Ferrari 12cilindri v Aston Martin Vanquish III

Ferrari's newest masterpiece, the 12Cilindri, is a fitting tribute to the company's 12-cylinder masterpieces spanning from the Testarossa, the 575M, the 599, the F12, and the 812. Let's get to know more about Ferrari's final pure 12-cylinder ICE half-a-million-euro masterpiece.

2025 Ferrari 12Cilindri

2025 Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider

The 12Cilindri comes in coupe and open-top Spider configurations and honors Ferrari’s hard work on iconic 12-cylinder masterpieces. As a car, this model embodies the heart and soul of the brand. The 12Cilindri is the last pure V12 ICE masterpiece.

2025 Ferrari 12Cilindri interior

The Ferrari 12Cilindri was designed with inspiration from past models. The 12Cilindri's fastback styling harks back to the Monza model. The front view is a tribute to the 365 GTB4. The rear design was inspired by the triangular shape of the Testarossa. The interior, meanwhile, dons Ferrari's dual-cockpit layout from the Roma and the Purosangue to make it more driver-focused. Complimented with the handcrafted materials in the making of sports seats and trim, the 12Cilindri shows its true colors as contemporary art on four wheels.

Powering the 12Cilindri is the 6.5L V12 engine with Direct Injection lifted from the 812 Competizione. It produces 830PS of power and 678Nm of torque. Mated to an 8-speed F1 DCT and weighing nearly one-and-a-half tons, it does 0-100kph in 2.9 seconds and flat-out at 340kph. That's supercar quick in Super GT standards.

Being a road-focused GT car, going through the open roads is the main specialty but for the 12Cilindri, that's not the case because while being an excellent road car, it incorporates Ferrari's F1 know-how to make it vaguely usable on the track. It takes a Charles Leclerc-level driver to get a good grip on its dynamic character and with notable track-honed gizmos such as the brake-by-wire, ABS Evo, and the new SSC 8.0, among many other useful gadgets in store, the 12Cilindri is too addictive to be ignored or fully satisfied.

From the road to the track, the Ferrari 12Cilindri is the ultimate V12 Super GT ever made thanks to its addictive features too impossible to miss, especially for those who ended up with the keys to the old 812 Competizione. However, by the time the 12Cilindri made its inception, this is no longer the ultimate V12 Super GT in the world because of this...

2025 Aston Martin Vanquish

2025 Aston Martin Vanquish interior

Yes, Aston Martin managed to resurrect the Vanquish as the ultimate V12 Super GT in the world. The nearly half-a-million-pound Super GT is the must-have for the 2024 Autumn Season.

For the Vanquish's third outing, what the folks from Aston Martin did is make a mashup between the DB12 and the rear view of the non-existent Vanquish Zagato Shooting Brake from 2017, don the familiar DB12 interior, make it macho, and Bob's your uncle. This is the Vanquish's third coming the world anticipated and by the looks and feels of it, the Turn 10 Studios people should better think twice before turning a cold shoulder on it.

Powered by an all-new 5.2 V12 Twin Turbo engine, it produces a historical 835PS of power and 1000Nm of torque. Mated to an 8-speed AT, it has a 0-62mph time of 3.3 seconds and a top speed of 214mph. The Ferrari 12Cilindri should be slightly worried about taking this one on.

With its bonded aluminum structure, front double wishbones, rear multilink suspension, a heavily advanced ABS, and Corner Braking 2.0, among other sport-tuned dynamics outlandish for Super GT standards, it takes a Fernando Alonso-level driver to master the Vanquish on the track but no need while on the road because it drives extremely beautiful. Dynamic as expected but like the 12Cilindri, it's too addictive to be ignored to be fully satisfied.

The 12Cilindri and the Vanquish are two of the top V12 Super GTs on the market. It's hard to choose between the two, but the Vanquish is probably the clear winner. The Vanquish features a bonded aluminum structure, front double wishbones, rear multilink suspension, and Corner Braking 2.0. All of these amazing features make for one fantastic car.

