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That Aston Martin is still prepared to sell an exotic V12-engined super sports car is cause for celebration. A decade ago, few would have believed that would happen - or that the model in question would be as good as this Vanquish.
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Driving experience
You'd hope a lottery-level V12 Super GT would have a sense of orchestral theatre a step beyond the turbo V8s of slightly lesser Super Sports cars. This one does. The 5.2-litre capacity beneath the bonnet is the same as that used in the V12 of this Vanquish model's DBS Superleggera predecessor (there's the same bore and stroke too). But there the comparisons end. Gaydon turned to Grantham-based Autocraft Solutions to make them a V12 for a new era, so for this one everything's been re-designed - block, conrods, cylinder heads, camshafts, fuel injectors and turbochargers, all mated to a ZF 8-speed automatic re-designed to take the astonishing reserves of torque (1,000Nm of it).
And power; 824bhp at a roaring 6,500rpm which (in case you're wondering) is 5bhp more than the rival Ferrari 12 Cilindri. Performance of course is shattering, with the 0-62mph sprint time quoted at 3.3s, though it would probably be less if the rear tyres could properly deploy the prodigious reserves of thrust in second and third gear. Top speed is 214mph and this will seem quite attainable if you're ever able to edge towards it on a track or perhaps (more bravely) on a de-restricted section of autobahn.
But it's the sound as much as a speed that will stay with you after each memorable journey. The V12 is a constant burbling companion throughout the rev range, even in the standard 'GT' drive mode setting, but in 'Sport' and 'Sport+', it goes from caressing your ear drums to thoroughly engaging them, especially if you pay the extra for the optional titanium version of the sports exhaust.
Aston knew some time ago that it was never going to truly get on terms with Ferrari by continuing to be merely a British Bentley, so continuing the trend started by the company's first Stroll-era sports car, the V8-engined DB12, the Vanquish takes a step further towards McLaren and Lamborghini in its design fundamentals, though without relinquishing the Super Tourer capability that must remain in the DNA of every Aston. To this end, the designers claim a 75% increase in lateral stiffness for the bonded aluminium structure compared to the old DBS Superleggera. And to make the speed seem more explosive, there's a new 'Boost Reserve' function for quick overtakes. Torque delivery has apparently been 'shaped' to resemble an artillery shell leaving a barrel; when all 1,000Nm of it is harnessed, your get a sensational feeling of speed from 2,500 to 5,000rpm.
As you'd expect, quite a lot has also been borrowed from the DB12, including the Bilstein DTX adaptive dampers and front double wishbone and rear multi-link suspension. But the Vanquish is still very much its own design, with a sturdier platform, thicker anti-roll bars and wider track widths. Bespoke 325-section Pirelli P-Zero tyres work with the e-differential to try and get the power down through the turns, but Aston hasn't engineered in the kind of rear-wheel steering system you'd find in a rival Ferrari or Bentley. Instead, the Vanquish is able to detect whether you're braking hard into a corner and can then automatically apply extra pressure to the inside rear wheel.
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Design and build
If you're of the opinion that all Aston Martin sports cars look much the same, then you might be favourably impressed by this new generation Vanquish. Yes, there's a very DB12 look to the front end, with its enormous shark-like grille, but the abrupt Kamm-style tail is different and more aggressive than anything we've ever seen before on one of the company's mainstream models. There are slightly different proportions here from the DB12 too, partly because of the extra 80mm that had to be added between the A-pillar and the front axle to accommodate that enormous V12 up-front.
Opening the swan door reveals another take on Aston's new era of interior design - which, it turns out isn't very different from what we saw in the DB12, with the same screens used for instruments and infotainment. They're obviously a big improvement over the out-dated set-up used by the old DBS Superleggera; whether the whole leather-lined ambiance is quite what you'd want from a car you will be spending well over a quarter of a million on is another question. The column stalks and steering wheel switchgear may well disappoint in this regard. But then details like that never held Ferrari back. And the leather is supple, the carbon fibre trim is a quality item and the rotary controls feel good to hold.
