The soul of an internal combustion-powered vehicle is the engine. It provides the power, but it’s the experience of that power that makes it special. High cylinder count engines tend to have the most exciting sound, particularly the V12. Ferrari V12s are known for a high-revving, spine-tingling scream. Aston Martin’s V12 has an angry roar. It’s a unique signature of this generation of Aston Martin.

By the mid-2000s, Aston Martin’s flagship model, Vanquish, was becoming a bit dated. It was time to think about what the successor would be. It was also a time of significant change at the company, with a new factory recently brought online at Gaydon, England. This new factory featured modern manufacturing processes, and the ability to produce cars in a higher volume than the old factory at Newport Pagnell.