Aston Martin unveils the new 824hp V12-powered Vanquish flagship supercar

In Aston Martin’s nomenclature, only the high-performance models get christened with a name starting with the letter V. Some stunning-looking examples comprise the Vantage, the Valkyrie, the Vulcan and now, in 2024, the all-new and all-important Vanquish – Aston Martin’s latest flagship supercar. The new Aston Martin Vanquish sits at the pinnacle of Aston Martin’s fabled front-engined sports car range with a new V12 engine, bespoke chassis, a carbon-fibre body wrapped with an aluminium skin on top, state-of-the-art interiors and a production run limited to only 1000 units a year. 

Exquisite Exteriors 

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Many may argue foul play after looking at the Vantage-esque gigantic front grille and headlights on the brand new Vanquish but Aston Martin has differentiated the design on both models with intricate details. For instance, the lines flanking the Aston Martin logo on the sculpted bonnet fans out to incorporate F1-inspired thermos louvres that help cool the V12 engine. The front bumper features small air curtains on the bottom corners for better brake cooling. Every bit of the humongous horizontally-slated grille is functional and helps in engine bay cooling.

For the Vanquish to boast a broad stance with a compelling presence, Aston Martin increased the distance between the A-Pillar and the front axle by 80mm. This provides the new Vanquish with an elongated bonnet look with a rakish profile. The added spacing has further allowed the automaker to carve out a side-strake bow-and-arrow-like design element with a red V12 motif. The rear fenders feature a significantly bulging haunch that allows the new Vanquish to run a wider rear track width.

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The rear profile of the new Vanquish appears to have borrowed a host of design elements from the Aston Martin Valour. The Kamm Tail rear profile with integrated decklid spoiler and individual 3D-like LED light blades for taillights were previously seen on the Valour but feature a tweaked design here. A full-width diffuser dominates the bottom half of the rear along with a quad tailpipe stainless steel exhaust system that is supposed to emit a “fabulous V12 howl”. An optional titanium exhaust system is also on offer that makes the V12 sound clearer and louder whilst achieving a 10.5kg weight reduction. But the literal centerpiece of the rear is the floating ‘Shield’ statement panel bearing the Aston Martin lettering, available in body colour or various finishes of carbon fibre. 

Intricate Interiors

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The interior is purposefully designed as a 2-seater super GT. The basic design theme is borrowed from the latest crop of Aston Martin cabins, such as DB12 and Vantage, but receives major tweaks in the layout. Instead of a raked center console that merges the infotainment system with the button-centric center panel in a single panel, the new Vanquish breaks that up. The button-laden center console has been lowered to sit flat on a horizontal plane while the infotainment system resides above it. The infotainment system is a 10.25-inch touchscreen featuring Aston Martin’s latest in-house developed software and so does the 10.25-inch TFT driver display screen.

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The new Vanquish also features a panoramic glass roof as standard, a first for an Aston Martin V12. It’s tinted to allow only 6 per cent of light to get transmitted inside the cabin to protect the passengers from harmful UV rays. Also standard are the Sports Plus seats with a carbon fibre Performance Seat available as an optional extra. The seats feature exquisite detailing with a new quilting pattern. 

Powerful Performance

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The new Aston Martin Vanquish boasts the highest top speed of 344kph in an Aston Martin series production car. That comes courtesy of a new 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 engine producing a class-leading 824hp and 1000Nm torques in the car. 0-100kph sprint takes 3.2secs. While the twin-turbo setup may put some people off due to the possible presence of turbo lag, Aston Martin has decided to counter it by offering a new Boost Reserve function. How Aston Martin describes its operation is, “This new technology increases the turbo boost pressure above what would normally be required for any given part throttle position, so it is ready to go when full power is needed. This is done during partial throttle demands, imperceptibly to the driver, by balancing the throttle flap position (to restrict the intake flow), and the intelligent wastegate in the turbo (to fine tune the increased intake pressure) to match what the driver expects. When the driver demands full power/ torque, the throttle releases the accumulated boost pressure for immediate response.” Another first on an Aston Martin front-engined V12 sports car is the fitment of the ZF 8-speed automatic gearbox paired with an electronic differential for the rear. 

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Performance-aiding systems include Bilstein DTX dampers that were first seen on the DB12 but are new to Vanquish and feature bespoke calibration for enhanced refinement. Numerous strengthening variables were utilised to provide a 75% increase in lateral stiffness over Aston Martin’s previous flagship, the DBS 770 Ultimate. Fitment of an e-diff on the rear axle is said to improve handling balance on corner exits while maximising traction as well as manage variable grip surfaces, for example, a road with patches of wet or snow/ice. Carbon brakes are offered as standard and provide a weight saving of 27 kilos compared to its cast iron brakes alternative. Additionally, the new Vanquish gets AML-specific 21-inch Pirelli P ZERO tyres as well.

First deliveries are scheduled to begin in Q4 2024.

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