Aston Martin V12 VANQUISH
Like the alien invaders in HG Wells War Of The World, the Aston Martin V8 Vantage ruled like a mighty colossus, swatting rivals contemptuously before being killed off by quite an unlikely assailant. Whilst the aliens succumbed to the common cold, it was emissions regulations that did for the Vantage. Though it was mourned at the time, its since been replaced by a car which marks a huge step forward for the Newport Pagnell company, the Aston Martin V12 Vanquish.
The Vanquish had a controversial birth. Having been given a big build up in time for its UK debut at the 2000 Birmingham Motor Show, it created more headlines by not appearing at the NEC. Apparently Dr Ulrich Bez, the Chief Executive of Aston Martin, wasnt happy with the fact that the Vanquish was using dashboard air vents from a Ford Ka. Despite the quality of the parts, he wasnt prepared for a £164,000 flagship supercar to share parts quite so obviously with a £7,000 shopping special.
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Stylist Ian McCallums elegant body design would top most peoples list of the worlds most elegant cars, and the work hes undertaken on the Vanquish adds muscle and aggression to the previously svelte lines.
"It all sounds more like Williams Formula One than clubby old Aston Martin"
Every body panel is sleek, and is constructed from aluminium with each individual panel hand-tailored to the central structure to ensure a perfect fit. The main structure itself is formed from extruded aluminium sections which are bonded and riveted around a central transmission tunnel made of carbon fibre. One-piece composite sidewalls and carbon-fibre windscreen pillars are also bonded to the central structure to form the safety cell. It all sounds more like Williams Formula One than clubby old Aston Martin and is an indicator of the investment parent company Ford has sunk into the once-quaint British firm.
Despite the attention paid to the chassis, its only fitting that the engine should receive some fettling too. Developments to the old DB7 Vantages 48-valve 6.0-litre V12 engine have generated a 7% increase in power and a 2.5% increase in torque.
Whilst its rare to encounter anybody who felt the V12 Vantage was somewhat underendowed in the power department, the 450bhp boasted by the Vanquish is a more suitable output in the current supercar climate. More suitable still is the 520bhp boasted by the £175,085 Vanquish S model that sits at the top of the Aston Martin hierarchy. Even 450bhp will propel the 1820kg Aston from rest to 60 in under 4.5 seconds before reaching a maximum speed in excess of 190mph a velocity theoretically capable of covering London to Glasgow in 100 minutes.
Do not try this, however. You will probably find Her Majestys Pleasure far less accommodating than the cockpit of the Vanquish. If these figures sound familiar, its because the Ferrari 550 Maranello was the vehicle Aston Martins engineers used as a key benchmark throughout the development of the Vanquish. Indeed the 550 was completely stripped to its component parts in order to understand what made it such a relentlessly excellent product.
Ulrich Bez is confident that the lessons learned will be immediately apparent in the Vanquish. "This is the most dynamic, technically advanced and sophisticated new model ever introduced by Aston Martin", the good doctor intoned. "It provides exhilirating performance with impeccable handling and is a true drivers car. We believe the V12 Vanquish will have the ability to continually exceed the expectations of its owner." The interior of the car is where Fords deep pockets are most apparent. Owners expectations will be continually exceeded every time they drop into the superbly crafted Connolly leather driving seat, with aluminium and alcantara trim comprising the main textures in the impeccably designed interior. Aside from a slightly underwhelming looking steering wheel, theres really not much to fault the Vanquishs cabin, and its possible to specify the car as a 2+2 or a two seater with additional boot space. If anyone can come up with a more enjoyable way to cross continents without recourse to a private jet, a hot tub and the Miss Venezuela finalists, Ive yet to hear it.
With a six-speed paddle-shift manual transmission, the Vanquish can play GT racer with the best of them, and the system can simulate a full automatic when youd rather relax and cruise. Satellite navigation is one of the options available, wired into an electronic command centre that speaks eleven languages fluently. The Vanquish approaches perfection in so many key areas that only a full performance review back to back with a Ferrari 575 could possibly show up any subjective shortcomings. As an ownership proposition, it probably exceeds the thoroughbred Italian insofar as its enjoys the benefit of chassis and electronics technology four years newer than that which underpins the Ferrari.
The only chink in the armour of the Vanquish is the lack of a full-on fire-breathing Vantage variant. Rumour had it that a 600bhp monster Vanquish could be in the pipeline. When asked, Dr Bezs kept tight lipped but his mouth betrayed an almost imperceptible grin. Its hard to see how Aston Martin could resist, especially when the foundations are as excellent as the Vanquish V12.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Aston Martin V12 Vanquish
PRICES: £164,000 on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 20
CO2 EMISSIONS: 396g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 4.4s / Max Speed 190+mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 17mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, traction control, ABS, tyre pressure sensors
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: 4665/1923/1318 length/width/height mm
