Enthusiast demand forces Aston’s hand: V12 Vantage coming America

Thanks to enthusiasts, the most powerful road-going Aston Martin ever is coming to the United States.

The British sports-car maker confirmed on Friday that the V12 Vantage--packing 510 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque--will be sold in North and South America.

This is a reversal from a year ago, when Aston tantalizingly showed off the car and promptly said it wasn’t coming here. Now the company says that it has no choice but to respond to the huge demand from enthusiasts to bring the car to the Americas.

Why the change in plans?

Aston had said race-style bucket seats lacked airbags and the engine was so monstrous it filled the engine bay, interfering with federal crash-test performance. Now, the company has modified the structure to meet safety requirements.

The V12 Vantage is available for order now, and deliveries are expected to begin late this year. Pricing was not announced but has been estimated at about $200,000.

The V12 Vantage has a top speed of 190 mph and can hit 62 mph in 4.2 seconds. A race-bred version is set to compete next week at the 24 Hours of N

By Greg Migliore