Photo: Ferrari/Aston Martin

My FH5 Log: Getting Infested

The Cars and Coffee update on Forza Horizon 5 is a disaster. The game is now infested with old cars swarming all over the Horizon Mexico grounds. These old cars are like disease-carrying insects ruining everyone's summer vacation.

Our first offender is the Lamborghini Aventador Ultimae that I've obtained from the Wet Season Playlist. Lamborghini said goodbye to the Aventador with the LP780-4 Ultimae, the final special edition that combines all the greatest feats from the normal Aventador to the SVJ. It's limited to 350 coupes and 250 roadsters, and features an updated 6.5L V12 engine producing 780PS of power, making it the most powerful Aventador ever made.

Our second offender is the so-called Volkswagen SP-2 that I won from the Storm Season Playlist. Developed by Volkswagen do Brasil, the SP-2 runs on the chassis of the Brazil-spec Type 3. Despite its sleek looks, sales were drastically poor and 10,205 cars were built with 681 exported to Nigeria, the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Middle East.

The "brood mother" of the Cars and Coffee infestation is the Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato that I won as the overall prize car of the update. Unveiled at the Concourse d'Elegance event at Lake Como, this limited-to-99-unit collectors' model is the fifth car that emerged from the ongoing partnership that spans back from the DB4 GT Zagato, the barn find that you got since you first moved to Horizon UK. Although based on the Vanquish S underneath, the 6.0L V12 engine has been uprooted to produce 600PS of power, which allowed the Vanquish Zagato to get from 0-60mph in three and a half seconds, and it features a more comfort-oriented suspension setup for a more GT feel, unlike most ultra-expensive sportscars. Apart from the Coupe, the Vanquish Zagato has spawned various variants such as the open-top Volante, the Speedster, and the Shooting Brake. Combining the "family" of four Vanquish Zagato models, all 325 cars have been sold before being shown to the world.

Finally, the mole rat of the horde is the Volkswagen Type 181 that I won from the Hot Season Playlist. Called by the Americans as the VW Thing, this vehicle was originally made for the German army, this military vehicle has been sold to the general public as the Kurierwagen in the country where it was made and has some of the major components from the People's Car, the VW Beetle. This peculiar vehicle lasted until production ended in the early 80's.

Let's take the recent horde of disease-carrying vermins on various races to prove how much of a vermin they really are. Roll the tapes.

Old cars are a scourge that swarm the festival like disease-carrying insects. These old cars ruin everyone's summer vacation and that's the bottom line. It's the halfway point of 2024 and a game like Forza Horizon 5 is still spreading old cars to the roster like The Plague 

This plague is far from over if you catch my drift. Be warned.

Enjoy your new rides!

Forza Horizon 4: Vanquishing Zagato

Last week, I got my hands on the new Aston Martin DBS Superleggera and I'm starting to fall in love with the newest and the ultimate grand tourer Aston Martin ever made especially with its "showtime" undertones that gave me the jellies. Now, another Aston Martin has entered the spotlight and this time, it's the turn of its predecessor, only fancier because it's the Zagato-fied Aston Martin Vanquish.



Here's the X-file on that prize car I got from the Spring Horizon Playlist of this update; the Vanquish Zagato is one of the super rare breeds made by the partnership between Aston Martin and Zagato. Unveiled at the Concourse d'Elegance event at Lake Como, this limited-to-99-unit collectors' model is the fifth car emerged from the ongoing partnership that spans back from the DB4 GT Zagato, the barn find that you got since you first moved to Horizon UK. Although based on the Vanquish S underneath, the 6.0L V12 engine has been uprooted to produce 600PS of power, which allowed the Vanquish Zagato to get from 0-60mph in three and a half seconds, and it features a more comfort-oriented suspension setup for a more GT feel unlike most ultra-expensive sportscars.

Apart from the Coupe, the Vanquish Zagato has spawned various variants such as the open-top Volante, the Speedster, and the Shooting Brake. Combining the "family" of four Vanquish Zagato models, all 325 cars have been sold before being shown to the world.



