When Aston Martin retired the old DBS, it was hard not to feel a certain sense of loss. After all, the front-engined V12 archetype embodied Aston Martin for the 21st century, and with a new focus on mid-engined models like the upcoming Vantage, it felt like the brand was going more Nomex boot and less brogue. It turns out, we didn’t have to worry. The Aston Martin Vanquish is back, and it’s here to raise a little hell.
Aston Martin has used the Vanquish name twice before, once on a groundbreaking GT car that laid the blueprint for 21st-century Aston Martins and once for a sharpened 2+2 that succeeded an iconic Bond car. The new Vanquish doesn’t quite stick to either of those roles, but there’s something here that’s exactly like both previous generations of Vanquish — under the hood sits a thumping great V12.
It may displace the same 5.2 liters as the V12 in the old DBS Superleggera, but with a strengthened block, stronger connecting rods, new cylinder heads, new camshafts, new fuel injectors, and new turbochargers, it’s a different animal that spits out 835 PS, which translates to 823 and a bit horsepower in freedom units. A considerable number that trumps the 819-horsepower V12 in the Ferrari 12Cilindri. Oh, and that’s before we get into the fact that the new Vanquish has 737 lb.-ft. of torque on tap, 237 lb.-ft. more than the Ferrari.
Obviously, harnessing all that torque is a herculean task, so Aston Martin’s employed the gold standard ZF 8HP eight-speed torque converter automatic transmission. That’s not game-changing stuff compared to the DBS Superleggera, but a new electronically variable limited-slip rear differential is a nice touch. Aston claims it can go from entirely open to entirely locked in 135 milliseconds, or a bit more than a tenth of a second if you want it in more comprehensible terms. Not bad. It all adds up to a top speed of 214 mph, and that ought to do nicely.
Power without control is only really good for generating enormous plumes of smoke, so Aston Martin has been fiddling with the chassis. The Vanquish sports Bilstein DTX continuously variable dampers, although it’s worth keeping in mind that this is the same technology Porsche put in the outgoing 911. Of greater interest is the non-isolated steering column, meaning no squishy rubber bits between the splines for the steering wheel and the input shaft for the steering rack. Add in thicker anti-roll bars and stiffer suspension bushings, and the Vanquish shows signs it could still be involving, even in its pursuit of grand touring comfort.
On the inside, the new Vanquish follows the suit of the DB12 by ditching Mercedes-Benz infotainment switchgear for all-new, all-Aston stuff. From a proper array of physical buttons and knobs to a beautifully integrated touchscreen that doesn’t look like a tacked-on iPad, the dashboard of this new GT looks fitting for a $420,000 car. Yep, that’s a lot of money, and while it won’t get you rear seats, it will get you a herd of leather, a paddock’s worth of carbon fiber, and available fitted luggage. Nice.
Really though, the big story here is the styling. Aston Martin’s pulled the front axle of the new Vanquish forward by 3.15 inches over the DBS 770 Ultimate, increased lateral stiffness by 75 percent, and did something it should’ve done a long time ago — change every panel compared to the mainstream DB12 little brother. Whereas the DBS 770 Ultimate looked like a DB11 that someone mostly fixed, the Vanquish looks like a different car altogether. We’re talking about features like a better-resolved side vent, a dramatic kammtail, and a new greenhouse. Admittedly, there are parts of the design that are more striking than beautiful, but the end result certainly has presence.
The Aston Martin Vanquish isn’t groundbreaking, but in a way, that’s a nice thing. Sure, progress is admirable, but sometimes change is scary. Even if most of us will never be able to afford a Vanquish, this new Aston Martin feels ready to pat you on the back and let you know that slivers of the old world will live on. More importantly, it feels like the Stroll era of Aston Martin has finally honed in on what people want — classical front-engined GT cars with freaking V12s. Let’s keep this going for as long as we can, shall we?
(Photo credits: Aston Martin)
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If I had new sports car money I’d definitely buy one over a 911 or possibly also whatever Ferrari is in that bracket. The grille is a bit much,but that is sort of normal now I guess.
That 3/4 shot is extremely pretty.
Almost everything about this vehicle is perfect. Without screens it would be perfect.
Just can’t get past the Toyota inspired grill. Why?
I’ll never own one, but I’m glad they exist. The day the last production v12 rolls out will be a dark one.
I really hate the angle on the interior picture. Everything is so far away I feel like I’m looking at it from the trunk. How am I supposed to decide whether or not I like the interior of this car I’ll never be able to afford?
I’m excited for this. The original Vanquish is what made me fall in love with Aston Martin’s and the DBS v12 was the pinnacle of that design in my eyes (hence the dream car). The DB11 and Vantage that ultimately replaced those cars were pretty in their own way but didn’t hit the way the 2010-ish era did. Adding to that was the big push for the Valkerie and other mid engines hypercars and it seemed like Aston was loosing it’s way.
But then I saw the DB12 in person and just went “Wow” I felt better. Seeing this new Vanquish… I feel excitement. Now I just need someone to buy it, drive it and sell it to me cheap in 10 years
Funny how after seeing twin turbo V12 that I knew torque would be right around the 730s because every turbo v12 stops there because the transmissions cant take more.
Makes me wonder what they could really make without a transmission limit involved.
Most engines on the ZF8HP 90/95 variants are limited to 900Nm (664lb-ft) for petrol applications and 1000Nm (738lb-ft) for diesel (due to the lower speeds on the diesel) so it looks like AML have pushed the gearbox to the 1000Nm level.
The big Bentley V8 (6 3/4L) used the same family of gearboxes but pushed to 1100Nm (811lb-ft) as this was the ultimate design limit of the input shaft on the 8HP. However, Bentley took the warranty on themselves as ZF wouldn’t warranty the gearbox. I believe that the 1100Nm limit was agreed as if Bentley went beyond that ZF wouldn’t even sell them the gearbox as it could damage their reputation if the ‘boxes kept breaking.
I think that engine could go to around 1300Nm (959lb-ft) on the dyno so this V12 probably has a reasonable amount beyond the 1000Nm level.
If Aston’s going to insist on giant grilles, I wish they’d just drop all vestiges of the DB7 design lineage, drop any semblance of grace and go full bruiser.
I’m deeply, deeply glad that Manufacturers have finally realized diamond cut and black wheels are terrible, and that bronze wheels are the correct option under all circumstances.
Mmmm DAT A**
This car is pure sex. Aston makes the most beautiful cars on the planet.
Love Astons, all my homies love Astons
Bond, is that you?
I usually don’t even bother reading articles about cars that obviously cost more than my house, but man. This looks incredible.
If you right click>open image in new tab you’ll get a nice wallpaper sized photo too.