The Aston Martin Vanquish has been two generations of cars, and all set to vanquish the likes of Ferraris and Lambo with its new avatar said to be out in 2024. It is dubbed as one of the most badass Aston Martin sports cars ever.
The car first replaced the Aston Martin Vantage and the aging Virage series, debuting in 2001, and became one of the most beautiful sports cars in the world soon after. Designed by Ian McCallum, the first concept of the Vanquish was actually called Project Vantage and made by Ford Motor Company along with car craftsman Dilip Chhabria.
When the Vanquish V12 was officially launched, it bore a striking resemblance to the Project Vantage. It is a beautiful car, has been driven by James Bond and costs a bomb. And now, there are plans to make the third generation after a hiatus of six years.
Let’s revisit all the models that were the Aston Martin Vanquish and check out the coolest features of the supercar, that looks good but revs even better.
10 The Aston Martin Vanquish Rode On Aluminum
The V12 Vanquish looked great as it seemed to stand for all that a new millennium was bringing with it, in terms of superior design, styling, and performance. Other than the looks, the car also bore something rather special underneath.
To handle the power of that naturally-aspirated 5.9-liter V12, the Vanquish rode on a specially-made bonded aluminum composite chassis that had a carbon fiber frame that Aston Martin developed in partnership with Lotus. Plus, it boasted advanced independent suspension.
9 A Flashy Engine & Interiors
The V12 engine had four valves per cylinder and gave out a massive 460 horses, coupled with an impressive 400 ft-lb torque. No ordinary throttle could manage this which is why it used a drive-by-wire electro-mechanical technology for superior performance.
The interiors were pretty cool as well with top-of-the-line electronics, full instrumentation, and leather upholstery that was pretty plush and came with metallic accents, a deliberate step away from the wood trim in the DB7. The car looked like a streak of lighting as it ran.
8 The Four-Year Fixer-Upper
The Aston Martin Vanquish V12 came in 2001, and on the heels of its success, came the Aston Martin Vanquish V12 S. The engine for the Vanquish V12 S remained the same 5.9-liter one, but now boasted a higher output of 520 horses and a higher torque of 425.
While the 2001 model sprinted 0-60 mph in 4.8 seconds, the 2004-model shaved off milliseconds and ran the same in 4.6. The sports dynamic package rode on a beefier suspension, better brakes, and far more responsive steering as well.
7 The Third Best Movie Car Of All Times
The Minis are often known as the best-movie cars of all times, be they for their 1969 caper in The Italian Job, or the revised 2003 one. Next in line is another Aston Martin, the famed DB5 from Goldfinger and later, Thunderball.
The Aston Martin Vanquish, when driven by the suave Pierce Brosnan in Die Another Day, in 2002, became the third best movie car of all time, and later also made appearances in video games such as Need For Speed and others.
6 They Were All Handmade
Whether it was the V12 Vanquish or the more advanced V12 Vanquish S, all cars were made by hand and despite big demand and ongoing interest, the last Vanquish rolled off the proverbial ramp on July 19, 2007.
The reason was the closing of the Newport Pagnell factory after 49 long years, and since these cars were all made by hand, production had to remain limited. That said; this era of the Vanquish boasted more plastic than carbon fiber on the insides, although the upholstery was hand-stitched.
5 The 2012 Resurgence Of The Vanquish
Despite Aston Martin vanquishing the Vanquish name in 2007, it was back in 2012. And it was sleeker, cooler, and came with a rear spoiler that defied the laws of physics. This time though, it started life as the Project AM310 Concept and when finally released had dropped the V12 from its name.
At the time, the same 5.9-liter V8 came with 565 horses and 475 ft-lb of torque, and hot on the heels of the sporty sedan came the convertible, which they called the Vanquish Volante. Both went 0-60 mph in 4.1 seconds. The audio system was a superior Bang & Olufsen one for pure driving pleasure.
4 The First Vanquish To Cross 200 MPH
In 2016, Aston Martin launched the all-new Vanquish S, and the power shot up to 595 horses and 465 ft-lb torque, and in 2017, also released a convertible version of the same. This could zip from 0-60 mph in a flat 3.5 seconds and became the first of all Vanquish cars to achieve a top speed of 201 mph
The interiors were plush and had a hand-trimmed design, plus the Vanquish had a new center console with buttons that vibrates when presses. All infotainment features were integrated into the pop-up central screen.
3 All Those Special Editions
In 2013, to celebrate the 100 years of the Aston Martin company, there was a Centenary Edition of 100 Vanquish made. It came with a unique paint finish and solid sterling silver Aston Martin wing badges with an enamel inlay and looked like the crème-de-la-crème of the already vaunted Vanquish.
The interiors were pure leather upholstery and came with silver stitching and embroidery for a beautiful contrast. Each car came with a bespoke box with some exclusive gifts for the buyers that included solid silver cufflinks and a Rollerball pen.
2 And Now, The 2024-Vanquish
The all-new Vanquish shares its platform with Valhalla and Valkyrie hypercars but apparently, it's not going to be limited in production or cost millions. The engine is going to be an all-new hybrid-powertrain on a V6 engine that Aston Martin is curating in-house.
The estimated horsepower stands at 700, and experts feel that the car would be priced around $300,000. The Vanquish will also come with a bonded-aluminum spaceframe, replacing the light carbon fiber and signaling that the Vanquish will be a true Grand Tourer.
1 A Mid-Engined Model
The Aston Martin Vanquish plans to be a mid-engine model, as is apparent from the Vanquish Vision Concept that debuted at the Geneva Auto Show. Other than the 3.0-liter V6 placed behind the driver, little else is known about the 2024 Vanquish, with it rolling out in 2023.
For the Vanquish Vision, power is likely to be limited, with higher outputs expected from the other two V-cars of Aston Martin, the Valhalla, and the Valkyries. This probably would make the Vanquish at part with the Ferrari and McLarens of its time.
Sources: CarandDriver, Autoversed