THE ULTIMATE ASTON? (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

The Vanquish is the ultimate mainstream Aston Martin sportscar. Jonathan Crouch takes a look at this very special V12-engined super GT.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 42

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.

Backgroundword count: 196

In these dreary days of downsized electrification, we thought we'd seen the last of big, gloriously emotive sports car GTs with enormous throbbing V12 engines. Bentley has just abandoned its classic W12 and Lamborghini its 5.2-litre V10. But that trend was halted with the welcome appearance early in 2024 of the Ferrari 12 Cilindri. And continues with this car - groomed to be that model's arch-rival, a V12-engined Super GT, the Aston Martin Vanquish. Aston, it seems, can't resist a confrontation with the Prancing Horse, even away from the F1 track. Maranello was the main target with this Vanquish model's direct predecessor, the DBS Superleggera, sold between 2018 and 2024. And the 12 Cilindri falls directly within the Gaydon company's crosshairs here, with a model bearing a name we've previously seen used on two earlier generations of Vanquish (the MK1 of 2001 and the MK2 of 2012). Those previous generation Vanquish designs dated from a different, more troubled era. This one, in contrast, is unapologetically Stroll-bankrolled to be the mainstream flagship for Aston's model line-up. And the epitome of that combination of Rolls-Royce luxury and Ferrari performance that this British brand is so desperate to achieve.

Engines and Tech Specword count: 523

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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