Aston Martin Vantage V12 Valved Exhaust System (2009-2018)

The Aston Martin Vantage V12 exhaust in detail.

Slipping a V12 into the most compact Aston Martin: that is the Vantage V12, built from 2009 to 2018, with a naturally aspirated twelve-cylinder producing 517 hp and 570 Nm. A silky voice when cruising, screaming and crystalline at high revs, which the factory exhaust, calibrated for discretion, only partly delivers.

The Rog valved cat-back, also known as a valve exhaust, reveals this V12: with the valves open, the high harmonics are released and the crescendo becomes unforgettable; with the valves closed, the hushed refinement returns on demand. The twin-turbo Vantage V8 AM6 falls under another page, as do the DB9, DBS and Vanquish; your V12 Vantage is identified by its VIN before manufacturing.

Fitted with clamps and gaskets, without welding, the system takes about two hours in the workshop; the valves follow the factory control if the car has one, and otherwise the Rog remote, whose box sits in the boot.

In such a compact body, the front section housing the V12’s catalytic converters is offered under the “Manifold” option; with no turbo to exploit it, an accompanying ECU remap would only bring a modest gain, around 3 to 8%, the real benefit being breathing and voice. The most compact of the V12 Astons keeps its emissions control with the 200-cell version; the 100-cell will be accepted or refused depending on the car and the rules in your country, and the decat part is intended solely for track use, at supervised track days. As for materials, titanium takes around 40% of the weight out of 304 stainless steel for the same design, a real argument on such a lively car.