The seats are great of course - as they should be in a GT supercar of this price, though you might think that they could be set a fraction lower to improve headroom below the standard glass roof (a carbon fibre roof is optional). Unlike the DB12, there are no tiny back seats; there is a little storage space there, but to make the most of it, you're going to need to buy some bespoke Aston luggage. The boot is 248-litres in size (down from 262-litres in a DB12) big enough for a couple of flight cases but not much more. In other words, pack light.
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Market and model
You have to wonder whether Aston Martin can really be making much money on this car. Yes, even with a list price of £333,000. After all, the production numbers will be really small - the best projection is apparently two-thirds of what the old DBS Superleggera sold in its best year - and that wasn't much. Can the sums add up here in creating an all-new car with an all-new engine? Apparently Lawrence Stroll thinks so.
Perhaps he's gambling that owners will spend big with Aston's Q bespoke division; that's a fairly safe bet. There are some really key options you need here; we'd recommend the optional titanium exhaust system which actually shrinks the unique muffler geometry of the standard quad-pipe stainless steel exhaust set-up and ups the volume and resonance frequency of the V12 howl. You might also want to consider a carbon fibre roof as an option to the standard-fit glass top. Another essential is the bespoke 4-piece luggage set. There's also a pet pack, a choice of steering wheels and you can have the winged Aston Martin badge in either enamel or black. And of course, there are a vast number of exterior colour and interior trimming choices. Including some quite lurid ones.
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Cost of ownership
Of course, anyone comfortable with blowing around £350,000 on a super sportscar is unlikely to be overly concerned with trifling issues of running cost efficiency. The big ticket cost with cars at this kind of exalted price point isn't frugality but depreciation. The relatively low production numbers being forecast will help here. If for some reason you are interested in the fuel and emissions stats, we'll tell you that this car manages a 20.7mpg combined cycle WLTP figure, though a decent range is possible from the 82-litre tank; emissions are rated at 312g/km.
In terms of eco-friendliness, you might think that you could hardly annoy the Greenpeace set more if your choice of car had a whale-harpooning gun strapped to the bonnet. Yet should you be inveigled into conversation with a bearded type, you could point out that in some ways, like any exotic Aston Martin sportscar, this Vanquish is very green indeed. There's no wasteful recycling needed here because due to its build, no recycling is needed. There's nothing to rust and nothing to decay. Look after your Aston and it will still be thrilling people in fifty years' time.
Insurance is predictably a top-of-the-shop group 50E. And servicing will be needed every year or every 10,000 miles, whichever comes first. Dealership visits of course won't be cheap, but there shouldn't be a need for unnecessary ones these days. The old Aston adage that customers could find out what was wrong (saving the brand a lot of development time, bother and expense) has thankfully long been abandoned. There's a three year unlimited mileage warranty. And these days, the asking price includes five years of maintenance too.
Obviously, hard use will result in heavy brake and tyre wear. And on the subject of tyres, the bespoke Pirelli P-Zero rubber will be fearsomely expensive to replace, so bear that in mind before you go track day showboating.
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Summary
One of the things the people behind the Stroll era at this famous British brand have done very well is to allow the company's cars to still be very much Aston Martins. Despite all the Mercedes influence. Despite all the pressure for the cars to be more like Bentleys. Or more like Ferraris. The GT ground between those two extremes is territory Aston better made its own with the DB12. And if you want the next step on from a DB12 with money no object, the Vanquish is it.
Objectively, there's not that much extra here at the DB12 doesn't already offer. But to drive, own, sit in and listen to, a Vanquish is undoubtably more of an event. It's soulful, savagely fast and in its own way just as desirably exotic and unique as any Ferrari. That was the objective for models from Aston's modern era. Met here with intoxicating elegance.
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