Back in Colorado in the first Horizon adventure, I drove the Vanquish and I'm already fell in love with how much of a grand tourer this car made and in the Zagato-fied version, there's still so much things to do to catch up on the ultimate grand tourer that was now replaced by the now-ultimate grand tourer that I drove last week. The body and the engine may look and feel different from the Vanquish it was based on but it's still a Vanquish. Nothing else comes close to the real thing.



Such X-file deserves a little tryout and with that, I went to Fortune Island to unleash this V12 beauty in the dead of the night. Roll the tape.





What we learned this series update is that while the DBS Superleggera can easily eclipse the full majesty of the Vanquish Zagato in terms of performance, it's the true beauty that easily outshine the successor apart. The Vanquish truly is one of the all-time greats in Aston Martin history and the Zagato version really is the fond farewell to that car before the revival of the DBS took over the Vanquish's reins. Needless to say, I really want Aston Martin to keep making grand tourers like this and while they're hot on the heels on their first-ever crossover, their grand touring heritage their sportscars made will forever be grateful to the world over. That is the bottom line. Good bye.

Forza Horizon 2: Why driving the Vanquish again?!

The Aston Martin Vanquish is the pinnacle of Aston Martin's "POWER, BEAUTY, and SOUL" tagline which combines its beautiful design, powerful V12 engine, and British soulfulness that made the Vanquish the ultimate Grand Tourer ever made. As I'm sure, I already drove it in a certain championship several moments ago to demonstrate the Vanquish's potential. So, why am I driving it again?!

I can't stop listening to the Vanquish's V12 engine noise because it sounds so lyrical. It sounds so sonorous. It sounds so...stoic. It's a beautiful grand tourer that devotes everything to the driver in a stoic matter and since the Vanquish became the grand tourer I have fell in love since I first drove one in the original Horizon, I have managed to come up with something that fits with its stoic personality and I think I know one...



This is much better! Because I'm still in the process of celebrating THE iDOLM@STER's 10th birthday, (even though 2015 is the 10th anniversary of the Forza franchise), I gave the Aston Martin Vanquish the much awaited treatment it deserved and yes, it's now themed after Chihaya Kisaragi from THE iDOLM@STER series. A big hand of applause, please. It's all thanks for not just being a fan of iDOLM@STER but also a petrolhead.



The reason why I themed it after one of my favorite 765 Production idols is because the sonorous sound of the Vanquish's 6.0L V12 engine really reminds us of her beautiful vocals every time you hear one of her songs. Useful bit of science there but it's not just the vocals that swoon me, it's the precision that matches her movements on stage. So, a British V12 grand tourer, a 765 Pro idol with a very beautiful vocals (much to the annoyance of her flat chested physique), and together, they're the perfect recipe of sound and motion...in my mind.



To try out the design that I made, I went to Castelletto, where I booked this car for a championship suitable for Super Grand Tourers like the Vanquish and race against the opposition. It's going to be a great day for this Chihaya-themed Vanquish that I made it myself.

Road Trip:



Races:



Well, it ain't one of the prettiest races I've ever tackled but she's very happy, knowing that me and this car won the championship that I booked in Castelletto.



If you come looking for this design that I made, feel free to do so. My gamertag is leopauldelr and here's hoping that you'll find a Chihaya-themed Vanquish alongside my Gardevoir-themed Vanquish. Yes, they're both very pretty to have one in your Vanquish, you can count on it.

For now, I'll let her sing a song over the moonlight...

Forza Horizon 2: VANQUISHing Horizon Again

Ah yes. The Aston Martin Vanquish, the flagship grand tourer from the Aston Martin range. Although it doesn't have the capability to lash out its firepower against the mightiest sportscars in the world, it has one of the most dramatic looks for a grand tourer of this calibur. It truly represents the brand's motto of POWER, BEAUTY, and SOUL in the right places and here in Forza Horizon 2, I can have as much fun as I want in the Vanquish and still keeps me happy even though this car is just a few years old.



When this car showed up on the original Horizon, I have fallen in love with it. It looks harmonious but when in races, it starting to unravel its true potential as a grand tourer and that won my heart over since I've been asking for this car for moments when Aston Martin launched the new Vanquish last 2012 to replace the DBS.

