Aston Martin has brought back the Vanquish name with the arrival of a new V12-powered grand tourer. A slightly belated replacement for the DBS Superleggera coupe, the new Vanquish will be a limited-production model, with fewer than 1,000 examples produced annually.
Well, that’s beautiful...
Yes. Yes, it is. Aston has given the Vanquish a glorious grand tourer design with the long nose and the cut-off tail that’s supposed to be reminiscent of Aston Martin’s Le Mans racers from the 1960s as well as being more aerodynamic. And that’s a bit of a metaphor for a design that’s supposed to be beautiful and functional in equal measure.
Flush door handles, for example, clean up the flanks both visually and aerodynamically, while there’s a wide front grille with 13 per cent more surface area than that of the old DBS 770 Ultimate, helping to cool the big V12 behind. There are bumper vents to channel cooling air to the brakes, too, and the bodywork is made from carbon fibre, which helps to keep it light.
What about the inside?
As with the DB12 and the new Vantage, Aston has given the Vanquish its latest-generation infotainment system, with a 10.25-inch touchscreen and a 10.25-inch digital instrument display, both of which work together to provide vehicle data, media, and heating and ventilation controls, albeit with the aid of physical switchgear on the dash. Aston Martin is immensely proud of the all-metal controls it uses for heating and drive mode selection, presumably for ergonomic reasons, as well as the artisanry.
Elsewhere in the cabin, there are luxurious sports seats as standard, and customers can choose more performance-orientated seats if they so wish. Aston Martin says the seating position has been designed for long-distance driving with a low centre console and scalloped door handles to provide room for the driver.
Customisation options come largely courtesy of Aston Martin’s Q configuration service, which allows buyers to make unique changes to the cabin from minor details to the full-scale production of bespoke components.
Come on, what about this V12?
Unquestionably the big deal with the new Vanquish, the 5.2-litre, twin-turbocharged V12 is the most potent 12-cylinder engine Aston has produced relative to its size. That’s partly because it has a massive 835hp and a staggering 1,000Nm of torque, which heads to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox. Such power has been made possible by numerous mechanical upgrades to the engine, including new camshafts, a strengthened cylinder block and redesigned cylinder heads, as well as new turbochargers.
The car also comes with a new ‘Boost Reserve’ function that increases the turbo boost pressure so there’s more boost available when it’s needed, such as for overtaking. And, for the first time in a front-engined, V12 Aston Martin sports car, the Vanquish pairs the eight-speed ZF gearbox with an electronic rear limited-slip differential, which manages the power heading to the wheels. By locking and opening in 135 milliseconds, the differential can ensure greater agility in low- and medium-speed corners and greater control when the car oversteers.
Oversteer? This sounds like a track-orientated supercar, not a grand tourer...
It does, and there’s more. Aston Martin has also fitted clever dampers and suspension tuning to give the car greater “bandwidth” and body control, while there are three driving modes for controlling the characteristics. GT mode is standard and is designed for a balance of comfort and handling, but there’s a Sport mode and a Sport+ setting for sharper responses.
At the same time, Aston Martin has fitted the Vanquish with a set of carbon-ceramic brakes, bigger anti-roll bars and a stiffer body structure, as well as a recalibrated steering system designed for greater feedback and precision. And it all works with a new electronic stability control system, designed to avoid abrupt interventions while providing maximum support and safety for the driver. There’s a fresh anti-lock braking system, too, and something called Corner Braking 2.0. That means the car can control rear braking to improve turn-in in corners and allow the driver to brake later without sacrificing stability.
As if that wasn’t enough, Aston Martin has also worked closely with Italian tyre maker Pirelli to create bespoke summer and winter tyres in which to wrap the 21-inch forged alloy wheels.
So when will it go on sale?
Aston Martin is taking orders for the new Vanquish now, but the first customer cars won’t be delivered until the tail end of this year. And with limited production, the allocation for the coming year’s examples is expected to sell out fairly quickly. Give Charles Hurst Aston Martin in Belfast a call if you’re interested.