The Aston Martin V12 Vanquish, designed by Ian Callum and unveiled at the 2001 Geneva Motor Show, was produced from 2001 to 2007 as the flagship of the marque. A concept car, known as "Project Vantage" and the first Aston Martin design wholly designed by Callum, was built to display the company's vision for a future sports car that could represent Aston Martin's aspirations after the discontinuation of the Virage-based Vantage. The concept car evolved directly into the V12 Vanquish, and featured an advanced carbon fibre and alloy structure, Aston Martin's most powerful V12 engine, and host of new technologies. A specially modified V12 Vanquish was driven by James Bond in the 2002 film Die Another Day. In 2004, a mildly updated version of the first-generation model named "V12 Vanquish S" was introduced featuring a more highly tuned engine and more track-oriented ride and handling. The V12 Vanquish was indirectly replaced by the DBS after 2007.
The second-generation "Vanquish" was introduced in 2012, this time based on Aston Martin's existing VH platform – similar to the one that underpinned the DB9. Designed by Marek Reichman and made in the Gaydon facility, the VH platform Vanquish was designed to fill the shoes of the discontinued DBS V12. In 2017, a "Vanquish S" with a more powerful engine and improved aerodynamics was launched. The second-generation Gaydon Vanquish was succeeded by the DBS Superleggera in 2018.[1]
The Aston Martin V12 Vanquish was styled by Ian Callum and drew inspiration from the DB4 GT Zagato, projecting a more aggressive presence than Callum's DB7 Vantage. The production car closely resembled the Project Vantage Concept which debuted with a V12 engine at the North American International Auto Show in January 1998. Underneath, the V12 Vanquish car featured a unique and bespoke bonded aluminium composite chassis with a carbon fibre backbone developed in partnership with Lotus,[4] an advanced independent suspension, and a more highly tuned version of the naturally aspirated 5,935cc (5.9L; 362.2cuin) Aston Martin V12 engine that had debuted in the DB7 two years earlier. It was available in 2+0 and 2+2 seating configurations and came only in a coupé body style.
The naturally aspirated 60° DOHC4 valves per cylinder V12 engine with a bore and stroke of 89mm ×79.5mm (3.50in ×3.13in) produced at least 466PS (343kW; 460hp) at 6,500 rpm and 400lb⋅ft (542N⋅m) of torque at 5,000 rpm.[5] It is controlled by a drive-by-wire throttle and driven by a 6-speed automated manual transmission. The Vanquish model debuted with 355mm (14.0 inches) drilled and ventilated disc brakes with four-piston calipers, ABS, with electronic brake distribution. The interior featured full instrumentation, advanced electronics, and a choice of leather upholstery with metallic details – the latter was an intentional move away from the wood trim seen in the DB7.
As Aston Martin's flagship car for the era, the V12 Vanquish was designed to deliver new performance benchmarks for the company. In addition to delivering impressive figures including an acceleration of 0–60mph (97km/h) in under 5 seconds and a top speed exceeding 190mph (306km/h), the first-generation V12 Vanquish was generally very well received by the motoring press. Road tests included near-universal praise for its powertrain, chassis, advanced engineering, and design. The V12 Vanquish was described without caveat as "The ultimate Grand Tourer" by Road & Track magazine.[6]Car and Driver described the V12 Vanquish as "worthy of the marque's heritage and a serious alternative to the top Ferrari."[4]
The V12 Vanquish series would become the last all-new model to be made in Aston Martin's Newport Pagnell facility. While the traditional craft techniques had evolved somewhat from those used to make the previous generation of cars, primarily in the panel shaping, there was still a great deal of work done by hand in assembly and finishing as each car was very time-consuming to manufacture. As such, the Vanquish represents both the end of an era as the last model assembled at Newport Pagnell, and the beginning of another with its forward-looking engineering and performance.
