Re-visioning classic cars is big business these days and one of the companies leading the way is Aston Martin, which is offering its clients the chance to own remastered examples of things like the DB4 GT Zagato. This, though... this is a little different. This is former Aston and Jaguar Land Rover chief designer Ian Callum, under his own homonym Callum, joining forces with Swiss race team R-Reforged to have another crack at one of his past works: the first generation Aston Vanquish, built between 2001 and 2007.
Aston's full blessing
This creation is called the Aston Martin Vanquish 25 by Callum and it has the full blessing of the automotive marque itself. It's basically what Callum thinks his Vanquish could be like with a whole host of detail changes. Customers of the AMV 25 by C can either upgrade their existing car (a later Vanquish S, which launched in 2004) or have one sourced by the company. They will also be 'encouraged to play an active role in creating their unique Vanquish'.
Callum himself said: "It's rare that a designer has the chance to retell the story of one of their own cars. I've wanted to do that for some time and with R-Reforged, we could do something special. Materials and technologies have advanced, allowing us to introduce these along with new ideas that weren't feasible when the car was launched."
A 100 design changes
The AMV 25 has been through 18 months of development, leading to more than 100 design changes. Easy to spot are things like a 10mm suspension drop and custom-forged 20-inch alloys, or indeed the LED head- and taillights - but while you might spot little bits of carbon fibre here and there (window surrounds, side strakes etc) it's worth noting that the front and rear bumpers are made of the stuff, and they also increase the Vanquish's aerodynamic efficiency.
Inside, there's more carbon fibre adorning the dashboard and centre console, where there's also an eight-inch display featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Bremont, the watch manufacturer, designed the instrument cluster and also created a removable mechanical pocket-watch that can be used in and out of the AMV 25. New sports seats offer a lower seating position, while the driver grips a thinner steering wheel with revised paddle shifts. All the top-end leather trim comes from Bridge of Weir and the Vanquish by Callum has lost two of its seats - apparently, it was always supposed to be a two-seater GT rather than a 2+2, so the back bench has gone and is replaced by a bespoke set of luggage made exclusively by Mulberry.
Power hike to 586hp
Those big wheels are not just for show, as engineers worked closely with Michelin to select the optimum Pilot Sport tyres for the AMV 25's 20-inch rims. The brakes have been upgraded to the latest Aston Martin carbon ceramics, cooled by 3D printed air ducts, and race-spec hub bearings improve middle-pedal feel, claims Callum. This extra stopping power is useful, because the Vanquish's magnificent 5.9-litre V12 has been uprated from 527hp in the production Vanquish S to 586hp for the AMV 25. That's mainly down to a carbon induction system (slobber!) and a new exhaust. The AMV 25 is a manual as standard, but a six-speed torque-converter auto is an option.