Aston Martin Is Sending Off the 600-HP V12 Vantage With an Ultra-Exclusive Special Edition

Only 14 examples of this stick-shift only beauty will be made.

For those fans of classic British sports cars who are maybe a little put off by the bold styling of the new Aston Martin Vantage, the company has announced that it will build a run of just 14 more of the outgoing Vantage.

Such traditionalists will be thrilled by the specifications of the limited production Vanquish V600, because the cars (seven coupes and seven convertibles) will be equipped with Aston’s purring V12 engine and an involving seven-speed manual transmission.

No turbochargers. No shift paddles. No all-wheel drive. No screaming green paint. Just a classically British driving experience in maybe its ultimate expression.

The car draws its name from the 1998 Vantage V600, which used a supercharged V8 engine to deliver 600 horsepower. The new V12 Vantage V600 provides that same output without the aid of forced induction, ensuring the purity of V12 engine sound that enthusiasts love.

And the seven-speed manual transmission is the only option, so non-stick-driving poseurs need not apply. The fun-to-drive gearbox earns the V12 Vantage V600 a spot on our list of cars that are available with a DIY transmission, but because no automatic is available for this model, maybe we need a special list of cars with only a manual gearbox.

This neo-V600 tips its hat to the ’98 original with a re-imagined side-strake and hood power bulge, while a unique darkened grille and all-new carbon fibre diffuser provide contemporary details. The cabin also hews to a darkened theme, with carbon fiber and dark anodized aluminum trim. 

Aston promises delivery of these extremely exclusive cars in the third quarter of this year.