The New Aston Martin Vanquish Is Savage and Superb
To really understand a new car on a media drive, you need only one piece of killer road. Sometimes it’s elusive or never materializes at all. But the day I drove the new Aston Martin Vanquish in Sardinia, I found it. Truthfully, the road itself was a little narrow for the mighty new Vanquish. In fact, Sardinia itself seems too small to contain a car with this much potential. The Vanquish’s new twin-turbocharged 5.2-liter V-12 produces 823 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque, and even with a dry weight pushing 3900 pounds, the new $429,000 Super GT can stretch its legs all the way to 214 mph on a long-enough straight.
But the special road in Sardinia was not long or straight, winding itself up a hillside. The surface, bleached almost golden, was cracked and torn in places. A typical Italian mountain road, in other words. But it was when I was retracing my way back down this hill at a modest pace that I discovered the Vanquish had left its mark. Etched into each corner were deep, black lines—even the straights were lightly tattooed by P Zero for hundreds of yards. The marks grew fainter as they progressed but never disappeared. Even with the traction control left on, the Vanquish produces forces that smear and smush its rear tires into the road surface. This car is wildly fast, even in an era of wildly fast cars, possessing an inexhaustible supply of the charisma that only V-12 engines can summon.
Perhaps this was not the side of the Vanquish that Aston wanted us to discover. The day had started with a briefing running through all the changes between this car and its predecessor, the DBS Superleggera. There are many. The new Vanquish’s wheelbase is 3.1 inches longer, this stretch between the front wheel centerline and the A-pillar to give some super-extended GT elegance. The V-12 is described as being all-new, despite a shared capacity with the old motor, and an electronically controlled active differential is now integrated into the eight-speed automatic transaxle at the rear. Suspension is upgraded to new electronically adjustable Bilstein DTX dampers. This definitely isn’t just a face-lift.
Aston engineers are also keen to tell me about “bandwidth,” a word that usually makes my heart sink. Normally bandwidth is cited when a fun, engaging, and aggressive car has been tamed to be more refined and less exciting. So when company execs admit that the DBS Superleggera could be a little too exciting at times, and that the Vanquish uses its clever technology and active management to make its power delivery more predictable and exploitable, what I’m actually hearing is “dumbed down.” I approach the Vanquish hoping that the elemental personality of its predecessor hasn’t been extinguished in the pursuit of pure luxury.
Vanquish remains a big name for Aston Martin. It’s a cool word that perfectly suits the character of an all-powerful super–grand tourer. But it is also a reminder that the original 2001 Aston Martin Vanquish was very special. True, it lacked the ultimate capability of the Ferrari 550 Maranello and, later, the 575M, but the Aston looked stunning, made breathtaking noises, and was dynamically right on the money if you could forgive the snappy paddle-operated single-clutch transmission. Reviving the name is a significant step; Aston clearly thinks this Vanquish can measure up to the legacy of its predecessor.
On a cool morning in Sardinia, the new Vanquish looks absolutely jaw-dropping. The longer wheelbase creates a beautiful flow to the shape — this Vanquish balances aggression and subtlety with real grace. Because the extra wheelbase is all ahead of the A-pillar, the cabin hasn’t grown substantially over the DBS Superleggera, and unlike its predecessor, the Vanquish won’t be offered with two-plus-two seating. That seems a strange decision, but not one that will be an issue today on my solo drive.
The interior feels similar to those of the new Vantage and the DB12, albeit with many unique touches. With a palpable air of quality, it is a very nice place to be, which hasn’t always been the case with Aston products. The touchscreen also works nicely, and there are physical buttons for most key functions. It also hooks up to a smartphone easily, something no Aston managed until recently.
