Aston Martin Vanquish
The Aston Martin Vanquish is a grand tourer introduced by British luxury automobile manufacturer Aston Martin in 2001 as a successor to the Aston Martin Vantage.
The first-generation of the "V12 Vanquish," designed by Ian Callum and unveiled at the 2001 Geneva Motor Show, was produced from 2001 to 2007 as the flagship of the marque. The concept car, known as "Project Vantage" and the first Aston Martin design wholly styled by Callum, was built by the Ford Motor Company with Indian craftsman Dilip Chhabria to display the company's vision for a future sports car to represent Aston Martin after the discontinuation of the Virage-based Vantage. The V12 Vanquish featured a carbon fibre and alloy construction, Aston Martin's most powerful V12 engine, and a design that evoked the muscular heritage of other flagship models. A specially modified V12 Vanquish was driven by James Bond in the 2002 film Die Another Day. In 2004, a high performance version of the first-generation model named "V12 Vanquish S" was introduced featuring a more highly tuned engine and a more track-oriented ride and handling. The V12 Vanquish was indirectly replaced by the DBS after 2007.
The second-generation Vanquish was introduced in 2012, based on the Aston Martin's VH platform, followed in 2017 by a "Vanquish S" with a more powerful engine and improved aerodynamics. The second-generation Vanquish was succeeded by the DBS Superleggera in 2018.
First generation (2001–2007)
V12 Vanquish (2001–2005)
The Aston Martin V12 Vanquish was styled by Ian Callum and drew inspiration from the DB-4 Zagato - projecting a more aggressive presence than Callum's DB7 Vantage. The production car closely resembled the Project Vantage Concept which debuted with a V12 engine at the North American International Auto Show in January 1998. Underneath, the car featured a bonded aluminium composite chassis with a carbon fibre backbone developed with the assistance of Lotus, an advanced independent suspension, and a V12 engine shared with the DB7 V12, albeit in a tuned form. It was available in 2+0 and 2+2 seating configurations and came only in a coupé body style.The naturally aspirated 60° DOHC 4 valves per cylinder V12 engine with a bore and stroke of has a power output of at 6,500 rpm and of torque at 5,000 rpm. It is controlled by a drive-by-wire throttle and driven by a 6-speed automated manual transmission. The Vanquish model debuted with drilled and ventilated disc brakes with four-piston calipers, ABS, with electronic brake distribution. The interior featured full instrumentation, advanced electronics, and a choice of leather upholstery with metallic details - the latter was an intentional move away from the wood trim seen in the DB7.
The first-generation V12 Vanquish was generally very well received by the motoring press receiving near-universal praise for its powertrain, chassis, advanced engineering, and design. Described as "The ultimate Grand Tourer" by Road & Track magazine
, the V12 Vanquish and V12 Vanquish S represented Aston Martin's entry into the top tier GT market. Car and Driver described the Vanquish as "worthy of the marque's heritage and a serious alternative to the top Ferrari." while criticising its cabin and interior quality.
The V12 Vanquish series would become the last all-new model to be made in Aston Martin's Newport Pagnell facility. While the traditional craft techniques had evolved somewhat from those used to make the previous generation of cars, primarily in the panel shaping, there was still a great deal of work done by hand in assembly and finishing - and each car was very time-consuming to manufacture. As such, the Vanquish represents both the end of an era as the last model assembled at Newport Pagnell - and the beginning of another with its forward-looking engineering and performance.
Its appearance in the 2002 James Bond film Die Another Day earned the V12 Vanquish the number three spot on the list of Best Film Cars Ever, behind the Minis from The Italian Job, and DB5 from Goldfinger and Thunderball. The car also appears in the video games namely ', ', and . The V12 Vanquish was recognized - along with the DB-4 Zagato - as one of the ten most beautiful cars of all time.
The V12 Vanquish was the basis of two concept cars, both shown at the International Geneva Motor Show in 2004, the Zagato Roadster and the Bertone Jet 2.
