In a year full of twelve-cylinder launches the new Aston Martin Vanquish joins Ferrari and Lamborghini in showing that big engines still matter. This £330‚000 super-GT (which sits between the all-electric and old-school approaches) packs a twin-turbo V12 that makes it the quickest Aston ever built
The Vanquish name carries deep meaning at the British car-maker. First seen about 25 years ago as a concept car it became Ian Callumʼs signature design. The original version had some early problems like Ford Ka air-vents and transmission issues but went on to become a cultural icon
- Featured in James Bond films
- Name-dropped by famous musicians
- Popular among pro athletes
- Starred in The Italian Job remake
Current design boss Miles Nurnberger says: “I had that first Vanquish on my wall as a poster.“ The new cars shape mixes past and present with an 80mm longer wheelbase than before; its got old-school curved wings and modern 21-inch wheels (with copper details)
Inside its very British-GT with wood leather and real buttons – no all-screen dashboard here. The seats are big n comfy and theres a glass roof which is an Aston first. Under the hood lies a 5.2-litre V12 making 824hp with a fancy turbo system that helps it hit 214mph; itʼll do 0-62 in 3.3sec
Testing in Sardinia showed how docile this beast can be in wet mode but switch to Sport+ and its wild – the e-diff and traction control work hard to handle all that power. The eight-speed gearbox (mounted at the back) works great with paddle-shifters that move with the steering wheel
With new CEO Adrian Hallmark dealing with company challenges this cars timing is crucial. At 1000 units per year its exclusive; and with V12s future uncertain it might be now-or-never for such machines. Despite its price the Vanquish proves theres nothing quite like a twelve-cylinder motor