The new Aston Martin Vanquish is the flagship of the current Aston Martin range and packs a twin-turbo V12 sending power to the rear wheels only.
The new Aston Martin Vanquish is the flagship Aston Martin of the current Aston range, which carries some weight, 1,774 kg of it, in fact (dry—the weight, not the humour). The new DB12 and the Vantage are potent machines, but the Aston Martin Vanquish sits on a higher plane of existence. It is the most powerful of the lot, with 835 hp and 1,000 Nm from a 5.2-litre, twin-turbocharged V12. This output makes it the most powerful and the fastest front-engined Aston Martin ever made, considering the Valkyrie and upcoming Valhalla are both mid-engined.
We must talk about that top speed, as 345 km/h is an astonishing number whichever way you slice it. Aston Martin claim they optimised the final drive with a tall 2.93:1 ratio. This tall ratio hasn’t affected the acceleration, however, as the Vanquish vanquishes the 0-100 km/h acceleration in just 3.3 seconds. Also, the Aston Martin Vanquish is the first-ever Aston Martin to get an electronic differential that can go from a fully open to a fully locked position in just 135 milliseconds. Ahead of the differential sits the famous ZF eight-speed automatic transmission, mounted at the rear for better weight distribution, that channels the power to the rear wheels.
The engine receives some attention to help it achieve this prodigious power, and almost all the key engine components, such as pistons, connecting rods, and camshafts, are exclusive to the Vanquish, along with a new, reinforced cylinder block. The intake manifold and exhaust ports are different as well, and so is the position of the spark plugs. The new Aston Martin Vanquish comes with a Boost Reserve function that temporarily increases turbo boost. There’s an optional titanium exhaust, which shaves off 23 kg.
The design of the new Aston Martin Vanquish is unmistakable as something the people in Her Majesty’s Secret Service would immediately recognise, and the execution of an ejector seat would be easy thanks to a panoramic glass roof. Some of the body parts are carbon, as is the propeller shaft. Bespoke Bilstein DTX dampers and Pirelli P-Zero tyres round up the package.
The first-gen Vanquish was produced between 2001 and 2007, while the second-gen was being manufactured from 2012 to 2018. If the pattern holds, the third-gen Vanquish will bid adieu in 2030, by which time Aston will have made 6,000 of them at most, as they plan to make no more than 1,000 yearly.
Also read: Aston Martin Reveal the Last V12 Vantage
