Scarily affordable V12 heroes | Six of the Best

The V12 should be a rite of passage for any PHer. Granted, it’s far from the easiest one to tick off, given how much engine there is to maintain and the sheer opulence of the layout. V12s only really come in luxurious, expensive, complex cars – and in a fashion that, say, a V6 or V8 isn’t guaranteed to. Nevertheless, it’s possible to purchase a classic V12 icon for the price of a new hot hatch, and a lot less in some cases. We’ll leave discussion of the various running costs to the forum thread. Regardless of that outcome, the Ferrari 456 remains, with its uglier 400/412 predecessor, the most affordable way into Maranello V12 ownership. Potentially this is all the persuasion that might be required: that badge, that engine, with the added bonus of Pininfarina design on top. The spec of this one is a bit sombre, but the condition is lovely and the cambelt is fairly recent. Time to get grand touring.

Though at a slightly lower price point, both 20-odd years ago and now, the Aston DB7 Vantage is a contemporary of the Ferrari that boasts much the same appeal. The design, launched in the ’90s and lasting a couple of years into the 21st century, was a knockout. Still is. The V12 engine relied on a whole lotta capacity (5.4 litres in the Ferrari, 5.9 in the Aston) for more than 400hp – and for covering great distances in some style, they’d both take some beating. This Vantage Volante, live on PH Auctions from next week, is notable for a few reasons, the first being that it’s one of the very last made: it’s a 2003 ‘53’ plate, with the DB9 appearing in 2004. Moreover, it’s covered just 13,000 miles since then, and the current owner has loved it for almost a decade. The colours are perfect, the condition impeccable and the scope for a wonderful time almost limitless.

Alright, so a Bentley Continental GT is technically a W12 rather than a conventional V12, but with so much of the appeal – power, torque, effortlessness – shared between the layouts, the big W deserves inclusion. Not least because there’d be a whole heap fewer 12-cylinder cars for sale without Bentley’s 21st-century talisman. Crewe churned out more than 100,000 of the 6.0-litres since the early ’00s, from early Continental GTs right up to Baturs, all with at least 550hp. And now from as little as £10,000 – not hard to see why it might be a car ownership box you’d think about ticking off. This Continental GTC is only a World Cup cycle older than the DB7, but could have come from a different century with its paddles, screens and flush-fitting roof. With performance of a different magnitude, too, thanks to the pair of turbos. This one is said to boast a full history, and comes with a CarPlay-enabled head unit. Smart. 

Proof that cheap V12s most certainly do exist, for those feeling courageous. Plenty is known now about the various pitfalls associated with Jaguar XJS ownership, particularly the V12, but for those that aren’t aware the best thing to do is look at an underbonnet shot. The XJS 5.3’s must be a contender for busiest engine bay ever, with pipes, hoses and lines just about everywhere. So diagnosing and fixing issues might be time-consuming. On the other hand, specialists will know these things inside and out 30 years after the last one was made, and with values having bottomed out ages ago you’d like to think it’s mostly keepers left out there. This one lived its first quarter century in Japan, and has still covered just 51,000 miles; a single owner here has spent £23,000 on its upkeep, and it’s now for sale at little more than half that. Expect to join the back of a very tempted queue. 

Talk about a clash of eras. By 1991 the Jag was approaching both its final facelift and the end of its life, launched in 1976 and soldering on well into the ’90s; by contrast, the BMW E31 8 Series had gone on sale just the year before, tasked with moving the BMW coupe further upmarket from the 6 Series and boasting such space-age tech as drive-by-wire throttle, electronic damper control and even speed-sensitive power steering. Two more different V12 coupes from 1991 it’s hard to imagine – yep, that 850 really is on an H-plate – but then that’s the joy of the classifieds. The appeal of this one extends beyond the red and the oh-so-’90s wheels, too, as there’s a great sheaf of paperwork with it, the leather still looks in fab condition, and the pop-up lights work. With a 5.0-litre, 300hp V12, for less than £30,000. What more do you need to know?

No list of great V12s for little money would be complete without a savagely depreciated ‘bahnstormer. There’s little more tempting than a large, fast, lavishly equipped four-door that’s as adept on the motorway as it is on the school run – and is now a fraction of its new price. The Germans are masters of this particular niche, and when it comes to huge engines in huge cars it’s typically hard to beat Mercedes-AMG. Not so long ago the 6.0-litre, twin-turbo V12 went in a host of ‘65 models, with more than 600hp and 700lb ft, until it was deemed a tad OTT even by Affalterbach standards. Back in 2016 this palatial long-wheelbase S-Class would have cost its first owner more than £160,000, easily. It’s now available for something like a quarter of that, complete with Burmester sound, pillows for headrests, acres of wood veneer and yards of legroom. Plus more tyre-melting V12 muscle than anyone could ever realistically need.