Could not agree more ...

 

I've had my V12V since May 2011 and love every single minute I am in, almost 100% due to the fact that it is a manual. The car is a beast! I'm sure the S version will be fun to drive as well, but there is no replacing a manual gearbox.

Hopefully this will help the value of the car for those that want a V12 manual.

 

Couldn't agree more!!!! The manual is really something else.

 

Agreed. Have nothing against paddles, but perhaps the 1300 or so manual V12V will remain a bit more special in time.

 

i guess i'll be "that guy"...

i'm underwhelmed. first off, i really dislike the front end restyling. the slat-less grill looks awesome on the CC100 because it's so dramatic. on the V12VS, they just took at the slats and put in some slim and barely discernible diagonal bits in the space where the slats were (again, looks awesome on the CC100, not on the Vantage).

of all the Vantages, the rear of the V12V and V12VS is the only one i don't care for. i like the look of the [early] V8V and V8VS. the V12V is just too bland and a bit boring. it's a shame AM didn't dress up the rear of the V12V with an aggressive carbon fiber diffuser.

the interior is barely changed at all from any current Vantage, so i don't see why they're even highlighting it.

yellow is the absolute worst color to market this car (though i will admit i'm not fond of yellow on anything short of a Lamborghini or taxi). i think they should have gone with Meteorite Silver or Grey Bull (i think that's what it was called. it looks awesome on the configurator), as a dark silver would make it look as sinister as it is sporting. even a lighter silver would be fine, but the yellow just looks tacky and definitely does not suit a *refined* sports car.

and with everyone else going full-auto, make a damn manual option!! if anything, it'll please those of us that enjoy rowing gears (2/10ths of a second 0-60 be damned), and could even snag new customers that want a manual in this price/performance/exotic market space that can't find one elsewhere. as we all know, AM customers are pretty loyal to the brand, so getting a few new customers with this would almost certainly lead to future sales from repeat business.

i'm honestly surprised AM is bringing this to market so soon. i was expecting it, but not so soon after the release of the Vanquish.

all that said, i'm sure the V12VS is going to be an absolute beast, and i love that AM is finally able to keep up with performance in the small exotic sports car market.

 

I beg to differ. The DBS was always available with a manual until the day it disappeared, so a manual V12 was not unique to the Vantage.

 

I'd also like to point out that Ford copied AM's grill on the Fusion, and now AM is copying Ford's grill on the Fiesta (the diagonals within the grill).

 

That's fair to an extent. However, if you look at the 06-09 Vantage it looks dated when put side by side to the 2010+ that have side skirts, front splitter, and diffuser. It's a great look but it's been the same for quite some time and I feel needs an update in the next 2-3 years. Perhaps I'm a minority but it's time for a new model to start getting hyped instead of continuing with the old.

 

very sexy! by the time it shows up in the US I will be able to afford it, haha!

 

If you want a manual buy the old v12, I honestly think it was by far the best decision to get rid of the manual... Sales for the V12 manual were already dropping like a rock. They made the right decisions MD the era of the manual is officially dead. If you want 565hp with a manual, just buy the old one and get an ECU tune with headers & cats.

That's simple

 

Has there been any mention of price yet?

 

The V8VS has the same rear as the V12V and the MY12.25 V8V. And, IMO, it doesn't look as good as the original.

 

To each his own, of course, but I don't think the 06-09 cars look dated at all compared to the later versions (actually, it's 06-12.25 for the V8V, since only after 12.25 did the S-style nose and tail become standard, as well as the N400 sills). In fact, I think the original design looks best. IMO, the original nose and tail are beautifully clean and elegant, with just the right amount of aggression, whereas the later, more aggressive V12V styling adds angularity and edges that clash somewhat with the beautiful curves of the car. Also, the original sills highlight the curves and swelling of the wheel arches, whereas the N400 sills introduce the only unresolved line on the car (the hockey stick curve just smacks into the rear wheel arch), and the V12V sills look a bit too sharp and angular -- a bit '80s body-kit (that's too harsh, but you get the idea).

Don't get me wrong, they're all seriously gorgeous. To me, though, the original Vantage is one of those very rare designs that was essentially perfect at launch. When it's that right, any attempt to "improve" or "update" it usually results in a car that doesn't look quite as good as the original. Examples:

E-Type Series 1/Series 2/Series 3
XK120/140/150
DB4/5/6 (tough call b/w 4 and 5, but I lean toward the DB4)

 

Not simple. Not if you want a new car. Not if you want the other changes. It makes sense to offer the SS, but the loss of the manual is a massive shame and a deal breaker for more than a few of us. Supposedly Ian Minards has said, "never say never" about a manual 'box. That would seriously tempt me.

Choice is better than no choice.

 

Yes, but the DBS disappeared before the V12V did, leaving the V12V as the only manual V12 car available.