They have a Tungsten Silver V12V.... I wanted one soooo bad when I bought the V8VS. It's by far my favorite color and it's very well optioned. If it had the alcantara inserts I would be very tempted.

 

I have owned a V8 6 speed and currently own a V12 6 speed. Both are great cars, but the V12 is greater.

The V8 is more of a GT than the V12. The V12 is clearly a hooligan in a tux. It is not a comfortable GT. Shifting the gears is fantastic, especially since the engine just pulls you around town.

If you can swing it, get the V12.

 

I feel the same way, as mine is only 380 HP also...

 

the sad thing is, my c63 (tuned) has spoiled me. 540hp. The Astons look so quaint (horsepower wise) comparatively lol.

Of course, the Astons are just as quick, and *way* better looking, so it all works out.

 

I am on the same fence. I have an 5.0 XKR which is a snarling hooligan beast. While the V8S will feel sharper it will probably feel quite slow absent the silly torque of that supercharged V8.

I had the same dilemma when considering an R8. The R8 V8 is a great car and probably more balanced and well rounded but I wondered if I would feel let down in the power dept so I felt that I had to buy V10 or bust.

That said I have gone from Vipers to S2000's and all over the place including NSX and Elise which also aren't torque monsters. And I enjoyed the scalpel like precision of weaker cars. You would smile just working that simple rifle bolt action S2000 shifter, or the cart like non-power steering of the little Elise. But the AM is still a GT so I wonder if it could ever be sharp enough to offset the power deficiency in the fun dept.

Therefore, I am leaning toward a V12 if I can get myself to stomach the price. I've owned that much in total cars but never in one. So I wonder if it would be worth it. The other thing I consider is how well they will hold value. If I'm going way up there - while any expensive car is an emotional decision as with watches - you can definitely do OK financially with some choices... Witness the Ford GT. So if the lil AM V12 keeps looking like it will hold proportionately as well as say even a GTR it could be the best initial supercar purchase in that it won't scare the crap out of us entering the stratosphere by dropping our shorts!

 

The V12V has depreciated and IMO will continue to do so as other cars do. The Ford GT is an exception to the rule. People speculate that the V12V won't depreciate further because it is one of the last V12s with a stick, but I don't think that will make much difference as most of the world has moved on.

 

I think you're right on the mark here....as cars get older they are going to continue to lose value because of age and mechanical worries, and also they don't have the cutting edge technology. There's a floor on that depreciation of course, and then if the planets are all in alignment they will increase after that floor number - but few cars do (think Carrera GT, Ferrari Enzo, the Ford GT). Add to that mix that new cars get faster all the time and you discover that yesterday's hot car is just mediocre in a few years time as far as the power wars go. And there are bragging rights to fast, expensive cars that drive the market segment.

A lot of younger driver's can't even drive a manual transmission car and they're OK with that, too. Certainly hasn't seem to hurt Ferrari sales and they've gone with F1 trans in everything now.

 

As an "old" man this makes me sad but you are exactly right. My friend's son was in a car the other day with roll up windows and he had no idea how to roll down the window. He couldn't find the switch and was surprised you had to roll the window down. I know the comparison between a manual and DCT is different but in the world of performance and games that kids grow up on, the manual doesn't exist. It's slower and more cumbersome like a manual to rollup a window

 

Well, I guess I will go against the grain here and tell you you V8V-S is my choice. I'm not considered much of a car-guy tho (note deep sarcasm in the tone). Yes I've owed both, but the V12 wasn't to my liking and I was happy to move to the S. The torque is undeniable in the V12 but it will get loose quick and often. The V12 is very predictable when it spins and doesn't scare you, it just feels loosey-goosey in the back. Beyond that, I consider the the Sportshift II a bonus. It has the sound and feel of a manual but the option to press a button and deal with a phone call or radio... even zone out in traffic a bit. The AMTs will never be perfect, the computer just can't tell exactly what gear you want but that's why the peddles are there. I only use the auto-feature 10% of the time. I think the 7-speed trans makes up a lot of torque issue lost with a V8 and I personally love the sound of a gurgling V8. But I'm a low-class American V8 fan... my fast car is a Ford GT (dont tell my eclectic V12 friends). I went thru a few other cars (Mazerati, M6, CTS-V, V12V) before I landed the V8V-S but I am thoroughly satisfied. I would agree that it is probabley a bit more civilized than the V12 but that's what I wanted for a daily.

The Carbon brake are great and I just talked to a guy with 80k miles on his V12 who still didn't need new pads but its a $15k job if you do. The standard V8-V-S brake are very capable but the pad can be replaced with lower dust version for a couple hundred bucks. The dry-sump oil system is a bonus in the V8 if you like to track.

Eitherway they garner massive attention where ever you go and you feel like the king of the road. You can add some mods to the V8S for power but I don't think it is necessary. You'll likely end up in a V12 if you find yourself in need of big power.

 

The V12 is special BUT depending on what you want from the AM you get its an individual choice. An owners experience to appreciate!

 

@Fubar, that loose feeling at the back is the V12's party trick. I think that will be a unique feature as new cars get more sophisticated traction control or move to full electric power. It's a rewarding way to drive, if you embrace it.

The world will turn its gaze back to how special this car is, especially once the world has moved on. But the world does have to move on.

Most of the "great" cars were not always soo great when they were new. But they were the epitome of the idea they were built on. They gave us something that you can't get anymore. That's why people want them.

The V12 will likely get into that club one day. When, who knows.

 

The V12V is wonderful. Really wonderful. The V8 great is also, but they're different.

Reasons to buy the V8 (besides cost (purchase and maintenance):

Better looking IMO.
Better balanced -- front/rear weight distribution is 49F/51R. V12 is 51F/49R, and V12S is 52-53F/48-47R.
V8 engine is lighter (by a LOT), lower (90 degree V vs. the 12's 60 degree V), mounted lower b/c it's dry-sumped, and mounted entirely behind the front axle line (V12 has 4-cylinders ahead of axle line).
Sounds glorious (as does the V12, of course).
Dry sump. It is a better oiling system, plus you get the gorgeous dry sump tank to look at
The V8 engine went through an even more thorough development testing program than the V12 engine.
FWIW, the performance difference b/w a 4.7 V8V (or V8VS) and the V12 is real, but the performance numbers are not as different as the feel suggests they should be. The V12 torque is immense.

Don't get me wrong, the V12V is deeply wonderful. But the V8 is a truly compelling car also.

 

Having owned both, the difference in the way the V12V feels on the road is much greater than what these performance numbers suggest (assuming the numbers suggest the two cars have similar performance). The V12V is like a completely different car than the V8V.

 

0-60 times (which are irrelevant but I couldn't find the 60-130 times)

V8V-S: 3.9sec
V12 : 4.1sec

I wasn't expecting to find those results either but the all knowing Internet, has spoken!

 

Perhaps my butt dyno is way off but I "feel" that is not accurate. There is no question that the V12V has significantly more power and torque. I wonder if it's a traction issue?