Kiwi's new V12 Aston is magic on the track

Call it prestige. Call it style. Call it thrilling. Call it what you want.

The 2014 Aston Martin V12 Vantage S has all the elements of something different - something outside the box.

Timaru businessman Steve Lyttle has been waiting for his since June last year and it is the first of its type to arrive in New Zealand.

Lyttle's desire for the latest Aston Martin - the marque's quickest ever production car - started with an email from the company last year about the new V12 range.

"I got an email from Aston Martin and replied telling them I wanted one."

He later flew to Auckland to work with Aston Martin dealers on his bespoke specification requests.

"That involved selecting options, colours, additional colours, badging, exhaust pipes and brake calipers."

It also involved trading in his 2012 Lamborghini LP700-4 which had around 7000km on the clock.

"I liked the Lamborghini but I couldn't afford both."

The Vantage was picked up from Christchurch last month and it has already been on the track at Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell.

As a platinum member at Highlands, he has the pleasure of multiple days of fun at the park.

Lyttle is thrilled with the car and its stunning performance which includes acceleration from zero to the open road speed limit of just 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 328 kmh which, of course, hasn't been attempted New Zealand's open roads.

"You know how cars have got that magic speed?; it's amazing on the track."

"It's about having fun; since I've been a member at Highlands I find it much easier to stick to the speed limit.

"I can even sit in the car without going anywhere."

It wasn't always the glitz and glam of luxury vehicles, however.

Lyttle was 15 when he left school and went straight to work as a commercial beekeeper.

Since then, he has built up a honey export business that specialises in quality product.

"I owned trucks as a young man; I would take all the early dates out in trucks.

"The first car I had was a Morris Minor; I got hell from my mates."

He has owned four Aston Martins - three V8 Vantages and the V12. The first one featuring 400 horsepower (hp), the second, 410hp; the third, 420hp and the V12, 565 hp.

"The acceleration in the V12 is a lot more aggressive," he said.

"If you are racing on the track you have to treat them with a hell of a lot of respect; if you get up to high speed and hit a bump in the road, you will end up in a heap.

"Some people like works of art; if I could put a window between my lounge and my garage I would."

And the other bonus of owning nice cars?

"Once you own a really nice car you get to drive other nice ones because so many people are trying to sell you them"