Signed, Sealed, Delivered: The V12 bears the seal of approval from Dr Andy Palmer
In a world that is becoming more conscious of the environment and emissions it seems as if the days of big thirsty V12 engines are coming to an end. Many manufacturers now opt for smaller engines fitted with turbochargers but Aston Martin appear not be following the trend anytime soon. Having said that, it does come with twin-turbos just to give a bit more punch.
In fact the firm have kicked off production of its new V12 engine which is to be slotted in the striking Aston Martin DB11which will be delivered to customers towards the end of the year. The 5.2 litre unit will offer 600bhp and 700Nm of torque, making it the fastest production DB model ever built.
The 0-62mph time is 3.9 seconds and the top speed is 200mph which puts in on par with the thunderous Jaguar F-Type SVR. The engine size may of beastly proportions but the DB11 has designed to be efficient as it features cylinder bank activation and stop-start technology. This should make it more economical…ish.
Aston Martin state the new engine opens up a new chapter in the 12 year history of the Aston Martin Engine Plant which has built around 40,000 V12 engines since the opening in 2004. So let’s say for argument’s sake each engine produced 600bhp, it means 24,000,000bhp has been produced by the AMEP – and that doesn’t even include the V8 engines that have been produced there.
Each engine is built by a specially trained technician who will see the production through from start to finish in a process that takes 8 hours. The plant has over 100 employees and the capacity to make 8,000 engines per year. Each engine moves through four different phases of production and is thoroughly tested in hot and cold conditions before it’s shipped to the Aston Martin HQ in Gaydon.
Dr Andy Palmer, Aston Martin President and CEO, commented: “AMEP is one of our great success stories and one of the jewels in the Aston Martin crown. To have the ability to design and then manufacture our own high-performance engines in-house is something very special. It gives us ultimate control of quality and that all-important character for which Aston Martin cars are renowned. I have no doubts that our new twin-turbo V12 is the start of an even greater era of success.”
