Future and its syndication partners may earn commission when you buy through links in our articles.

Does Aston Martin Vanquish have the best car name of all time? The Jensen Interceptor may disagree, but it’s hard not to give Aston the crown, especially considering the original Vanquish was driven by James Bond.

007’s first-generation Vanquish was conveniently discontinued in 2007, after which it took half a decade for Aston to unveil a successor. That car lasted six years, then it’s another six years until the third-generation Vanquish you see here arrives. While Aston’s DB cars have arrived at a fairly steady cadence, and the last three generations of the Vantage have followed each other in relatively rapid succession, it’s fair to say that a new Vanquish is a rare thing.

Replacing the DBS 770 Ultimate as Aston Martin’s new flagship (excluding limited-edition specials like the Valiant), the 2024 Vanquish is a big deal. with DB12 and new Vantage Each one already moves Aston one rung up the supercar ladder; The range-topping Vanquish features the new Vanquish, Ferrari’s most powerful front-engine car. 12 CilindriDefinitely in sight.

Can Aston finally take the fight to Ferrari? Read on to find out.

Price and availability

Aston Martin has yet to confirm the price of the Vanquish, but it is expected to start from £333,000. This makes it significantly more expensive than the DB12; It costs around £140,000, but makes it right in line with the DB12. Ferrari 12Cilindri. Aston says it will produce no more than 1,000 examples a year in an effort to make it a bit special.

Design and interior

The first thing you need to know about the new Vanquish is that it’s tall. It’s really long. Aston has extended the wheelbase by 80mm compared to the DB12, all of which has been added between the front axle and the windshield base. This creates a nose that looks almost comically long in marketing images, but looks much more proportionate when viewed in person.

The mouth doesn’t look that huge either, being made of metal (or carbon, technically speaking), but that’s probably because the press car driven here was British and thus had a front plate to help break up the massive grille.

At the rear, you’ll find a tail not unlike Aston’s limited-edition Valor and Valiant duo; This tail is complemented by a beautiful set of LED lights and a distinctive ducktail surrounding the exposed carbon rear panel. It’s safe to say that you won’t be confusing the new Vanquish with the DB12 any time soon – and the same can’t be said for the previous Vanquish, the DBS that followed, or the closely related DB11 to both. .

Huge exterior proportions don’t mean a more spacious interior. Instead, unlike the 2+2 DB12 with child-friendly rear seats, the Vanquish is a true two-seater. The rear of the cabin now hosts space for luggage. Naturally, Aston will sell you specially designed bags so you can use every square inch of space that their designers think your kids are worthless.

The rest of the cabin is very similar to the DB12 and Vantage. Aston says the Vanquish has a lower seating position, so everything moves around, but in reality the controls are exactly where you’d expect them to be. This includes a touchscreen and infotainment system that’s a big improvement over the previous-generation system, and a center console equipped with physical buttons, toggle switches, and rollers for things like cabin temperature, fan speed, and heated/cooled seats.

This is also where you’ll find the rotating start/stop button to switch between drive modes, and behind that is the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission selector (there’s no manual option) and buttons to adjust the exhaust and suspension. and traction/stability control.

Just like the Vantage, DB12 and DBX707, the cabin is beautiful. Every surface is covered in leather or made of carbon; the seats are supportive yet comfortable, and the tactile feel of the switchgear is excellent; except for the touchpads on the steering wheel, which take some getting used to but can mostly be ignored.

Finally, standard features include a large glass roof panel and a 15-speaker, dual-amplified audio system from Bowers & Wilkins.

Performance and driving impressions

Just like the launch of the new Vantage in early 2024, Aston Martin told journalists driving the Vanquish that it is on a mission to stand out in the market. Instead of fighting companies like Porsche, Maserati and Bentley, it is now going head-to-head with Ferrari.

It’s easiest to make a quantitative argument, as the Vanquish easily produces 5 PS more. 12CilindriThat means 824 horsepower in old money, with 1000 Nm of torque (738 ft-lbs) added to it, a full 322 Nm more than the naturally aspirated Ferrari.