The V12 Vanquish featured in Die Another Day (2002)
Its appearance in the 2002 James Bond film Die Another Day[7] earned the V12 Vanquish the number three spot on the list of Best Film Cars Ever,[8] behind the Minis from The Italian Job, and the DB5 from Goldfinger and Thunderball. In the movie, James Bond receives this car from Q for his mission to Iceland to see Gustav Graves' presentation of Icarus after being reinstated by M and would eventually use the car once more to chase Zao and rescue Jinx. The vehicle is equipped with a variety of gadgets which include machine guns and missiles on the grille, tire spikes for snow use, an ejector seat that enables the car to go back up, target seeking shotguns, as well as a cloaking device rendering the car invisible. The V12 Vanquish is the only Aston Martin car loaded with gadgets in the Pierce Brosnan James Bond era as the franchise's deal with BMW expired following The World Is Not Enough. It is also the last gadget loaded modern day Aston Martin car to appear in the James Bond franchise until the Aston Martin DB10 which appeared in Spectre, though it wasn't loaded with much gadgets. Because of this, the firsttwo Bond films that starred Daniel Craig had an Aston Martin DBS V12 which wasn't loaded with gadgets, though the one that appeared in Casino Royale had a compartment that carried Bond's pistol and a defibrillator. The car also appears in the video games namely Project Gotham Racing, Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2, James Bond 007: Nightfire, and James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing. In its appearance in Nightfire, the car is equipped with missiles, a smokescreen device, and could also transform into a submarine equipped with torpedoes. The V12 Vanquish was recognized, along with the DB4 GT Zagato, as one of the ten most beautiful cars of all time.[9] The V12 Vanquish also appears in the 2003 Italian Job remake, where it is driven by Steve Frazelli, the film's main antagonist.
V12 Vanquish S (2004–2007)
Aston Martin Vanquish S front view
Aston Martin Vanquish S rear view
Aston Martin Vanquish S interior
The Aston Martin V12 Vanquish S debuted at the 2004 Paris Motor Show, with a number of subtle styling revisions. The engine displacement remained at 5,935cc (5.9L; 362.2cuin), but advertised power increased from the conservative 466PS (343kW; 460hp) claimed for the original car to a more realistic 527PS (388kW; 520hp). Visual changes included new wheels, a slightly different nose shape, a new raised boot lid with a larger integrated spoiler incorporating the third high-level brake light (in the rear window on the original Vanquish), a Vanquish S badge on the boot lid (the original Vanquish had no rear model designation), and the addition of a small front splitter. One result of these changes was a reduction in the drag coefficient (drag coefficient ofCd=0.32 (from Cd=0.33 of the Vanquish). The Vanquish S front and rear track measured 1,524mm (60.0in) and 1,529mm (60.2in), respectively. A change in gear ratio enabled the S to reach a top speed of 322km/h (200mph).
The V12 Vanquish S also incorporated the features of the optional Sports Dynamic Package (available for the Vanquish for the 2004 model year), which included stiffer suspension, revised steering, and larger brakes – 378mm (14.9in) front discs with six-piston calipers and 330mm (13.0in) rear discs with four-piston calipers. The V12 Vanquish S was sold for the 2005 model year alongside the original Vanquish, and 2006 onward as a stand-alone model. The 2007 model year V12 Vanquish was not sold in the United States.
Special editions and one-offs
Vanquish S Ultimate Edition
The end of the Vanquish's production run was celebrated with the Vanquish S Ultimate Edition. Aston Martin announced that the last 50 cars built would have a new 'Ultimate Black' exterior colour, upgraded interior, and personalised sill plaques.[10]
Vanquish Zagato Roadster
The Vanquish Zagato Roadster is a right-hand drive, two-seat, open-top roadster initially shown by Zagato at the 2004 International Geneva Motor Show as a prototype and based on the V12 Vanquish.[11] It was then displayed by Zagato at the 2004 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance where an American collector acquired the prototype. The car had to be flown back to Italy as it was only on temporary import papers before being properly imported to the US by a Massachusetts Aston Martin dealer as a "show and display" car.[12] The car was offered at a Bonhams auction in Carmel in August 2015 at the Quail Lodge and Golf Club with an estimated price of US$700,000–850,000. The car had been driven 13,000 miles. The car's VIN is SCFAC13391B50PP19.
