During the opening of Aston Martin’s first ever dedicated design centre in Gaydon, Warwickshire, on Tuesday 11 December, CEO Dr Ulrich Bez, surprised the audience with the unveiling of an all-new high-performance concept car based on the V8 Vantage Coupe; the V12 Vantage RS. In a nutshell, the concept features a 600 HP strong 6.0-liter V12 unit, a subtle aerodynamic bodykit while Aston’s engineers also reduced the V8 Vantage’s weight. -Continued after the jump

Specifically, the 600 HP 6.0 liter engine in the V12 Vantage RS concept features a dry sump lubrication system, tuned length exhaust manifolds, forged pistons and steel con-rods, revised lift and duration camshafts and modified cylinder heads. Peak power is achieved at 6,250rpm and peak torque of 690Nm is at 5,000rpm.

Despite the larger V12 engine, the Vantage concept’s kerb weight has been reduced to under 1,600 kg or 3,527 lbs. Among other things and in common with the recently launched DBS, the bonnet and trunk lid are moulded in carbon fiber while the concept also adopts motor sport-inspired carbon ceramic brake discs.

The result is a power-to-weight ratio of over 375 HP per ton. According to Aston Martin, the V12 Vantage RS concept is the fastest accelerating road car ever built by the company, capable of reaching 62mph (100km/h) from standstill in 4.0 seconds and 100mph (160km/h) in just 8.5 seconds.

In terms of styling, the concept features new bonnet louvres that extract air from the fully ducted cooling pack and a deployable rear spoiler that rises automatically at high speeds to increase rear down force. The front bumper also features cooling ducts for the carbon ceramic brakes and a carbon fiber splitter to balance down force.

Since the concept is closely based on the V8 Vantage coupe, Aston Martin could put the RS into a limited-run production sometime in 2008.