Aston Martin V12 Vantage S at Frankfurt motor show

The Aston Martin V12 Vantage S arrives in showrooms around the world over the next few weeks, but it can be seen at the Frankfurt Motor Show, too.

With the exception of the One-77 hypercar, the V12 Vantage S is the fastest ever production car from Aston Martin; it takes just 3.7 seconds to sprint from 0-60mph.

It's equipped with the new 73 PS AM28 6.0-litre V12 engine, featuring latest generation engine management from Bosch, the car is capable of reaching 205 mph. There's 620 Nm of torque available at 5,750 rpm meaning the V12 Vantage S is as flexible as it is powerful.

• Frankurt motor show 2013

Race car technology runs throughout the DNA of the V12 Vantage S with, for instance, CNC machined combustion chambers and hollow cam shafts are prime examples of track technology feeding through to the road.

Meanwhile, it gets a new gearbox in the Sportshift III AMT (automated manual transmission), which is a major development of the automated manual gearbox that appears in the current V8 Vantage S.

Designed and engineered to exploit the full potential of the V12 engine, the new Sportshift III hydraulically actuated automated manual transmission provides motorsport-style paddle shift changes for optimum performance delivery and efficiency.

Ulrich Bez, CEO of Aston Martin, said: "V12 Vantage S may be our most extreme new sports car, but it is also a tribute to our engineering excellence. To master such formidable power, to make it usable and controllable, these are skills that are not commonly available. The engineering team at Gaydon have executed the installation of our most powerful engine in our smallest sports car with real skill."