{"id":68155,"date":"2025-08-16T02:18:07","date_gmt":"2025-08-16T06:18:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/v12-legends-clash-in-scotland-ferrari-12cilindri-vs-aston-martin-vanquish-in-the-ultimate-super-gt-showdown\/"},"modified":"2025-08-16T02:18:07","modified_gmt":"2025-08-16T06:18:07","slug":"v12-legends-clash-in-scotland-ferrari-12cilindri-vs-aston-martin-vanquish-in-the-ultimate-super-gt-showdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/v12-legends-clash-in-scotland-ferrari-12cilindri-vs-aston-martin-vanquish-in-the-ultimate-super-gt-showdown\/","title":{"rendered":"V12 Legends Clash in Scotland Ferrari 12Cilindri vs Aston Martin Vanquish in the Ultimate Super-GT Showdown"},"content":{"rendered":"

How Do the Ferrari 12Cilindri and Aston Martin Vanquish Stack Up in the Real World?<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re the kind of person who dreams in V12, you know that the rivalry between Ferrari and Aston Martin is more than just a numbers game\u2014it\u2019s a clash of philosophies, histories, and, let\u2019s be honest, egos. With the arrival of the Ferrari 12Cilindri and the latest Aston Martin Vanquish, that old rivalry is burning hotter than ever. But which of these super-GTs truly delivers the magic, and what\u2019s it actually like to live with either one?<\/p>\n

Why Did the Ferrari 12Cilindri Get Off to a Rocky Start?<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s address the elephant in the room: the 12Cilindri didn\u2019t exactly win over the internet at first glance. Critics poked fun at its name and rear styling, and some purists lamented that the V12 didn\u2019t sound as wild as before. But here\u2019s the thing\u2014Ferrari\u2019s design language has always pushed boundaries. Remember the 550 Maranello? It was called ugly when it launched, and now it\u2019s a classic.<\/p>\n

The 12Cilindri\u2019s breadvan tail and sharp nose are bold, yes, but they\u2019re also a statement. And while new emissions rules have tamed the engine\u2019s soundtrack a bit, what matters most is how it feels from behind the wheel. Early impressions? It\u2019s a revelation, especially as you peel off the motorway and let that V12 sing through the Scottish hills.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the Aston Martin Vanquish\u2019s Secret Sauce?<\/p>\n

Aston Martin\u2019s recipe for the new Vanquish is pure confidence. The cabin is a blend of luxury and tech, the silhouette is jaw-dropping, and the handling walks a fine line between poise and playful oversteer. It\u2019s a car that makes you grin before you\u2019ve even left the driveway.<\/p>\n

Performance-wise, Aston hasn\u2019t just caught up\u2014they\u2019ve thrown down the gauntlet. The Vanquish\u2019s 824bhp twin-turbo V12 outguns the Ferrari on paper, and its carbon-rich bodywork is arguably the prettiest in the segment. The sound? Thunderous. And for the first time, the price difference between these two icons is almost negligible.<\/p>\n

How Do These V12s Reflect Their Brands\u2019 Evolution?<\/p>\n

Both Ferrari and Aston Martin have evolved dramatically in recent years. They\u2019re now publicly traded, compete at the highest levels of motorsport, and their road car lineups mirror each other more closely than ever. Whether you want a super-GT, a super-SUV, or a road-legal Le Mans machine, both brands have you covered.<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t just about horsepower or lap times. It\u2019s about heritage, ambition, and the kind of cars that make your heart race. The 12Cilindri and Vanquish are the latest chapters in a story that stretches back decades, with both brands pushing each other to new heights.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s It Like to Actually Drive These Cars Across the UK?<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s get practical for a second. Super-GTs are meant to devour miles in comfort, with just enough edge to make a back-road blast unforgettable. On a long haul from London to Scotland, the Ferrari 12Cilindri proves itself a surprisingly refined companion. The V12 is smoother, the ride more forgiving, and the cabin more inviting than its predecessor, the 812 Superfast.<\/p>\n

You can cruise at 40mph in eighth gear with barely a whisper from the engine, and the new glass canopy makes the interior feel airy and open. The dash layout is a bit fussy, but overall, this is a Ferrari you could genuinely use every day\u2014massage seats and wireless charging included.<\/p>\n

Switching to the Aston after a stint in the Ferrari is eye-opening. The Vanquish\u2019s cabin is more lounge than cockpit, with softer seats and a panoramic roof that floods the space with light. It feels bigger and heavier, and the numbers back that up: 1952kg for the Aston versus 1806kg for the Ferrari (thanks in part to the Ferrari\u2019s pricey carbon options).<\/p>\n