Now that we're in Europe, the Aston Martin Vanquish starting to feel like home because its potential as a grand tourer can't be contained. Sure, you can take one out for a race but enjoying this car on free roam is much more knowing to the Vanquish. It likes to take some time out after its long grueling races against its rival GT cars but when the opportunity rises, the Vanquish is ready for almost everything. A formidable car to start at but behind the scenes, it's magnificent to drive from sunrise to sunset.

With four races left for me before the finale, I decided that it's the Aston's time to shine for the championship I've signed up, which is held at Saint-Martin, but first...



FLASH MAKEOVER! I've gave the Vanquish its "BEAUTY" credentials it deserved. To be honest, it's been recycled from what I did on my Ford Fiesta ST. The Gardevoir and Mega Gardevoir design from Pokemon XY, I've changed its colors to replicate their..."shiny" appearance. Oh come on! You know what a "shiny" Pokemon is, right? A Pokemon of a different color! Anyway, because it matches the theme of "POWER, BEAUTY, and SOUL" from the Vanquish and after taking some extensive improvements on the performance, it's time to set off for a road trip.



And now, its racing action!





Good job. You really are Aston Martin's ultimate GT after all and all that beautiful designs I've made really motivated you to winning this championship. Now, let's go home.



The Aston Martin Vanquish finally accomplished its own 60 minutes of fame but with three championships left before the finally, my journey's almost at an end but what will I accomplish on the last three before the big sendoff? Find out soon as the journey continues!

Forza Motorsport 5: 2014 Corvette Stingray vs 2012 Vanquish at Long Beach

While I'm very impressed about taking a spin on the brand new 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray on Forza Motorsport 5 via the Bondurant Car Pack, I guess I would like for this machine to take on some of the finest machines of its class so what it's like for this car to take on a car that is so different, it will make comparisons a little more exciting...

 

This Aston Martin Vanquish should do the trick because both of these machines are categorized in the Class A category of cars and this should be a perfect sparring partner for the C7 Corvette.



Remember, the Vanquish has a four-cylinders more than the C7 Corvette and its a hundred horsepower more as well but the C7 Corvette is about 400lbs less than the Vanquish so it should have the upper hand on how fast can it get round the corners. Of course, since both of them are rear-wheel drive, I might expect some oversteering woes but mostly, it's the C7 Corvette that slides back while the Vanquish has little signs of oversteering.

In this technical place like Long Beach, both these machines will have to work through the tightest corners if they need to achieve the fastest time possible but at least the city backdrop makes it a nice touch to these modern grand tourers.



After their session at Long Beach, California, I had the result;

1:42.270 - Corvette C7 SR
1:42.828 - AM Vanquish '12

Here in this beautiful Long Beach track, looks like American engineering defeated the British revolution by a 1/4th of a second!

Forza 5: Aston Martin Vanquish

This is the Aston Martin Vanquish and this is probably one of my favorite Aston Martins up to this date. To me, this is by no means one of the most beautiful machines ever made because this car, between you and me, blends the elements from the two defunct Aston Martins; the hardcore DBS and the softer Virage. Unfortunately for me, this car made me as silly as the dog from the Beggin' Strips commercial.



It may not be quite a direct competitor against the world's modern grand tourers, especially the Italians such as the Ferrari F12 and the Lamborghini Aventador, but the "Power, Beauty, and Soul" is what made the Vanquish a pure Aston Martin. I know it maybe a DBS replacement borrowing some design elements from the million-dollar One-77 supercar but this car is worth begging to have the driver, especially those playing FM5 on their X1, to be on the driver's seat of this car.





It maybe lovely on the road but it's not brilliant on the track because it feels a bit dynamic for a beautiful car of this magnitude. It takes a gentle driving style to master it and when you do, this is the car that treats you with care, no matter the circumstances you're been. No wonder this car sustained the least shots in the game of Aerial Laser Tag but no matter. This is still the best Aston yet by a long way.

