How can you resist this beauty?
Jack Rix at Automobile Magazine took the new, highly anticipated Aston Martin Vanquish out for a first drive recently and the replacement for the Aston Martin DBS is stunning. Exactly what you would come expect from Aston Martin.
The shame of this Aston Martin Vanquish is the timing; the announcement was just a bit late for it to be squeezed into the next James Bond flick coming out later this year. This Vanquish would fit right in with the rest of the fabulous Bond cars.
In many ways the Aston Martin Vanquish is entirely different from the DBS is replaces; it has an all carbon-fiber skin for starters (not even the One-77 or V12 Zagato gets that), then there’s the redesigned interior and an extra 55 hp under the hood. At first glance though it’s undeniably similar; there’s a V-12 engine out front, it has classic 2+2 coupe proportions, there are vents on the hood and a familiar Aston grille.
The rich, multi-layered V-12 exhaust note is glorious – especially when you engage Sport mode and open up the baffles permanently. The flair of revs and sharp bark when you start the engine up is sure to get your neighbour’s attention though
Despite the full carbon fiber skin, plus carbon used for parts of the bonded aluminium chassis, the Vanquish only weighs 1kg less than the DBS. Any savings are cancelled out by extras like the new infotainment system and bigger carbon-ceramic brakes. Which is a disappointment to say the least. Ok, so the carbon skin means more of the mass is concentrated within the wheelbase, but 1kg? Have a good lunch and even that will be scrubbed out.
The Vanquish employs some quite sensational design, exquisite craftsmanship and future-proof materials, but when all’s said and done it ends up back where it started. And yet despite knowing it’s a DBS in a fancy carbon-fiber frock, I want one. I want one real bad