In September 2019, Ian Callum Design (the company started by Ian Callum, the designer of the first generation Vanquish) publicly revealed the Vanquish 25. It is a restoration package for the first generation Vanquish to "make the Vanquish the Grand Tourer for the 2020s,". Only 25 cars will be made by British company R-Reforged. The 5.9-liter V12 has been tuned to now make an advertised 580hp, a 60-hp increase over a Vanquish S. The car can be had with the original six-speed, single-clutch Speedshift automated manual, a six-speed GM-sourced torque converter automatic, or a six-speed manual conversion already offered by Aston Martin Works.[15]
The production of the V12 Vanquish ended on 19 July 2007, coinciding with the closing of the company's Newport Pagnell factory after 49 years of operation. Despite ongoing enthusiasm for the original V12 Vanquish and V12 Vanquish S, the hand made nature of their construction limited production to levels commensurate with earlier cars assembled at Newport Pagnell.
The second-generation Gaydon-built "Vanquish" (the "V12" part of the name was dropped for this generation of cars) started life as the Project AM310 Concept and was unveiled at the 2012 Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este held on the shores of Lake Como, Italy. The concept car was based on the latest generation of the VH platform that had debuted in the DB9, and then evolved into the V8 and V12 Vantage, DBS, Virage V12, and Rapide. It was internally known as project VH310.[19] It included a tweaked version of Aston Martin's familiar grille and headlight design and a more pronounced bulge in the bonnet – with One-77-inspired flourishes saved for the sides and the rear, the side vents run almost to the door handles (shared with the One-77), new rear light design shared with the One-77, and a 5.9-litre V12 engine that has a power output of 558PS (410kW; 550hp).[20] Aston Martin later announced that the concept would be put into production as the all-new Vanquish.[21][22][23]
Vanquish (2012–2018)
Rear 3/4 view
The exterior styling of the Vanquish is an evolution of the DBS with many styling cues such as the elongated side strakes being inspired by the One-77. The boot lid included an integrated rear spoiler designed to look as if it is impossible to make; this was done on the orders of the then Aston Martin Chief Executive, Dr. Ulrich Bez. The car has an exposed carbon fibre side skirt showing its all carbon fibre body. The Vanquish uses the VH Generation III platform (VH310),[19] which is lighter and stiffer than the VH Generation II platform used in the DBS.[24]
The car featured a new interior with details inspired by the one found in the exclusive One-77. The standard interior was upholstered in hand stitched leather and Alcantara and was available in a range of colours. The centre console has an updated infotainment system compared to the one found in the DBS.[25] The car was available as either a 2-seater or 2+2.[26]
The Vanquish used an upgraded version of Aston Martin's 5.9-litre AM11 V12 engine called the AM28 with a power output of 573PS (421kW; 565hp) at 6,750rpm and torque of 620N⋅m (457lb⋅ft) at 5,500rpm. The Vanquish can accelerate from 0 to 100km/h (62mph) in 4.1 seconds, and has a top speed of 295km/h (183mph). Like the DB9 and other VH platform Aston Martin automobiles, the engine is front-mounted with the transmission in the rear for better weight distribution. The Vanquish has 51/49 front/rear weight distribution, and a kerb weight of 1,739kg (3,834lb). It uses a fully catalysed stainless steel exhaust system with active bypass valves. The 2012–2014 cars use an updated ZF Touchtronic II six-speed automatic gearbox, which was then further replaced by an updated ZF Touchtronic III eight-speed automatic gearbox starting with the 2015 model year. It was the first Aston Martin model to be available with launch control.[26] The combined space of cabin and a boot that, at 368 litres, is more than 60% larger than that of the DBS.[27]
The braking system uses ventilated carbon-ceramic discs, 398mm (15.7in) six-piston callipers in the front and 360mm (14.2in) four-piston callipers in the rear. The suspension is a lightweight aluminium front subframe with hollow castings with independent double wishbones incorporating anti-dive geometry, coil springs, anti-roll bar, and monotube adaptive dampers in the front and independent double wishbones with anti-squat and anti-lift geometry, coil springs, anti-roll bar, and monotube adaptive dampers in the rear. It has a three-stage adjustable adaptive damping system including normal, sport, and track modes. The tires are Pirelli P Zeros, 255/ZR20 in the front and 305/30 ZR20 in the rear.[28]