 

Forza Horizon: VANQUISHing Horizon

You might imagine that driving the Aston Martins offered in Horizon such as the DBS, the Virage, or the V12 Zagato is somewhat an appreciating feat for an Aston Martin enthusiast like you. Sadly though, it's 2013 and the year 2013 marks the 100th anniversary of Aston Martin. Everybody's got their birthday present to the brand and because the Vanquish became the starring role of this birthday party, it even got a chance to be at the helipad of the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Also, James May drove this one at Top Gear Season 19. This is really the most beautiful car I have ever seen but where's the Vanquish? All I want is to drive this beauty in Horizon just to find out how Centenary Spectacular this is when the Vanquish is on a video game like this...

Now, however, thanks to the April Top Gear Car Pack, the last DLC Car Pack to be covered on Horizon's Season Pass, the new Aston Martin Vanquish has arrived and it's about as interesting as an old-school video game they called R4. Ridge Racer Type 4 to you.

Helter Skelter

That is my idea of a perfect Aston Martin in a video game but it is very difficult to explain why. First of all, the car costs about a mind-blowing £189,995, which sounds a lot of money but in a game of Top Trumps, you can't use it to bash the likes of the Ferrari F12berlinetta, the Lamborghini Aventador, the McLaren MP4-12C, or the Ferrari 458 Italia. Let's just remember, even though it has a new 6.0L 565bhp V12 engine, it does 0-60 in 4.1 seconds (which is quicker than the Jaguar XKR-S) and a top speed of 183mph, that's about less than the outgoing DBS.

Wonder Hill

But don't be fooled by the headlines because this is the most graceful car I have ever driven in ages. Despite the fact that James Bond ditched this new one in favor of the DB5 in last year's Skyfall movie, this should have been the perfect Bond car for that film. Maybe next time, they'll feature it but never mind about that, because there's a sheer sense of beauty hidden in the already-beautiful design of the new Vanquish. That sheer beauty of the new Vanquish can be an equivalent of...three Chihaya Kisaragis...two Amy Ponds...and Ridge Racer Type 4's RTS Assoluto Bisonte.

Edge of the Earth

Out of Blue

Let me put it this way, being attacked by bisons is the sort of feeling when you are in an overpowered Italian exotic rampaging through the roads but here in the Vanquish, the only thing you're bothered is being tapped in the head by Puchimas' Chihya. She'll keep tapping your head as long as she wants but if you're prepared for the worst, you'd better be awake because savage bisons are coming to hurt you more than a bull run in Spain.

What's exactly wrong with this new Vanquish? Well, even though it's not as quicker than the old DBS, it doesn't really matter whether the things that were right were balanced out with the things that were wrong. Besides, this new V12 engine is a masterpiece. A true masterpiece classic when it comes to its exhaust note and its craftsmanship. It's also agile because it's 19mm lower than the DBS, every single panel was made out of carbon fiber so it's very light. 25 per cent stiffer than the DBS thanks to its new chassis. It's so aerodynamic! However, don't be fooled about being a suitable driver's car because when you really let loose, this car's too dynamic and a bit less grippy, meaning you can pull some amazing angles but difficult to exit. Whoa!

Phantom Mile

Brightest Nite

You know what this is like? It's like a Ridge Racer machine. It's like either an Racing Team Solvalou Assoluto Bisonte or a Bisargento with a Chihaya Kisaragi livery on it. You can almost call it crude. There's so many reasons why you don't want a Vanquish but there's one why you would because this is just fantastic. It's as harmonious as Asami Imai's voice but as savage as a wild boar. I love that. I really love that styling which nods to other Aston Martins. I love its V12 engine. I love its interior. I love the man who made it. I love Great Britain. I wanna move there and I wanna be The Doctor's companion or a Top Gear presenter...

Heaven and Hell

I also love the way that it feels like an Aston Martin, apart from that...and that...and that...and apart from the launch control and it's One-77-like interior, it feels normal. It kinda feels like Tekken's Lili because she maybe beautiful but she's definitely a bruiser that you don't want to get your bones crushed by her.