V12 Vanquish S (2004–2007)
The Aston Martin V12 Vanquish S debuted at the 2004 Paris Motor Show, with increased engine power output and slight styling revisions. The engine displacement remained at, but power increased from. Visual changes included new wheels, a slightly different nose shape, a new raised boot lid with a larger integrated spoiler incorporating the third high-level brake light, a Vanquish S badge on the boot lid and the addition of a small front splitter. As part of its improvements, the Vanquish S had a slightly improved , with help from a redesigned splitter and boot lid along with an increased top speed of Its front and rear track measured and, respectively.The car also incorporated the features of an optional Sports Dynamic Package, which incorporated stiffer but sportier suspension, steering, and brakes. This model was sold for 2005 and 2006 model years in the United States with only minor changes; it was not sold in the United States for the 2007 model year.
The Vanquish S has larger brakes than the V12 Vanquish; front discs with six-piston calipers and rear discs with four-piston calipers.
End of production
The end of the Vanquish's production run was celebrated with the Vanquish S Ultimate Edition. Aston Martin announced that the last 50 cars built would have a new 'Ultimate Black' exterior colour, upgraded interior, and personalised sill plaques.The production of the V12 Vanquish ended on 19 July 2007, coinciding with the closing of the company's Newport Pagnell factory after 49 years of operation. Despite the high enthusiasm for the Vanquish, the hand made nature of their construction limited production to levels commensurate with earlier cars assembled at Newport Pagnell.
Technical specifications
| Model | Year | Engine displacement | Transmission | Max. power | Max. torque | Max. speed | Acceleration 0–60 mph |
| Vanquish V12 | 2001–04 | 6-speed automated manual | at 6,500 | at 5,000 | 4.5 seconds | ||
| Vanquish S | 2004–07 | 6-speed automated manual | at 6,500 | at 5,000 | 4.6 seconds |
Second generation (2012–2018)
Project AM310 Concept (2012)
The second-generation "Vanquish" started life as the Project AM310 Concept and was unveiled at the 2012 Concorso d'Eleganza at Villa d'Este held on the shores of Lake Como, Italy. The concept car was based on the fourth generation of the VH platform. It included a tweaked version of Aston Martin's familiar grille and headlight design and a more pronounced bulge in the bonnet – with One-77-inspired flourishes saved for the sides and the rear, the side vents run almost to the door handles, new rear light design shared with the One-77, and a 5.9-litre V12 engine that has a power output of. Aston Martin later announced that the concept would be put into production as the all-new Vanquish.Vanquish (2012–2018)
The exterior styling of the Vanquish is an evolution of the DBS with many styling cues such as the elongated side strakes being inspired by the One-77. The boot lid included an integrated rear spoiler designed to look as if it is impossible to make; this was done on the orders of the then Aston Martin Chief Executive, Dr. Ulrich Bez. The car has an exposed carbon fibre side skirt showing its all carbon fibre body. The Vanquish uses the new VH Generation IV platform which is lighter and uses more carbon fibre components than the VH Generation II platform used in the DBS.The car featured a new interior with details inspired by the one found in the exclusive One-77. The standard interior was upholstered in hand stitched leather and Alcantara and was available in a range of colours. The centre console has an revised infotainment system as opposed to the one found in the DBS. The car was available as either a 2-seater or 2+2.
The Vanquish used an upgraded version of Aston Martin's 5.9-litre AM11 V12 engine called the AM28 with a power output of at 6,750 rpm and torque of at 5,500 rpm. The Vanquish can accelerate from 0 to in 4.1 seconds, and has a top speed of. Like many modern Aston Martin automobiles, the engine is front-mounted with the transmission in the rear for better weight distribution. The Vanquish has 51/49 front/rear weight distribution, and a kerb weight of. It uses a fully catalysed stainless steel exhaust system with active bypass valves. The car uses an updated Touchtronic II six-speed automatic gearbox. It was the first Aston Martin model to be available with launch control. The combined space of cabin and a boot that, at 368 litres, is more than 60% larger than that of the DBS.
The braking system uses ventilated carbon-ceramic discs, six-piston callipers in the front and four-piston callipers in the rear. The suspension is a lightweight aluminium front subframe with hollow castings with independent double wishbones incorporating anti-dive geometry, coil springs, anti-roll bar, and monotube adaptive dampers in the front and independent double wishbones with anti-squat and anti-lift geometry, coil springs, anti-roll bar, and monotube adaptive dampers in the rear. It has a three-stage adjustable adaptive damping system including normal, sport, and track modes. The tires are Pirelli P Zeros, 255/ZR20 in the front and 305/30 ZR20 in the rear.