In August 2014, Aston Martin revealed technical modifications to the Vanquish. The changes include a new eight-speed Touchtronic III gearbox and upgraded AM29 V12 engine that has a power output of 576PS (424kW; 568hp) and torque of 465lb⋅ft (630N⋅m). The changes improved measured performance, with an acceleration of 0 to 100km/h (62mph) being achieved in 3.6 seconds, and a top speed of 324km/h (201mph).[32]
Vanquish Volante (2013–2018)
Aston Martin Vanquish Volante
In 2013, Aston Martin unveiled a convertible variant of the Vanquish, called Volante. The Volante has a full carbon fibre body, triple-skin lightweight fabric roof, 50% larger boot than its predecessor and the third generation Brembo 398mm × 36mm (front) and 360mm × 32mm (rear) Carbon Ceramic Matrix (CCM) brake discs with six-piston front and four-piston rear brake callipers. The Vanquish Volante is 13% torsionally stiffer than the outgoing DBS Volante.[33]
On 16 November 2016, Aston Martin announced the new Vanquish S model. The Vanquish S features the AM29 V12 engine, with power increased to 603PS (444kW; 595hp), and a new aerodynamic package. The Vanquish S can accelerate from 0 to 100km/h (62mph) in 3.5 seconds with a top speed of 201mph (324km/h).[37][38] The car's deliveries started in December 2016.[39] Aston Martin also unveiled a convertible version of the Vanquish S called the Vanquish S Volante in 2017.[40]
The Centenary Edition is a limited edition of the Vanquish limited to 100 units commemorating 100 years of the Aston Martin company, unveiled at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show.[46] Changes include unique graduated paint finish, solid sterling silver Aston Martin wing badges with tailored 'trans flux' enamel inlay, a special Aston Martin hallmark, leather interior upholstery from Aston Martin One-77 with contrasting silver stitching, a silver thread embroidery of the Aston Martin wings in the head restraints, solid sterling silver sill plaques individually numbered with an Aston Martin hallmark, a unique presentation box containing a number of exclusive gifts to mark the first 100 years of the company (two glass keys, two bespoke key pouches made from leather matching the car's interior trim, solid silver cufflinks featuring the Aston Martin script, solid silver Rollerball pen, Bang & Olufsen headphones, and a silver polishing cloth).[47][48]
Vanquish Volante Neiman Marcus Edition (2013)
The Neiman Marcus edition is a limited edition of the Vanquish limited to 10 cars named after the US department store Neiman Marcus. Based on the US market Vanquish Volante, the bespoke features of the car are designed by the company's bespoke customisation arm; Q by Aston Martin. The design was inspired by the 1969 DB6 Volante owned by HRH Prince of Wales. The car was unveiled at the 2013 Pebble Beach Automotive Week, followed by the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show[49] with delivery scheduled for early 2014.[50]
Vanquish S Red Arrows Edition (2017)
In April 2017, Aston Martin unveiled the Aston Martin Vanquish S Red Arrows Edition. The Red Arrows Edition is a limited edition of 10 cars, with only nine for sale, in collaboration with the British Royal Air Force and named after the Red Arrows RAF jets. The cars feature Eclat Red paint, the same colour as the Red Arrows.[51][52]
Vanquish Zagato (2017)
Aston Martin announced a limited series production of the Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato; the latest creation from its long-standing partnership with Italian design-house Zagato. The Vanquish Zagato Concept was unveiled at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este at Lake Como, Italy in May 2016. The Vanquish Zagato is available in four body styles – coupé, convertible, speedster, or shooting brake. Ninety-nine each were built of the coupé, convertible, and shooting brake, while 28 speedsters were made, for a total of 325 cars.[53] The Vanquish Zagato features the same AM29 V12 from the Vanquish S, which has a power output of 603PS (444kW; 595hp) and 630N⋅m (465lb⋅ft) of torque, allowing the Vanquish Zagato to accelerate from 0 to 100km/h (62mph) in 3.5 seconds before reaching a top speed of 324km/h (201mph).[54]
Vanquish Zagato
Coupé front view
Coupé rear view
Shooting brake front view
Shooting brake rear view
Speedster front view
Speedster rear view
Marketing
As part of Aston Martin's 100th anniversary celebration, a Vanquish was airlifted onto the helipad of the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on 17 January 2013.[55][56]
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