Does Weight Matter When You\u2019re Chasing B-Roads?<\/p>\n

Absolutely. The Ferrari\u2019s lighter weight, shorter wheelbase, and rear-wheel steering give it an agility advantage that\u2019s hard to ignore. It\u2019s more responsive, more playful, and more precise through corners. The steering is lightning-quick, and the car feels alive\u2014almost telepathic\u2014in the way it responds to your inputs.<\/p>\n

The Vanquish, meanwhile, is more of a grand tourer in the classic sense. It prefers sweeping curves to tight hairpins, and its steering, while quick, is heavier and less communicative. There\u2019s a bit of understeer to work through before you can really exploit its balance, and the lack of rear-wheel steering makes it feel a touch less nimble.<\/p>\n

But here\u2019s the twist: the Aston\u2019s massive torque means it\u2019s always ready to surge forward, and on a long, open road, it\u2019s an absolute joy. It\u2019s less about razor-sharp dynamics and more about effortless, continent-crushing pace.<\/p>\n

How Do These Cars Make You Feel?<\/p>\n

This is where things get subjective. The Ferrari 12Cilindri is a masterclass in balance and control. It\u2019s fun, exciting, and just cerebral enough to keep you engaged on every journey. The way it blends super-saloon comfort with supercar precision is genuinely special.<\/p>\n

The Aston Martin Vanquish, on the other hand, is all about character. From the moment you fire up the V12 with its signature gargle, you know you\u2019re in something unique. The ride is a bit firmer, the steering heavier, but the sense of occasion is unmatched. It\u2019s a car you want to spend time in, even if it\u2019s not quite as sharp as the Ferrari when the road gets twisty.<\/p>\n

Which One Should You Choose?<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re lucky enough to be choosing between these two, you\u2019re already winning. Both the Ferrari 12Cilindri and Aston Martin Vanquish deliver experiences that are deeply gratifying, each in their own way.<\/p>\n

The Ferrari edges ahead with its blend of usability and dynamic brilliance\u2014it\u2019s the new benchmark for front-engined V12 GTs. The Aston, while heavier and less agile, is arguably the more traditional grand tourer, with a sense of luxury and presence that\u2019s hard to beat.<\/p>\n

The bottom line? Ignore the armchair critics. Both cars are masterpieces in their own right, and either would make you feel like royalty every time you turn the key. The real winner is anyone who gets to experience what these V12 legends have to offer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"ferrari<\/a><\/p>\n

\n Scotland is the venue for this 1643bhp V12 showdown<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

These epic new Aston and Ferrari V12s have brought a famous old rivalry back to the boil<\/p>\n

\n

The 12Cilindri<\/a> didn\u2019t have the easiest start in the court of public opinion, and not just because of its cumbersome name. \u201cThe V12 isn\u2019t bombastic enough!\u201d brayed forum posters. \u201cThe Pontiac Aztek wants its rear styling back,\u201d X-ers snarked. And on it went.<\/p>\n

Maybe they had a point. With its breadvan-ish tail and hyper-chiselled prow, the very latest Ferrari GT (styled in-house, Pininfarina\u2019s 66-year influence having ended with the F12 Berlinetta<\/a>) is provocative. Particulate filters also mean this most recent iteration of the 65deg Tipo 140 engine is indeed tamer on the ears than before.<\/p>\n

But temper your prejudices. Remember that many considered the 550 Maranello<\/a> ugly when it hit the scene in 1996. Remember also that, especially in these darkened times of the fun-car witch-hunt, it is better to have a stirring timbre than raw amplitude.<\/p>\n

In any case, what really matters today is how the \u00a3339,000 doe-dee-chee-chi-lin-dree feels to drive, and the early signs after its endless banana of a clamshell bonnet peels west off the A74(M) and we wail off into the Lanarkshire wilds are spectacularly promising.<\/p>\n

Lurking a few miles up the road is a new Aston Martin<\/a>. Unlike the Ferrari<\/a>, we\u2019ve already tasted the Vanquish<\/a> on home soil, so we know it borders on the spectacular. Ingredients: a lavish cabin, a stunning silhouette and, in its handling, a heavy-set poise that melts so sweetly into slithers of oversteer it makes you laugh out loud. It\u2019s a very modern Aston (with Apple CarPlay and all).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

