We flew to Q New York, the carmaker’s flagship U.S. showroom to get a sneak preview of an upcoming model ahead of its release.
For years, it was unclear whether the Aston Martin Vanquish would return. The Vision Concept unveiled in 2019 envisioned it evolving into a mid-engined supercar. However, flash past a global pandemic and a major shakeup of the company’s ownership, and we’re left with something entirely different. True to its heritage, the new Vanquish debuts as a big, rear-wheel-drive grand tourer powered by a new V12.
Aston Martin’s Senior Manager of Vehicle Engineering, James Owen, walked us through what’ll dominate the conversation surrounding this car: its new 5.2-liter twin-turbocharged V12. It can trace its roots to the twelve-cylinder unit that powered the outgoing DBS. “If we look at the old engine, which was first introduced in DB11 and then ran out on DBS 770, to gain the extra power and torque, we’w had to completely overhaul everything. So it really is a new engine. It’s simply unrecognizable.”
This extensive reworking results in a monstrous 824-horsepower and 738-pound-feet of torque output, achieved without any electrification. To capitalize on it, the Vanquish incorporates a new Boost Reserve feature, which, according to Owen, “works by effectively over-boosting the turbos, so demanding more from them, holding the pressure behind the throttle blade and then giving back when it’s demanded by the driver.” He added, “This isn’t about creating a big number in terms of power and torque. It’s about giving the driver the experience, the feedback as well.”
A ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic transmission routes power to the rear wheels, which, for the first time in a V12 Aston, is put down by an electronic locking rear differential. The result is a car with a dry weight of 3,911 pounds that can sprint to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds while continuing to a 214 mph top speed.
Beyond its stats, however, and as we’ve seen with the rest of the carmaker’s lineup, plenty of work went into ensuring that the Aston Martin Vanquish wouldn’t just be quick but genuinely fun to drive.
These efforts begin with its structure. It incorporates a bonded aluminum body with double wishbones up front and a multi-link setup in the rear. However, it’s longer by 3.2 inches, with the extra length gained between the front axle and its A-pillar. Thanks to new underbody stiffening and a firmer engine cross brace, its lateral stiffness increases by 75 percent over the DBS. This creates increased mounting stiffness for its adaptive Bilstein DTX Dampers, first seen in the DB12.
“We’ve utilized that same technology because it gives us such a breadth of tuning capability. Compared to DBS technologies, it’s around about 500 percent bigger bandwidth of capability in those dampers, and that allows us to really position the car exactly how we want, particularly through the different modes as well.
Owen concluded the walkaround with some insight into his team’s philosophy. “We don’t expect these cars to be in a showroom. We expect them to be driven, and we expect them to be capable when they are driven.
Stats:
- Engine 5.2-liter twin-turbocharged V12
- HP: 824
- Torque: 738
- Drive: Rear-wheel
- Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
- 0-60: 3.2 Seconds
- Weight: 3,911LB Dry
This article appeared in our November 2024 Issue.
Introducing the November 2024 issue of duPont REGISTRY, #474, starring the new Maserati GT2 Stradale. To get your hands on a copy, either buy a single issue or subscribe.
