Aston Martin Vanquish

Aston Martin Vanquish V12

201MPH

Top speed

3.6 seconds

0-60 time

568BHP

Power

£200000

Value

If the Ferrari F12 and Lamborghini Aventador have the exotic wow factor, what of Britain’s modern supercar challenger, the new gen Vanquish V12?

Well, it’s slower, less powerful, cheaper, and less showy…but, it’s also classy, utterly beautiful, easy to live with, and isn’t 201mph and 0-60mph in 3.6 seconds plenty fast enough?

It doesn’t have the mega bucks of Fiat or VW behind it like its Italian challengers, and one wonders just what Aston could produce with more investment.

But what it has come up with is still a wonderful marriage of the traditional Aston hallmarks of beauty and performance, a Super GT but not a Hyper GT like the F12.

Launched in 2012, the first iteration of the current generation Vanquish was hampered by its 6-speed, ZF auto box, which limited top speed to only 180mph (compared to the F12’s 211mph…).

But in 2015, Aston fitted the 8-speed ZF unit, and bingo: with no other modifications the Vanquish could now top 200mph and those potential buyers now had a little less reason to cast their gazes (and cheque books) to Italy.

Aston Martin Vanquish
Aston Martin Vanquish

Jeremy Clarkson, a renowned Ferrari fanboy, was not overly impressed by the new 8-speed unit, however, claiming it prevented him from jumping into small gaps at roundabouts. First world problems indeed.

However, in sport mode, this perceived glitch was overcome. Clarkson found the Vanquish “flowing and smooth when you want it to be, raucous and mad when you don’t and utterly, bewitchingly beautiful always”.

Chris Harris, meanwhile, found that while a quick burst in the Vanquish was pleasant, it did lack the F12’s TRON-like interior or general sense of “awesomeness”.

“And so after your first exposure to the new Vanquish, you nod in appreciation, conclude that Aston has done a decent job, but that it is still so far behind an F12 that you can really only recommend one to someone who simply must have an Aston,” he added.

However, live with the Aston for a week and its brilliance starts to shine through.

“With each passing day its charms and personality shone through brighter and brighter. The steering deserves special mention ” it is superior to the Ferrari’s in every way and the chassis has a balance that allows it to work on UK roads.

“One notable aspect of this is the way other road users in the UK respond to the Vanquish ” they are almost all positive. It’s just rakish enough and visibly Aston enough to carry positive 007 connotations. “People let you pull-out at junctions. Try that in a red F12. Every time I park it, I look back at it and try to suppress a grin.”

All in all, the Vanquish is a Super GT for the classy, not the brash.

Now watch Bruno Senna taking a Vanquish for a spin in the video below.

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