Aston Martin Vanquish S   Women's view

Aston Martins Vanquish S Is The Ultimate Big-Boys Toy. June Neary Casts A Feminine Eye Over Their Stylish Play Thing

When I was handed the keys of Aston Martins range-topping Vanquish S, I was a little taken-aback by its size and obvious road presence. It was with some trepidation that I opened the drivers door and settled myself in behind wheel expecting to be overwhelmed by the shear power and bulk of this leviathan of the road. The Vanquish S delivers an amazing 520bhp from it specially modified V12 engine, yet I was pleasantly surprised just how easy this car was to drive. It wouldnt be anywhere near the top of my list of desirable cars, especially with a price tag of £177,000, yet to know that you are sitting in the cosseted luxury of the most powerful Aston Martin road car that money can buy is a privilege few will ever enjoy.

From looking such a large car from the outside, the Vanquish S is surprisingly small on the inside. Although the model I was testing had two rear seats complete with the obligatory seat belts it was hard to imagine who could comfortably use these spaces without seriously restricting the drivers or front passengers seating area. Even with my relatively short legs and my seat set forward, it would be hard for children to sit there comfortably and get their legs down behind the front seats. My view would be to accept that the Vanquish S is really a two-seater and select from the options list the additional shelving that replaces the back seats.

Storage space in this car is at a premium. Theres a glove box, central storage box and door pockets but thats your lot. The boot isnt much better either as you would require some custom-made luggage to fit into this restricted space behind the rear axle and gearbox. Opting for the additional shelving however does apparently increase the size of the boot somewhat.

The Vanquish S is marketed as having a manual gearbox with an automatic option. These options are selected, not with the traditional gear lever, but by pressing the appropriate large round button on the central console. In manual mode, gear changes are effected using paddles behind the steering wheel. A large green display keeps you informed of the gear you have currently selected and I found this very useful and easy to read.

It takes some time to get used to the paddles, but once mastered it becomes second nature.

Sitting behind the wheel of this Aston Martin, you cant ignore the over-whelming smell of leather. It is everywhere - seats, dashboard, door panels and steering wheel. I found the large central console that spills over the front of the dashboard a little intimidating at first but as I got used to the car, I began to rather like it. Located in the middle of this unit is the starter button.

Having turned a conventional ignition key, pressing the starter button unleashes the roar of the V12 Aston Martin engine. Opting initially to use the manual paddle transmission, I found it somewhat difficult to effect a smooth gear change, but practice makes perfect and I soon had the cogs swapping more effectively if not totally seamlessly. On the road, I was surprised just how easy this large car is to drive. It is long and it is wide, but from behind the wheel, it seemed to shrink and I found it agile and very manoeuvrable.

Parking is a bit of a problem as the visibility is somewhat restricted through the rear window and the large rear haunches take some judging around the supermarket car park. The rear parking sensors however were a reassuring sound as I inched my way backwards. The thing that impressed me most about the Aston Martin Vanquish S is the shear power that is available at any speed. Just a dab of the right foot and the V12 roars into life changing the engine note from a hum into a growl and propelling the Vanquish forward at an exhilarating rate.

The official sprint to 60mph is achieved in an amazing 4.6 seconds and Aston Martin rather coolly say that the top speed is in excess of 200mph. It really is great fun to drive, not least for the admiring glances received from those wishing they could be seated where I was.

At £177,000 for the Aston Martin Vanquish S, it is hard to make a coherent case in favour of value for money. This car is however what the industry terms a supercar and in this class the cost tends to be rather less of a consideration than performance or looks. For those where money is no object, the Aston Martin Vanquish S offers incredible performance to rival the best offerings from Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari and the like. For me though, not surprisingly, I found it great fun to drive if a little impractical for everyday use.

With a fuel economy figure of around 16mpg, I can see that I would quickly become a familiar face at my local petrol station.

Despite the fact that we now live in much more enlightened times and the sexes tend to enjoy equality over a wide range of issues, I still feel that the Aston Martin Vanquish S has been designed specifically to appeal to the male ego and will consequently find few female buyers. It is essentially a gentlemans carriage. Having said that though, I would have no objection to being escorted around town in the Vanquish S by my other half.