It has the numbers, too. The old DBS<\/a> was outgunned by the 12Cilindri\u2019s predecessor, the 812 Superfast<\/a>, but Aston hasn\u2019t let that go unanswered, aided by the fact that, with only 1000 Vanquish examples ever to leave Gaydon, fleet emissions aren\u2019t such a concern.<\/p>\n

As such, even though Ferrari cheekily includes a 5bhp bump in its claimed 819bhp output, owing to a ram-air effect at speed (honestly, whatever next?), the Mk3 Vanquish is still more powerful. Its twin-turbo 5.2-litre V12 makes 824bhp and nearly half as much torque again as its atmospheric 6.5-litre counterpart. The carbonfibre-rich coachwork is indisputably prettier as well. V12\u2019s louder, too.<\/p>\n

No wonder Aston is so confident in this car\u2019s ability to compete that, for the first time in this sort of contest, there\u2019s price parity. The Brit is still less expensive but now by only 1.5%.<\/p>\n

Scotland, then. It\u2019s the venue for this 1643bhp instalment of an especially juicy rivalry, which comes at an especially captivating moment in the intertwined histories of these car makers. Aston and Ferrari have long been kindred, but in 2025 the synergies really are striking.<\/p>\n

Both are now publicly listed and compete in the fastest, most glamorous and most high-tech spectacle in motorsport, where not only races but also reputations are won and lost. The road car ranges also shadow one another like never before.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re fortunate enough to be on the hunt for an emotion-driven super-coup\u00e9, super-SUV<\/a> or 12-cylinder super-GT<\/a>, you can get it from Maranello or from Gaydon. And often nowhere else. When the PHEV Valhalla<\/a> arrives, we will be able to say the same for mid-engined supercars<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For the offensively rich and well-connected petrolhead, both companies also offer road-legal Le Mans-flavoured dream machines: the new 1138bhp F80<\/a> and the 1.1-tonnes-of-downforce Valkyrie<\/a> (not quite so new).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, deploying those cars\u2019 grizzled, glamorous racing counterparts in the form of the 499P and Valkyrie AMR-LMH, Aston and Ferrari only days ago battled alongside one another for outright victory at Le Mans, for the first time since 1959 (when the DBR1s of the David Brown Racing\u00a0Dept saw off a 250 GT quadruple threat).<\/p>\n

And another thing, to drive home this affinity. Until the recent arrival of Adrian Hallmark, Aston\u2019s CEO was Amedeo Felisa, who once occupied the very same post at Ferrari. We have yet to see quite such a high-profile transfer in the other direction, but who knows what the future holds? Mr Hallmark is rated.<\/p>\n

All of which is to say, if you want to compare Aston and Ferrari, there\u2019s no end of criteria. Yet the comparison that hits hardest and means the most remains Il Classico. We\u2019re talking grand tourers, especially the V12 ones. Maybe I\u2019m too romantic, but for me these extraordinary cars still define the companies.<\/p>\n

Does it matter which wins? In truth, not especially. I\u2019ll tell you now that, barring the odd quirk, both the 12Cilindri and the Vanquish offer an experience so absurdly gratifying, exciting and evocative that you would give a kidney to own either. Today\u2019s verdict is more of a gun-to-the-head affair.<\/p>\n

The drive up from London to the Scottish Borders confirmed the 12Cilindri is a milder-mannered sort than the 812 Superfast it replaces, even if the V12 has now 600rpm greater scope and redlines at 9500rpm \u2013 extraordinary for a 6496cc unit with 12,500-mile service intervals.<\/p>\n

This toning down of the format is welcome. I loved the Superfast but it wasn\u2019t a well-conceived GT. It lived in a permanent state of arousal, as\u00a0a hell-raising supercar in grand tourer drag.\u00a0It was, even among 800bhp supercars, niche.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There are strong traces of that DNA in the 12Cilindri but the new car is more laissez-faire. From cold it fires into the urgent, faintly industrial idle we\u2019re familiar with, although the din is softer and more nasal. The EPAS gearing is still lightning-quick, but there\u2019s more linear off-centre response, married to an all-round heightened sense of maturity and heft.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Get going and with stellar engine management you can even pull 40mph at a silken 1000rpm in eighth. The 12Cilindri isn\u2019t quite Porsche 911-drivable <\/a>about town but it\u2019s not far off. The cabin, with its U-shaped glass canopy panel, also feels more capacious and inviting than the road-racer 812\u2019s ever did, even if the fussy dash is obviously designed to reduce the cost of offering both LHD and RHD.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a shame, because it diminishes the cockpit feel. It can feel like you\u2019re playing Outrun with another, albeit vacant, arcade machine adjacent. Otherwise, this is a hospitable interior. In light leather it would be fabulous.<\/p>\n

