The new Aston Martin Vantage has entered production. This is an old Aston Martin V12 Vantage – and 14 of them are going into production as new cars.

Confused?

Right, this is the Aston Martin V12 Vantage V600. It’s intended as a last hurrah of the old car, which, despite getting on a bit in age, is pretty much universally loved.

You see, the new Vantage comes with an AMG-sourced V8 engine. And while it will obviously be excellent, a V12 version of the new Vantage is still a long ways away.

So, to keep the fans happy, and to send off the magnificent old V12 Vantage, Aston decided to create a special edition called the V600. That’s a nod to the 600 bhp Vantage V600 that was built in the 1990s.

In this modern V600, you don’t quite get 600 bhp, but it’s close enough. The 6.0-litre, naturally aspirated V12 develops 592 bhp. That’s sent to the rear wheels via a seven-speed manual gearbox.

Apart from the gearbox, carbon fibre is the main thing that differentiates the V600 from less V12 Vantages. There’s a new carbon diffuser, a new grille surrounded by carbon, and a carbon bonnet with special holes in it that are akin to the slits found on the DB10 that James Bond drove.

Inside, there’s more carbon, the material covering the main console and the door sills. Elsewhere you get a solid aluminum gearknob, and a new type of leather for the sporty seats.

As we said, only 14 are being built, and they’re bound to sell out quick. The good news, though, is that if you still have a soft spot for that old V12, it’s still available in the Rapide and the Vanquish S.