Any gripes? Yes, some small ones. But as this car starts at $429,000; nit-picking seems entirely appropriate. First, the steering-wheel rim feels overly fat. It suits the bristling, sharp-edged feeling of the Vantage but is slightly clumsy to hold. Then there’s the engine. There is very little to complain about here, as I’ll soon discover, but after the initial flourish of V-12 theater on start-up, the massive powerplant does sound a bit distant at low speeds. An engine this big and potent should inhabit the whole car. Instead, it can almost disappear. Bentleys are very good at melding real refinement with a constant awe-inspiring engine presence. The Vanquish could dial up that drama a little and actually increase the feel-good luxury vibes.
Even so, the Vanquish ticks a lot of Grand Touring boxes. The ride in GT mode (with Sport and Sport Plus to follow, plus Wet and Individual) is extremely supple;, the steering can feel slightly jumpy and light at first but quickly starts to seem natural, and the power delivery is transformed from the Superleggera. The torque curve is managed not only gear by gear, but also according to which dynamic mode is selected. The V-12’s ultimate peak torque can be reached in any mode, but the route to that pinnacle is manipulated to alter the perceived character. While the Superleggera was always heavily supported by its hardworking traction control, the Vanquish seems able to find much more rear-axle grip. Some of that is down to chassis tuning and the new P Zero tire, but the more linear power delivery also helps.
The downside is a subjective one. The Vanquish, although empirically quicker, doesn’t feel as overburdened with power as the Superleggera did. The old car was a wild ride and lacked the sophistication of the Vanquish; it was a monster, untamed and proud. The Vanquish moves with much more grace, the gearbox smoother and faster, the engine revving cleanly to its redline. There’s a lightness of touch and control that makes the new car feel much more of a complete sports car. But it’s not a more exciting one, which feels strange to say about something with 823 hp.
Yet for Aston, this is mission accomplished. The Vanquish is more refined, polished, and luxurious, yet in its Sport or Sport Plus modes, there is a new world of dynamic capability. Despite its size, the Vanquish almost starts to feel small, and it certainly bombards you with information, delivering great body control alongside the staggering traction. There are definitely moments when I miss the torque-versus-tire battle that the Superleggera was constantly fighting, but the Vanquish’s overall capability is close to intoxicating.
On the multilane autostrada and with the diplomatic immunity we all like to imagine we possess when driving in another country, the Vanquish is nothing short of wonderful. It sits rock steady at huge speeds, and the way it picks up, even with the speedometer deep into three figures, is outrageous. Covering distances at huge speeds would be a pleasure.
Then I hit the good road. Twisting the collar around the Engine Start button let me select Sport Plus. Pressing and holding the ESP button deactivates the stability control and brings up an adjustable traction-control function, as in the Vantage and the DB12. This defaults to 5, but can be turned up or down. The most lenient setting is 8, with 9 being completely off. I settle on 7 and start to use that immunity again. The Vanquish really comes alive.
The V-12 is so, so good, and the exhaust tuning is a work of genius. The old Superleggera was deep-chested and had a bass-heavy note. That’s gone, replaced by an almost shrieking high-energy noise that is pure supercar. It could come from a Pagani or something similarly exotic. I’m not sure a Pagani could move much faster than this either—the Vanquish is unbelievably rapid when unleashed and hooks up beautifully. But the beast within does show itself; on straight, the car gently weaves under full load, the 737-lb-ft torque peak only just being turned into forward motion. In turns, the Vanquish’s traction control and fast-acting new e-differential work overtime, managing slip with a subtlety that makes it easy to play tunes with the rear axle.
Which is why that Sardinian mountain road became a living monument to both lightly toasted Pirelli tires and the Vanquish’s murderously powerful V-12, as well as the exploitability of this luxury muscle car’s performance. This is a hugely likable car, and Aston Martin’s product renaissance is definitely continuing with its arrival.
But the Vanquish better than the new Ferrari 12Cilindri? That’s the key question in this part of the market. Now that Bentley has decided to no longer make 12-cylinder models, it’s essentially a two-horse race that, after this first experience of the Aston, feels too close to call. We need a serious amount of back-to-back testing, preferably over, say, a month or so. Location? Italy would be fine, or Europe in general—they are grand tourers after all. I selflessly volunteer myself for this task.
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