During 350 miles of motorway running up to Lanarkshire, the digi-needle of the Ferrari\u2019s central rev counter rarely swept beyond 4000rpm, because it didn\u2019t need to. Peak thrust of 500lb ft doesn\u2019t arrive until 7250rpm but this engine\u2019s ability to swiftly usher you from 50-70mph with nothing more than a creamy purr in sixth is fantastically effortless.<\/p>\n

There are massage seats and wireless phone charging, and Ferrari\u2019s ever-useful Bumpy Road mode (press the red damper toggle on the manettino) remains a superbly simple way of UK-proofing the ride quality. All in, this feels like something of a reset for the front-engined Ferrari V12. And the result? On arrival, I feel reasonably rested.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re dwelling on the prosaic stuff for a moment because, in the real world, it\u2019s critical. A big part of the appeal of rarefied super-GTs resides in the fact they are still, if used properly, wonderful tools for blatting between wonderful places, with the odd back-road thrash thrown in.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hopping into the Aston while my senses are still brimming with 12Cilindri feedback is enlightening. So much light in here! At the same time, I feel more embedded in the machine, because not only are the scuttle and beltlines higher but the seats are softer and more substantially bolstered.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a neat duality. Opting for the carbon-shelled buckets in the Ferrari would give you greater support and set you an inch or so lower in the monocoque but it still wouldn\u2019t feel this natural. The Aston\u2019s cabin is a lounge-like space, and the vast panoramic roof and rear quarterlights mean all-round visibility is excellent. That is handy, because this Aston also feels leviathanic compared with its foe \u2013 more so even than its 120mm-longer body suggests.<\/p>\n

Which brings us to weight. When we put the Vanquish on the scales at Horiba MIRA, the readout said 1952kg split 51:49 front to rear, with the 82-litre fuel tank brimmed. We did the same for the Ferrari. Result: 1806kg split 48:52, with 92 litres on board.<\/p>\n

Admittedly, this particular 12Cilindri has \u00a354,754 of lightweight carbonfibre options on it \u2013 the price of an Alpine A110<\/a> \u2013 but it still undercuts the Aston to the tune of two people and does so while carrying actuators for rear-axle steering and a dual-clutch gearbox. The Vanquish has neither and, with its carbon bonnet and comparatively straightforward layout, you do wonder how it has turned out to be quite so portly.<\/p>\n

It means the 12Cilindri packs the better power-to-weight ratio, and chooses to pair it with narrower tyres, as well as a wheelbase some 185mm shorter \u2013 and, in effect, made 20mm shorter still by those steering rear wheels, aka Virtual Short Wheelbase. Full turns of the rim between the lock-stops? The Vanquish needs 2.3 while the Ferrari is done after 1.9. Right, then.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

When it comes to uncorking that V12, the 12Cilindri is now looking like it could well have more than mere \u2018traces\u2019 of Superfast DNA in it\u2026In the end, the Ferrari sails close to the wind at times but ultimately doesn\u2019t push its dynamic personality too far, as the egocentric Superfast revelled in doing.<\/p>\n

Charge down a good B-road (third gear has you covered from 20mph to 120mph, although when the shifts are this sublimely crisp, there\u2019s a joy in snagging second or fourth for the hell of it) and you will have an awareness of the car\u2019s brain whirring away.<\/p>\n

An Aspirated Torque Shaping control logic limits torque at lower revs to give the V12 delivery even greater theatre, and the rear-steer (with its single degree of motion) is plumbed into an ecosystem of sensors and controllers that govern the behaviour of both the electronic limited-slip differential and an ABS system taken from the 296 GTB<\/a>. That, despite all this, the 12Cilindri feels natural is an extraordinary feat.<\/p>\n

Your only task in the Ferrari is to ensure you dial yourself fully into the unique relationship between steering and roll. That quick rack and the suspension\u2019s manner of letting the body take a fair degree of lean means it\u2019s still quite easy\u00a0 to overdrive the 12Cilindri, especially if you have the dampers in their Bumpy Road mode.<\/p>\n

But get on its terms, building some confidence in the process, and you have a car you can lean on as hard as you like; one whose joyful ability to scythe into and grip through corners can be trusted entirely and whose subtle balance can\u00a0be precisely manipulated with the throttle.<\/p>\n

