Curious if anyone can speak to the power / acceleration differences between these cars. From a dig, they seem to be about on par but wondering if there is much difference from hwy rolling given they are around the same power but different weights?

I test drove a V12 Vantage years back. Dynamically it didn't feel so far off my Cayman S at the time driving it at 6/10 and suited me fine from a sportiness perspective. Ive never driven the Vanquish nor is it easy to find one to test.

Ive been feeling nostalgic for this era of car. Went through a Cayman S, 718 Spyder, and now a McLaren 720S. Thinking to ditch the Mac and step down to something interesting as an in-between or even long time keeps and I always keep thinking back to the V12 Vantage... Just a beautiful and unique Na V12. Moving to anything after the McLaren is difficult from a speed perspective... And im wondering if the Vanquish being much heavier will feel like a boat in comparison to the Vantage... I have kids that are the perfect age to utilize the backseats and it would be fun to take them on occasion, but the main purpose is to be a fun weekend car so a 2-seater works find if it dynamically leaps ahead of the 2+2.

Thoughts?

 

I don't have a Vanquish (I have a DB9), but I believe that the back seats are essentially the same. The DB9 isn't a 2+2, it really is (at best) a 1+(-1)+(-1) meaning you can fit two small passengers (one front seat and one rear seat) if you move the front seat forward. Neither passenger will be particularly comfortably, but it is doable with 2 small kids. You WON'T get a human behind the driver's seat unless you are VERY small... like very small. I'm 5'10", and my seat is essentially against the rear passenger seat. Sure, I could adjust is slightly to make a little bit of extra space, but not enough for anyone with legs.

 

The V12 Vantage S and the gen-2 Vanquish are both great cars, but IMO they are very different experiences. Regarding pure straight-line performance, they're very close. The 8-speed autobox Vanquish (from MY2015) likely can launch better than the single-clutch 7-speed automated manual Sportshift III 'box in the V12VS (or the few 2017 7-speed manuals). I'd guess that, once rolling, the lighter V12VS will have an edge, but I doubt there's much difference in pure acceleration. Both are very fast, perhaps unless one is used to a 720S... Power and torque are very similar, of course. The Vanquish S got a small bump to 580hp (from 565). The Vanquish weighs roughly 140 lbs more than the V12VS. If that's less of a difference than expected, it's because the considerably bigger Vanquish has carbon fiber body panels and some CF in its structure.

It's been a while since I've driven a gen-2 Vanquish, but it's a superb supercar-GT. The ZF auto is a great automatic. Of course, the 8-speed (from MY2015) shifts faster and has closer ratios than the earlier 6-speed automatic. These are very fast, very refined, outstanding GT cars, and they handle very well. I have a 2015 V12VS, so I can speak from more experience about it. It's very different. It is a beast in a way the Vanquish isn't (for better or for worse). While the V12VS is a very good GT, it's more of a super-sports car. It's much more raw, and it feels brutal in a way the GT-oriented, refined Vanquish doesn't. It feels like the factory hot rod, biggest-engine-in-the-smallest-car that it is -- in the very best way. While you can feel the extra weight in the nose compared to a V8 Vantage, it is not nose-heavy and it remains beautifully balanced. The gearbox is very different to use. The Vanquish's ZF auto works great as an auto, and works well if you use the paddles. I love 3-pedals and a gear lever, though, so for me, the Sportshift III 'box in the Vantage is much more like using a true manual, and I find it more involving, engaging and just fun than an automatic. It doesn't work very well in automatic mode, and I couldn't care less. In manual mode, though, it's great. It needs the driver to learn its characteristics and drive it properly to get the best out of it -- as does a true manual -- and I love that. For me, it's more enjoyable and rewarding to use than an objectively-superior dual-clutch 'box like your McLaren.

So, IMO, one isn't better than the other -- they're different and it's a matter of personal preference: The V12 Vantage S is the visceral super-sports car, the Vanquish is the more refined but still engaging super-GT.

 

Five years ago when I was considering moving from my 2012 V12 Vantage to the new Superleggera, I came upon a website www.automobile-catalog.com.

The website had a tool where you could run simulated comparisons between vehicles.
The output included high quality comparisons of both HP and Torque curves.
Hope this helps.
Thanks, JH

 

Appreciate the replies! Sounds like V12Vs is likely the way to go for the type of experience I want