Shooting Hoops

There are so many cars in Horizon for those who want to be sensible but the new Vanquish is made for people who don't...

Aston Martin V12 Vantage Roadster and AM310 Vanquish

2013 Aston Martin V12 Vantage Roadster

Here it is. It looks like the Aston Martin V12 Vantage, the one that Jeremy Clarkson got emotional in the Season 13 finale of Top Gear, only this time the roof is off. This is the V12 Vantage Roadster but I prefer to think of it as...Chihaya Kisaragi's gone topless. It still comes with the same 6.0L V12 engine from the hardtop V12 Vantage that produces 517PS of power and always ready to rev to the tune of 眠り姫. Also, I'd still expect the worthless Volvo sat-nav of other Astons and buttons that I can't read in the sunshine. Lastly, I'd still expect the only transmission available on the V12 Vantage, that is a 6-speed manual transmission and that's good.

However, aside from having her haircut, she also expected a carbon fiber materials. Something that Chihaya Kisaragi would dress for the concert. There was carbon fibre side strakes, a carbon fibre front splitter, carbon fibre rear diffuser, carbon fibre mirror caps and carbon fibre rear lamp infills. What an overload of carbon materials for the V12 Vantage Roadster!

Sadly though, the convertible's a bit heavier than the hardtop model due to its strengthening needs. The hardtop V12 Vantage can do 0-60mph time of 4.1 seconds but for this Roadster version, 0-60mph time is now 4.5 seconds. Still, both the hardtop and the convertible versions of the V12 Vantage can reach a top speed of 190mph.

2013 Aston Martin V12 Vantage Roadster

When it comes to fun factor, you can really smoke her whatever you want and with such dynamic handling, it's great if you want to handle the V12 Roadster in style but sometimes it could be somewhat difficult to regain grip because it's a challenging machine for beginners. On normal roads, it's surprisingly an epic grand tourer for those who want to go out for a long distance cruising, something that the new Ferrari California 30 couldn't guess what comes next.

This car costs about £150,000 RRP and they'll be making up to 101 units. Because it's a limited production model, a false mistake may cost you dearly. Smuggle one and you've wasted it. It appears that this is the final Aston to use the old 6.0L V12 engine. So, let's move on from ALLONS-Y to GERONIMO...

2013 Aston Martin Vanquish

Welcome to the all new Aston Martin Vanquish. The original one was used by Pierce Brosnan for his last Bond film before his retirement, Die Another Day, in 2002. The cool bit was the one that Q BRANCH gave it body panels that render the car invisible. Now that the name has been resurrected, I was quite surprised that this car served as the replacement to my ever-favorite DBS and now, there's more to this comeback.

2013 Aston Martin Vanquish

2013 Aston Martin Vanquish

It seems that the people from Aston Martin were attracted to the design from the mega-expensive One-77 and they decided that they will use the One-77's design as its language to create future Astons and this new Vanquish was one of them to wear the One-77's clothing. I just noticed something, the front looks like the Virage while the back really looks like the One-77. On the interior, it does really look like the One-77 for sure and like the Virage, it no longer has a Volvo sat nav of other Astons. It comes with the one that works.

I was impressed but what about performance? The newly developed 6.0L V12 engine was now positioned lower for added agility and this time, it produces 565bhp of power and 457lb-ft of torque. That's more power than the outgoing DBS or the V12 Vantage but top speed is now 183mph, less than the DBS' top speed. Never mind about that but the transmission is now a 6-speed paddle shift transmission.

What's also clever is that the new Vanquish is the first Aston to come with launch control. Push it, turn the TCS off, build the revs and when the light is green, you'll be ready to yell GERONIMO through a loud haler. 

This new model marks the new chapter of Aston Martin's history and while this carmaker is gearing for its centennial anniversary next year, this new Vanquish became an omen, a sign that warns us that it is coming. However, the new Vanquish really has a noble heart that can perform better and as delicate as a piano concerto. By making it better, this is the best Aston I have ever seen in my life. I would gladly ditch the DBS and the V12 Vantage in favor of this car.

Photo: Aston Martin