When it comes to flagships, Aston Martin has set a bit of a pattern recently: the original Vanquish was released in 2001 and was replaced by the DBS in 2007. This, in turn, was replaced by another Vanquish in 2012, which then gave way to the DBS Superleggera in 2018.
Now the Vanquish name is back at the top again with the launch of the model that replaces the Superleggera in Aston Martin's line up, and it certainly lives up to its name by being the fastest and most powerful Aston Martin to enter series production.
Unlike the DBS Superleggera, which was basically an extensively modified DB11 V12, the new Vanquish is actually an entirely different car to the current DB12, with a totally new body, different styling and its own version (it has a longer wheelbase) of Aston Martin's VH platform that the Vantage and DB12 use.
The Vanquish is also powered by a new 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 engine that pumps out a frankly ridiculous 614kW of power and 1000Nm of torque. Yes, you read that right, a thousand newton metres.
It will hammer the 1744kg coupe to the legal New Zealand speed limit in 3.2 seconds. And, yes, it will make a characteristically silky/savage V12 shriek while it does it too. Well, to a degree, at least, but more on that soon.
Aston's decision to not only keep the V12 alive as the rest of the motoring world leans increasingly into electrification, but also double down by developing a new one for the Vanquish means it has chosen to keep the V12 exclusively for the Vanquish "and above", which means no V12 Vantage or DB12 in the future, although it has left the door open for a few tiny runs of stratospherically priced limited editions like the Valour, Valiant and Vulcan.
It may have the same displacement as the Superleggera's V12, but Aston says literally nothing is carried over from the old engine and it will see the V12 survive until "at least the end of the decade".
Like all turbo V engines, the Aston’s V12 howl is slightly muted by the two turbos bolted to it and, whereas a naturally aspirated 12 will shriek like a banshee, the turbo version has more of a guttural roar. It still rises to an extremely aggressive and satisfyingly angry howl, but it never quite makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand to attention the way a naturally-aspirated V12 will.
Keep your foot in and the savage howl rises in pitch, while the brutal acceleration piles on.
What will do that, however, is the way it delivers its power. The Vanquish’s acceleration is best described as “startlingly savage and utterly unrelenting” - nail the throttle from a standstill (or any speed, for that matter) and it will aggressively leap forward, the rear end cheekily squirming around as you get hammered back in your seat and the horizon rushes towards you at an alarming rate.
This is the “startlingly savage” part. But it is the “utterly unrelenting” part that is easily the single most hair raising thing about the Vanquish.
While it accelerates much like a hyper-powerful EV from low speeds, it has something that EVs simply don’t have, and that is a remarkable ability to keep delivering that blatantly unnecessary punch as the speed increases.
Keep your foot in and the savage howl rises in pitch, while the brutal acceleration piles on. One silky smooth gear shift later and it all happens again, and simply keeps happening until you run out of gears or, far more likely, run out of bravery.
A lot of this is due to the huge 1000Nm of torque that peaks at 2500rpm and stays at that peak until 5000rpm, but the new "Boost Reserve" system deserves a nod for its part in the relentless power too. According to Aston Martin the system “increases turbo boost pressure above what would normally be required for any given part-throttle position, so it is ready to go when full power is needed.” The net result of this is that it almost entirely eliminates turbo lag and allows the engine to respond to throttle inputs with startling eagerness, at literally any speed.
While it never exactly shrinks around you, it does possess the sort of responsive acuity that far smaller, far lighter sports cars possess.
Yes, the Vanquish is a big car. At 4850mm long and 2120mm wide (or roughly Toyota Land Cruiser Prado size) the Vanquish is almost 10cm longer than the DBS Superleggera it replaces in Aston's line up, with the majority of that extra length in between the front axle and the A-pillar.
This not only allows the V12 to sit further back on the engine bay, bestowing the Vanquish with a 51:49 percent weight distribution, but also gives the occupants more leg room for all that trans-continental Grand Touring a Vanquish is expected to do.
This extra room doesn't translate into rear passenger space, however, as there is none; the Vanquish is a blatant two seater (or 2+0 in Aston-speak), with the functionally useless token rear seats in the DBS being replaced by a bracing bar and a beautifully leathered space for custom luggage.
Which is handy, because boot space has dropped from the DBS as well, with the vanquish swallowing just 248 litres, compared to the DBS's 262. This is due to the Vanquish's strikingly abrupt Kamm tail that is part of the very clever aero design that has seen the Vanquish eschew the need for coffee table-sized wings to generate massive downforce. Plus it also looks fantastic.
Out on narrow Sardinian roads you are always painfully aware of the Vanquish's width thanks to those gorgeous, swooping lines that look sensational, but do make it hard to tell quite where the extremities are. And while it never exactly shrinks around you, it does possess the sort of responsive acuity that far smaller, far lighter sports cars possess.
If this were to turn out to be Aston's last V12, it would certainly be a hell of a high to go out on.
It’s not a 911, but it's certainly not a Bentley Continental GT either, weighing just 1744kg compared to the big Bentley's considerably porkier near-2.5 tonnes. It is, however, heftier than its nearest competitor, the equally new Ferrari 12Cilindri that clocks in at a mere 1560kg.
The Vanquish features the expected range of driving modes (GT, Sport and Sport+) that change its character to a surprisingly noticeable degree with GT being the softest with the most relaxed power delivery, while Sport makes the suspension firmer and the power more instant, while also letting more of the V12’s song into the cabin. Sport+ takes things even further, though it’s probably a bit too hardcore for daily driving and more suited to a track day. There is also an Individual mode that allows you to mix and match settings to suit.
While the performance is truly electrifying, luxury and quality are also a big part of the rarified segment the Vanquish plays in, and fortunately it is right up where it should be, which is not something you could necessarily take for granted in an Aston Martin in the past. Even the recent past.
The interior is utterly slathered in beautifully crafted leather, with a slickly minimalist approach that features just the right mix of physical buttons and touchscreen controls. It even features a properly modern infotainment system, rather than a recycled Mercedes-Benz system, although it is still a bit slow and laggy. Still an improvement though.
There are no real options to speak of, rather Aston's Q division will work with buyers to tweak the Vanquish to their liking, something that the company says has happened for around 65 percent of orders so far.
As flagships go, the Vanquish certainly ticks all the boxes. Aston Martin refers to it as both a sports car and a grand tourer, and with all the space, luxury and comfort it offers, it certainly nails the latter. But the savage, unrelenting performance and unexpected, yet delightful agility and chassis responsiveness means it is also delivers the fun and engagement of the former as well.
Recent reviews of V12 Astons have usually echoed the same old "this might be your last chance to get a V12" cliche, but with Aston Martin doubling down on the V12's future with the new Vanquish, it looks to have life left in it yet.
However, if this were to turn out to be Aston's last V12, it would certainly be a hell of a high to go out on.
