now in its last year, the 2017 Aston Martin V12 Vantage S is the accumulation of the best bits available over its 11-year model history. On this episode of “Ignition,” host Jason Cammisa finds out how well those parts play together.

Power for the two-seat sports coupe comes from the British automaker’s naturally aspirated 5.9-liter V-12 pumping out 563 hp and 457-lb-ft of torque. For 2017, the V12 Vantage S gains a new seven-speed dogleg manual transmission making it the only V-12-powered car available with a manual transmission. While a dogleg transmission may not be the best design for the quickest acceleration sprints from a dead stop, it keeps the gears most used on the race track together.

With its close-ratio gears, the small coupe hit 60 mph in 4.4 seconds and finished the quarter mile in 12.5 seconds at 121.6 mph. It stopped from 60 mph in 114 feet. On the track, the V12 Vantage S has lots of oversteer that Cammisa likens to an overpowered Mazda Miata. The British sports car lapped the figure-eight in 24.3 seconds at 0.83 g average and pulled 0.97 g average around the skidpad.

After flogging the V12 Vantage S around the racetrack, Cammisa heads to a dry lake bed to see if he can hit the claimed top speed of 205 mph. Check out the video below to see Cammisa’s conclusion on the 2017 Aston Martin V12 Vantage S.