When we drove the Aston Martin DB12 last year we not only discovered why James Bond has been a fan all these years, but found a grand tourer with few flaws. Striking to look at, stunning to drive, it lives up to the legacy and Aston Martin has earned over more than a century of building cars.
So what else could any Aston Martin aficionado want? Well, how about four more cylinders.
You see, the DB12 and its smaller, sportier sibling, the Vantage, are powered by an AMG-built twin-turbo V8. To call it a great sports car engine is an understatement – it’s powerful, sounds amazing and offers excellent balance at the front of the cars.
What the V8 doesn’t have, however, is 12-cylinders. And as Aston Martin knows all-to-well about its customers, they want 12-cylinders. Not all of them, in fact most are more than happy with the V8, but for a select few they want a V12.
Given they tend to be the most well-heeled buyers, Aston Martin management has obliged and created the car you see here – the Aston Martin Vanquish.
Designed to be the undisputed ‘apex’ of the range, especially now the limited-run Valkyrie are all snapped up, the Vanquish is the only V12 the British brand offers. It has been designed to specifically appeal to those buyers that love Aston Martin but have either already owned a V12 and find even the amazing V8 a backwards step or simply refused to settle for anything less than the best.
Which is understandable when you take a closer look at the engine. It’s a 5.2-litre twin-turbocharged V12, so it makes a staggering 614kW of power and 1000Nm of torque – which is simply amazing from a purely internal combustion engine.
To put that figure into context, the Ferrari 12Cilindri, the Italian brand’s rival to the Vanquish, makes ‘just’ 611kW and 678Nm from its 6.5-litre V12.
But to dismiss the Vanquish as just an engine would be unfair, because beyond the stats is a car that is nothing short of brilliant to both drive and live with. Which is surprising, because it’s imposing even standing still.
That’s in large part thanks to its dramatic design, with Aston Martin’s design team deliberately stretching the bonnet out, both for practical and styling reasons. There’s an extra 80mm of space between the front axle and the A-pillar, which has allowed the designers to really embellish the proportions.
From the classic Aston Martin grille to the almost squared-off ‘Kamm Tail’ rear, the Vanquish cuts a stylish figure from any angle. It manages to blend elements of the brand’s history with its present and gives hints to the future. In short, it’s a memorable car to look at.
This dramatic and elaborate style carries over to the cabin, where the two occupants (there’s no rear seats, just some storage) are pampered. From the leather-lined 16-way adjustable sports seats to the 1170-watt 15-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system, as well as the array of premium finishes, the interior oozes style and sophistication.
Then comes the time to press the starter button and fire the Vanquish into life.
On the surface, the Vanquish is a quintessential grand tourer – long, wide and plush – so you’d expect it to drive as such. It does, offering a surprisingly relaxed and easy experience around town.
However, what you don’t expect is when you do find yourself on the open road and you unleash some of its deep reserves of potential is a genuine sports car. The Vanquish has far more poise, agility and precision than you would normally expect from such a long and pampering grand tourer.
This would genuinely be an engaging and dynamic car to take onto a racetrack, just as much as the more obvious track-ready Aston, the Vantage. Of course, owners are unlikely to ever actually take their Vanquish to a track day (they probably have a separate car for that) but it’s nice to know it has that ability.
Of course, it’s also nice to know it has such breadth of capability when you learn the cost of the V12 masterpiece of British engineering – $737,000, plus on-road costs and any additional extras you want to add on to make it your own.
But, for those who do buy the Vanquish price is not really an issue. If it was, the DB12 that starts at $455,000 would be the obvious alternative. No, people who buy the Vanquish will buy it for the 12-cylinders under the bonnet, and the rest of the car is just a glorious bonus.
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