All this speed comes from the new 5.2-liter, twin-turbocharged V12 engine. Instead of any hybrid support, Vanquish uses a new technology that Aston Martin calls Boost Reserve. This increases the turbochargers’ boost pressure beyond what is required when the throttle is partially applied, and then holds it in reserve, ready to be turned on when the driver demands full power. The result is almost zero turbo lag.

Even without this clever new technology, such a massive V12 would never feel slow, and of course the carbon-bodied Vanquish is incredibly quick. It has a higher specific output (160 PS per litre) than any other Aston Martin V12 ever built, including the Valkyrie hypercar, and a claimed 0-62 mph (100 km/h) acceleration time of 3.2 seconds . Top speed is 214 mph.

It feels as quick as the numbers suggest, and particularly strong in-gear acceleration launches it onto the road with real power.

Yet somehow the Vanquish makes its 820-plus horsepower feel manageable, at least on the hot, dry roads of our test route. I have no doubt that this car can be quite challenging in the wet, but in optimal conditions it provides plenty of grip and traction while the extended wheelbase ensures stability. It doesn’t feel as premium as the shorter, less powerful Vantage, and offers a lot more extra performance than the V8-powered DB12.

Vanquish sounds great too. It’s loud without being obnoxious and with the ability to reach a higher pitch than I expected. Increasing the speed to the limiter means experiencing dizzying driving pleasure; If you need extra sound, a three-stage exhaust button is also available.

Or you can switch to Sport and Sport Plus modes. As in other Astons, these increases in throttle response add some anger to the eight-speed, dual-clutch transmission and stiffen the suspension. Sport Plus is best saved for the track unless you switch the suspension back to regular GT or Sport modes using the dedicated button. In my opinion, Sport mode with the exhaust on is the mode in which the Vanquish works best.

Even in comfort GT mode and with the gearbox left in automatic, the car is eager to downshift a gear or two as you accelerate, reminding you that this is a supercar as much as a grand tourer, and it stays closer to the former. more DB12 I could dream.

In addition to good straight-line traction, the Vanquish also grips well in corners. This is clearly a car that will drift to your heart’s content with the multi-stage stability system disabled, but for casual drivers like me this is a car that feels solid, with quick steering without feeling nervous and a front end that refuses to slide. being pushed out of line. Be free though, I have no doubt that the Vanquish will give its driver some serious fright.

Carbon ceramic brakes are fitted as standard, with massive 410mm discs at the front and 360mm at the rear. Aston says they reduce unsprung mass by 17kg compared to cast iron brakes, which means reduced brake fade when operating at up to 800 degrees Celsius.

The Vanquish performed well on our test route in Sardinia, but as this consisted of mostly flat roads, I’ll reserve full judgment on ride quality until I’ve driven it in the UK as well. For now, the new Vanquish looks like a potentially everyday car. A little more civilized. Vantagebut faster and – thanks to the magnificent V12 with expensive music – even more exclusive DB12.

Should I buy the Aston Martin Vanquish?

Aston Martin is really chasing Ferrari with the new Vanquish. For some buyers, this will probably be enough to reach for a credit card. I think it looks great, sounds exciting and drives very well. Even beats him Ferrari 12Cilindri When it comes to power and torque, the Italian reaches a top speed of 62 mph in the Top Trumps game.

Job done, mission accomplished? On paper yes. But £330,000 supercars aren’t always bought off their spec sheets alone. Ferrari’s place at the top of the automotive tree has been fiercely fought over for decades.

The Italian brand has a story to tell as well as cars to sell, and while Aston will always have its Bond, it now has a car (a whole family of cars, really) with industry-best performance and design to match. Then there’s the Formula 1 team, a return to the Le Mans top flight next year and another mid-engined supercar on the way in the form of the Valhalla. When we put all of these together, yes; Led by Vanquish, Aston Martin is ready to challenge the world.