The Vanquish is back on the books, and it’s the fastest series production car ever made by Aston Martin thanks to a roaring 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12.
The heart of the Vanquish boasts the highest specific output of any 12-cylinder Aston Martin, with 158bhp/litre, while it also turns out 737lb-ft of torque. Aston Martin says the engine is “new” but it has the same capacity as the DBS, albeit with a significant number of changes. The cylinder block and conrods have been strengthened, the cylinder heads are redesigned and there are new camshaft profiles, plus new intake and exhaust ports. The spark plugs have been re-positioned, 10 per cent higher flow rate fuel injectors are installed, and the two turbos run at 15 per cent higher speeds with reduced inertia. A Boost Reserve increases turbo pressure at part throttle, while an intelligent wastegate manages exactly how much pressure goes into the engine and enables a more rapid response when going from part to full throttle. There’s also a bigger oil cooler, developed with the company’s F1 team partner Valvoline.
A ZF eight-speed automatic transmission is linked to an electronic rear differential for the first time. Aston Martin says the e-diff can go from 100 per cent open to fully locked in just 135 milliseconds. Working in conjunction with the car’s electronic stability control system, it is said to increase agility in low and medium-speed bends, effectively “shortening” the car by making it over-rotate slightly. In contrast, during higher speed turns, the e-diff works to provide greater stability.
It takes a scant 3.2 seconds to accelerate to 60mph from rest, but the Vanquish is geared for top speed. Topping out at 214mph it’s the fastest Aston Martin outside of the Valhalla and Valkyrie. Unlike those two, overall numbers of the Vanquish won’t be limited, although production will be capped at 1,000 examples a year.
Bonded aluminium forms the chassis, which features an 80mm stretch in the wheelbase, compared to the DB12 and Vantage, but thanks to various additional structures it’s actually 75 per cent stiffer than the previous DBS 770 Ultimate. Double wishbone front suspension is paired with a multi-link rear end, and Bilstein DTX electronic adaptive dampers feature at each corner. The steering is electrically assisted, but Aston Martin has hard-mounted the column for improved feel. The 2.27 turns lock-to-lock should make for some rapid direction changes. Carbon ceramic brakes, with six-piston calipers up front and four-pot units at the rear, make for equally swift stopping, reduced fade and almost 60 pounds of weight saved. 21-inch forged alloy wheels are fitted with Pirelli P Zero tyres designed specifically for the Vanquish.
It’s muscularly handsome with the wheelbase stretch all ahead of the A-pillar so that you get that long-hood look with a minimal front overhang. Aston Martin calls it “rakish and indulgent” and who are we to argue? Although it’s very much a road car rather than a track tool, the designers couldn’t help but steal some ideas from the world of racing. The thermos louvres in the hood come from today’s F1 cars, while the Kamm Tail is a nod to Aston Martin’s Le Mans “Project Cars” of the 1960s.
The body surfacing is simple and all the more elegant for it, making the standout side strake and vent combo all the more striking. Move to the front you’ll find new matrix LED lights, a vaned grille with bigger apertures for cooling and outer bumper vents to feed air to the brakes. At the rear is a “floating” name shield framed by dramatic LED light blades, plus a mighty full-width diffuser and quad-talipipes for the titanium exhaust.
The interior looks to have been lifted from the DB12, and that’s no bad thing, striking the fine balance between tech and tactility. Yes, the main IP is a 10.25-inch screen, and yes there’s another similarly-sized center display but there are also solid metal rotary dials and proper switches for key functions. It goes without saying that everything is beautifully trimmed in leather and carbon fibre and can be almost infinitely customized through Aston Martin’s Q service. A Bowers & Wilkins 15-speaker surround sound audio system is standard should you tire of the V12’s voice.
Available to order now, Aston Martin says first deliveries will begin before the end of the year.