The Vanquish was unveiled in the London Film Museum, Covent Garden, followed by the 2012 Monterey Car Week. Deliveries to UK and Continental Europe began in late 2012.
In August 2014, Aston Martin revealed technical modifications to the Vanquish. The changes include a new eight-speed Touchtronic III gearbox and upgraded AM29 V12 engine that has a power output of and torque of. The changes greatly enhanced performance, with an acceleration of 0 to being achieved in 3.6 seconds, and a top speed of.
Vanquish Volante (2013–2018)
In 2013, Aston Martin unveiled a convertible variant of the Vanquish, called Volante. The Volante has a full carbon fibre body, triple-skin lightweight fabric roof, 50% larger boot than its predecessor and the third generation Brembo 398 mm × 36 mm and 360 mm × 32 mm Carbon Ceramic Matrix brake discs with six-piston front and four-piston rear brake callipers. The Vanquish Volante is 13% torsionally stiffer than the outgoing DBS Volante.The Volante was unveiled at the 2013 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Deliveries to Europe began in late 2013, with deliveries to the US starting in early 2014.
Vanquish S (2017–2018)
On 16 November 2016, Aston Martin announced the new Vanquish S model. The Vanquish S features the AM29 V12 engine, with power increased to, and a new aerodynamic package. The Vanquish S can accelerate from 0 to in 3.5 seconds but the top speed of. The car's deliveries started in December 2016. Aston Martin also unveiled a convertible version of the Vanquish S called the Vanquish S Volante in 2017.Technical specifications
| Model | Year | Engine displacement | Transmission | Max. power at rpm | Max. torque at rpm | Max. speed | Acceleration 0–100 km/h |
| Vanquish Coupé | 2012–14 | 5.9-litre V12 | 6-speed automatic | at 6,750 | at 5,500 | 4.1 seconds | |
| Vanquish Volante | 2013–14 | 5.9-litre V12 | 6-speed automatic | at 6,750 | at 5,500 | 4.3 seconds | |
| Vanquish Coupé | 2014–18 | 5.9-litre V12 | 8-speed automatic | at 6,650 | at 5,500 | 3.6 seconds | |
| Vanquish Volante | 2014–18 | 5.9-litre V12 | 8-speed automatic | at 6,650 | at 5,500 | 3.8 seconds | |
| Vanquish S Coupé & Volante | 2017–18 | 5.9-litre V12 | 8-speed automatic | at 7,000 | at 5,500 | 3.5 seconds |
Special editions
;Vanquish Centenary EditionThe Centenary Edition is a limited edition of the Vanquish limited to 100 units commemorating 100 years of the Aston Martin company, unveiled at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. Changes include unique graduated paint finish, solid sterling silver Aston Martin wing badges with tailored 'trans flux' enamel inlay, a special Aston Martin hallmark, leather interior upholstery from Aston Martin One-77 with contrasting silver stitching, a silver thread embroidery of the Aston Martin wings in the head restraints, solid sterling silver sill plaques individually numbered with an Aston Martin hallmark, a unique presentation box containing a number of exclusive gifts to mark the first 100 years of the company.
;Vanquish Volante Neiman Marcus Edition
The Neiman Marcus edition is a limited edition of the Vanquish limited to 10 cars named after the US department store Neiman Marcus. Based on the US market Vanquish Volante, the bespoke features of the car are designed by the company's bespoke customisation arm; Q by Aston Martin. The design was inspired by the 1969 DB6 Volante owned by HRH Prince of Wales.
The car was unveiled at the 2013 Pebble Beach Automotive Week, followed by the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show with delivery scheduled for early 2014.
;Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato
Aston Martin announced a limited series production of the Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato; the latest creation from its long-standing partnership with the prestigious Italian design-house Zagato. The Vanquish Zagato Concept was unveiled to great acclaim at the prestigious Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este at Lake Como, Italy in May 2016. The Vanquish Zagato is available in 4 body styles - coupé, convertible, speedster, or shooting brake. 99 each were built of the coupé, convertible, and shooting brake, while a mere 28 speedsters were made, for a total of 325 cars. The Vanquish Zagato features the same AM29 V12 from the Vanquish S, which has a power output of and of torque, allowing the Vanquish Zagato to accelerate from 0 to in 3.5 seconds before reaching a top speed of.