Elite Traveler Winter 2024/25

DISCOVER

by Natasha Bird Motoring

Aston Martin Vanquish: An icon reborn

“Easy does it.” In a quiet room of Sardinia’s elegant Hotel Cala Di Volpe, we’re being cautioned against overenthusiastic first contact between toe and throttle. Just a fraction too much pressure on the pedal of this poised panther will apparently lurch you into next week. Sound advice, and utterly tantalizing. To say that this car has a lot to live up to would be a drastic understatement. The creation of the original V12 Vanquish — the production version of a 1998 super-GT concept car called, perhaps confusingly, Project Vantage — was a seminal moment for Aston Martin: a radical new platform composed of its first six-speed paddle shift, a body tub of extruded aluminum (now part of the brand’s signature), an orotund 460 bhp version of a brand new V12 shared only with DB7 Vantage, and all housed in a brawny, strikingly attractive Ian Callum design. It captured hearts and minds instantly, and became something of an origin story for a bold new era of the marque. To successfully reimagine it for 2024 is not just to create a showstopper worthy of the brand’s historic nameplate, but to present a crowning glory for Aston Martin’s ultra-luxury, ultra-performance, next-era repositioning. Plus, it needs to be a decent challenger for Ferrari’s 12Cilindri and justify its punt on the market still having demand for these kinds of high-displacement, multi-cylinder combustion engines.

Among Vanquish’s inventions is something Aston has coined the ‘Boost Reserve’ system. Essentially, it’s an overly keen turbocharger that inhales and compresses extra air and stores it in something of an antechamber, building up pressure in the background for when the throttle is released and re-depressed. It’s not something you feel when the turbos are spinning at maximum velocity, but more in transient driving. Feathering the pedal through Sardinia’s serpentine hill climbs is a smoother experience, with no lag in power delivery. There’s also an economy of space over compound or sequential turbos, which is crucial when Marek Reichman, Aston Martin’s chief creative officer, is trying to craft a body of precise proportions.

It’s a noble renaissance. In the spirit of Vanquish Mk1, everything is new, including chassis, wheelbase, powertrain and external architecture. From the heads to the block to the camshaft, each element of the 5.2-liter Twin Turbo V12 has been optimized for increased power and responsiveness. The result is remarkable — the most powerful series production car Aston Martin has ever built, with a top speed of 214 mph, 0-60 in 3.2 seconds, 835 hp (160 hp per liter, excelling even Valkyrie) and torque of 1,000 Nm. Opening up the throttle in Sport mode on Costa Smeralda’s generous, empty straights feels like riding a bazooka rocket, part of your flesh forming an atomic relationship with the leather of the seat behind you.

Photos Max Earey

Justa fr action too much pressure on the pedal of this poised panther will apparently lurch you into next week