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Since Lawrence Stroll took the helm of Aston Martin in 2020, he has renewed the brand’s motorsport efforts in Formula One, as well as its range of road cars. First came the upgraded Aston Martin DBX707 in 2022; Then came the DB12 “Super Tourer”, quickly followed by an all-new version of the Vantage. Now it’s time for your V12 supercar, the Vanquish, to return.
“We want it to look alive. “We want it to look like it’s been in the gym for about 24 months,” Aston creative director Marek Reichman said at its launch. “It’s like a predatory shark,” he continued before acknowledging that Aston’s latest and fastest flagship has Ferrari’s recently launched 12Cilindri firmly in its sights. Like its rival, the Vanquish goes against the hybrid and electrification trend, with a newly developed V12 that produces 824 HP (232 HP more than its predecessor) and, crucially, five more horses than the 12 Cilindri. It covers 0-62 mph in 3.3 seconds and can reach 214 mph, making it Aston Martin’s fastest production car (only the limited-production Valkyrie hypercar does it quicker).
Channeling the character of previous Vanquish models, such as the 2001 model that starred in the Bond movie. die another day and the follow-up to 2012, the new car He is both muscular and aggressive but still beautiful. Aston’s design team cites cars such as the DB6 as inspiration, as well as development racing cars from the 1960s, something that can be seen in the car’s abrupt “kamm tail” rear end. While there’s no Vanquish badge in sight, two distinctive rear lights set it apart from the rest of the range, inspired by the Aston Martin Valkyrie hypercar, a car that late Aston Martin F1 employee Adrian Newey helped design.
At the front, the Vanquish features Aston’s signature grille, designed to draw in air and help identify it on the road. Two vein-shaped carbon fiber vents sit at the top of the hood, with F1-inspired striations designed to vent hot air from the engine bay. In the flesh, it’s definitely a muscle car, and one that has hit steroids particularly hard. Despite being slightly slower to 60mph than the Ferrari 12Cilindri, the Vanquish’s acceleration remains raw and relentless, helped in part by the twin turbochargers and also Aston’s new ‘Boost Reserve’ device. On the road, it feels like an intravenous shot of power that catches you off guard. It is devastatingly effective. As Reichman says: “He’s a rogue.”
As a result, driving the Vanquish requires restraint, particularly on the accelerator pedal. In a market flooded with cars that don’t let you go wrong, the Aston keeps you on your toes. It’s not that the Vanquish lacks the same software (the car’s drive system can be adjusted up or down depending on how brave you’re feeling), but it allows for a little play before you intervene.
When it comes to the main driving modes (GT, Sport and Sport +), Sport is the sweet spot, sharpening the throttle, steering and suspension response just enough for spirited driving without sacrificing too much comfort. Sport+ is better suited to track driving, while GT is perfect for calmer highway driving. There is also a Wet mode for driving in wet conditions and Individual, which allows the driver to adapt the settings to their liking.
Given the car’s penchant for speed and theatrics, it’s easy to forget that the Vanquish was also created to be a grand tourer: a car designed to cover long distances at a good pace. While the exterior is a muscular spectacle, the interior is comfortable and spacious, as befits the expectations of a passenger car. Unlike the DB12 which sits just below in the Aston range, the Vanquish loses its rear seats, with a carbon fiber strut and luggage space taking their place. “It’s about the driver controlling the vehicle with the interior of the Vanquish,” Reichman says. “It’s about you sitting with the interior presented, so that everything is a little lower. You have more control and feel more comfortable in your environment.”
The Vanquish, which will arrive at the end of the year and will start at £333,000, sits squarely in the Ferrari space when it comes to performance and price. Aston says 65 per cent of cars already ordered have gone through Q, Aston Martin’s personalization service, so that initial figure is expected to rise considerably with some optional extras included.