New £330k V12 powered Aston Martin Vanquish is its fastest ever production car
The Aston Martin Vanquish is back, relaunching with a new look, interior and V12 engine that makes it the most powerful production Aston of all time. Set to be released in October, the two-seat GT will cost £330,000 and will rival the Ferrari 12Cilindri.
The release of the new Vanquish had been teased in recent weeks on Aston Martin’s social media platforms and back in May, the brand even gave eager fans the chance to listen to its new V12 engine.
In terms of style, Aston Martin says the new Vanquish “expresses contemporary elegance through its toned physique, broad stance and fluid curves.” There’s a new front bumper with a bigger DB12-like grille and a new light signature, while the rear contains a Kamm Tail with integrated decklid spoiler, full-width diffuser and quad tailpipe.
The new design can be fully appreciated when viewing the Vanquish from the side, with its appearance much more muscular than expected from your typical Aston. The newly engineered chassis has an 80mm longer wheelbase and sits on lighter 21-inch forged alloy wheels with bespoke Pirelli tyres.
Like the Vantage and DB12, the Vanquish is built around a bonded aluminium body structure with double wishbone front suspension and multi-link rear suspension.
The headline grabbing feature of the new Vanquish is, of course, its 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 engine which keeps its place ahead of a proposed (and scrapped) V8 plug-in hybrid powertrain. The engine now produces 823bhp and 1,000Nm of torque, giving it a 0-62mph time of 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 214mph which is 15% higher than the previous fastest Aston.
Overall, power and torque have doubled on the V12 since its first use on the Project Vantage concept in 1998. How has it been made more powerful? Changes include a strengthened cylinder block, new intake and exhaust ports, repositioned spark plugs and new higher flowrate fuel injectors.
There is also a debut for the new Boost Reserve function which Aston says “allows for even more reactive power delivery, particularly beneficial for overtaking manoeuvres as well as dynamic driving”.
The ZF 8-speed automatic gearbox is paired with an electronic rear limited slip differential for the first time on a V12-powered front-engined Aston Martin. This is integrated into the electronic stability programme (ESP), allowing wheel slip to be managed across the rear axle.
Inside the two seater, leather and metal trim give the interior a luxurious feel and the centre console has been lowered to increase space. Two 10.25-inch screens are situated in the centre and behind the steering wheel controlling all infotainment, climate and general vehicle settings, while for other functions (and to the joy of many), physical buttons and dials have been chosen with Aston stressing “all key driver controls are centrally mounted, keeping the frequently used functions within easy reach.” These control gear selections, drive selection, heating and ventilation.
Aston Martin says production of the new Vanquish will be limited to just under 1,000 examples each year. Orders can be placed now with customers set to receive deliveries later this autumn. For those wanting an even more exclusive Vanquish, the brand’s Q by Aston Martin personalisation service can help create a bespoke model, although it will push the overall price far north of £400,000.
words: Mike Booth
pictures: Aston Martin