\u2018perfect Lamborghini\u2019<\/a>. And with due respect to the formidable Revuelto that replaced it, that might still be true today. After all, you got 780hp courtesy of an atmospheric 6.5-litre V12 that sounds like an \u201880s-era F1 car if you stoke it beyond 8,000rpm. Which is something you\u2019re going to do a lot because the Aventador encourages you to take scandalous liberties with its towering performance. Despite harnessing SVJ power, it never seeks to overawe you; until you get out, that is. In sumptuous Arancio Bruciato, even in pictures, it looks mind-boggling. And as safe a place for \u00a3750k as a Swiss bank vault.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg)
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Rolls-Royce Wraith Black Badge, 2021, 7k, \u00a3229,950<\/p>\n
Where would Rolls-Royce be without the 6.6-litre turbocharged V12 supplied to it by BMW? In a much worse place, that\u2019s where. It is very hard to claim to sell unparalleled opulence without the most opulent of engine layouts. Indeed, while its newer battery-powered models have been well received, Rolls has recently assured its buyers that the option of a V12 is going nowhere. For a perfect example of why, you need look no further than the 632hp Wraith. The Black Badge nudged torque output to 642lb ft; all the better to waft you up your tree-lined driveway. This one hasn\u2019t even cracked 7k in five years, which is pretty much par for the course. Ditto the \u00a3230k asking price.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Aston Martin Vantage V12, 2009, 35k, PH Auctions<\/p>\n
Just in case your trousers aren\u2019t equipped with pockets like the Mariana Trench, there are more affordable ways into V12 ownership. In modern terms, our recommended option is Aston Martin, not just for the availability of old Vantages, but because it simultaneously gains you access to the prospect of a manual transmission. And while we wouldn\u2019t suggest the combination is for everyone, there really is nothing so wonderfully analogue as shifting gears behind a 5.9-litre engine. This one, in Hammerhead Silver, and with just 35k on the clock, has already made its way under the PH hammer so you better act quick if you want to know why \u2018wonderful, wonderful, wonderful\u2019 was such an apt summation of the V12\u2019s appeal.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Bentley Continental GT Speed, 2014, 70k, \u00a333,225<\/p>\n
Obviously if you\u2019re hoping to access 12 cylinders on a (comparative) shoestring, the best way to do it is by abandoning the \u2018vee\u2019 bit of the equation. VW liked the concept of a W12 because it meant they could effectively fuse two VR6 engines together, the resulting 6.0-litre unit delivering all kinds of manufacturing and packaging advantages. Needless to say, it filled out the engine bay of a Bentley Continental GT splendidly, and in second generation Speed format supplied the car with 625hp. We very much like this one in Thunder Metallic – but the underlying attraction is the price, which is a smidge over \u00a333k. Considerably less than you\u2019ll pay for a new VW Golf GTI in 2026. And for three times the pleasure.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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1 \/ 6<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ferrari Monza SP2, 2022, 75 miles, \u00a33,250,000 You don\u2019t need a V12 these days to conjure up a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":712089,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[59,86,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-712088","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-technology","tag-gb","tag-technology","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/712088","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=712088"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/712088\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/712089"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=712088"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=712088"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=712088"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}