Imagine a three-dimensional cuboid as\u00a0long as the car and two inches tall, set at the height of those piercing headlights. It\u2019s within the generous vertical scope of this space \u2013 this plane \u2013 that the 12Cilindri seems to levitate: pitching, squatting, expressing itself freely\u00a0but always with sensational control and an unctuous smoothness.<\/p>\n

Here we have the pliancy of a super-saloon, the precision of a supercar\u00a0and the indulgent balance of a front-engined\u00a0GT. It is a singular experience that is fun and\u00a0exciting but also just a little bit cerebral.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The Aston can\u2019t compete with this, but then it isn\u2019t trying to. It has earthier charms, beginning with the act of sliding into a homely, enveloping, beautifully wrought cabin and firing up, with a gargling flare of revs, a burlier take on the V12 format. The Vanquish reeks of personality, and when you pull away you realise that it is very much a complementary character to the Ferrari.<\/p>\n

Still, in the interest of being thorough, there are some salient points of difference. The Aston\u2019s steering is perhaps more naturally sped than the Ferrari\u2019s but is needlessly heavier, is lighter on communication and has a somewhat oleaginous motion by comparison.<\/p>\n

The same can broadly be said of the brake-pedal feel and, unsurprisingly, the throttle response. You\u2019re never going to get as close to the action in the Vanquish as you always are in the gymnastic, transparent 12Cilindri.<\/p>\n

Perhaps it\u2019s better that way. While the Italian pitches itself into corners with perfect obedience, the Brit\u2019s endless nose takes longer to heave itself towards an apex. Before you can enjoy the lean muscle of the car\u2019s prodigious mid-corner balance, there\u2019s a thin membrane of fatty understeer you need to cut through.<\/p>\n

Whether this is due to set-up, or the lack or rear-steering in the Aston, or simply the larger front contact patch (great for outright grip, less so for poise), it\u2019s impossible to say. It\u2019s not the layout, though. Open up the bonnets and you see that, relative to the front axle, the Vanquish\u2019s block is only an inch further forward than that of the 12Cilindri, although the latter\u2019s does nestle notably lower.<\/p>\n

This agility deficit affects the way you enjoy the car. It prefers longer radii and the more methodical, demarcated approach of brake-turn-throttle, whereas the Ferrari invites you to take mad liberties in the blurring of those processes.<\/p>\n

All of this is in evidence on the morning of day two, when I\u2019m following Matt Prior, who is at the wheel of the Aston, through a slalom of bends in the pouring rain. My colleague \u2013 no slouch \u2013\u00a0subtly straight-lines the sequence, taxing the Aston\u2019s chassis as little as possible.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Fair enough; I\u2019d do the same. But right now I\u2019m revelling in\u00a0every degree of direction change the road permits, such is the alacrity of the Ferrari.<\/p>\n

And yet the Aston is just so enjoyable to be around. On poor surfaces it is routinely crashier than the delicate Ferrari, its damping feeling less sophisticated and the presence of unsprung mass seeming altogether greater, but elsewhere it has a supreme slickness \u2013 an ease that allows it to inhale big distances while entertaining the driver.<\/p>\n

Being comically over-endowed with torque has twin benefits: the sense of bottomless, latent power is itself gratifying, while actually using it in a targeted way makes the Vanquish ready to play and have fun at any moment.<\/p>\n

The performance is outrageous, too. At 8000rpm the 12Cilindri will put your stomach in free fall, but by that point the surprisingly sweet-sounding Vanquish has already disappeared up the road.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s savage, but not a savage, although both cars could forfeit a bit of their truly OTT speed for better refinement at a cruise. Focusing narrowly on big-distance travel, the Vanquish offers more, instilling a sense of wellbeing its wild rival can\u2019t match.<\/p>\n

The Ferrari counters with dynamics that take your breath away, and a new-found balance of attributes that result in it being the world\u2019s best super-GT. So sod what the armchair critics say: to drive this Ferrari is to experience a masterpiece.<\/p>\n

1st. Ferrari 12cilindri<\/h2>\n

Course-corrects the front-engined Ferrari V12 recipe and duly marries real usability with glorious dynamics. The benchmark.<\/p>\n

2nd. Aston Martin Vanquish<\/h2>\n

Hugely ambitious and in certain respects the better grand tourer but too heavy and can\u2019t live with the Ferrari\u2019s poise and precision.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":68156,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"Default","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,137],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-68155","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-featured","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68155","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68155"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68155\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/68156"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68155"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=68155"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68155"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}