Aston Martin V12 Vanquish S Road Test Report

Performance

Packed in tightly under than long, sculpted bonnet is an all alloy, quad-overhead cam, 48 valve, six-litre V12 that punches out 520bhp. This is allied to a 6-speed semi-auto paddleshift transmission. Press the backlit, glass starter button and the quad tailpipes bark out this car’s intent, and with 0-62mph available in 4.8 secs, a 200+mph top speed and massively powerful, six-piston Brembo brakes, this is not a car for the faint-hearted. Fortunately the Vanquish is also refined and civilized, and so is happy and relaxed when driven gently, but for the enthusiast driver the temptation to bury the drive-by-wire throttle and unleash the beast is hard to resist.

Ride & Handling

With a kerb weight of almost 1.9 tonnes, the Vanquish is no lightweight, but Aston’s advanced Sports Dynamic suspension (standard on the S) coupled with the S model’s revised steering geometry both manage to disguise that weight extremely well. The grip from the giant, 19-inch tyres is immense, the steering response is swift and the ride quality remains supple and comfy in almost all circumstances. Importantly, the Vanquish manages all this without isolating the driver from what’s going on beneath and so provides good seat-of-the-pants feedback. Also impressive is the Vanquish’s body control on fast, moorland A roads, where it behaves impeccably.

Build Quality & Reliability

In terms of materials and construction techniques Aston started afresh with the Vanquish. The main body structure uses carbon fibre, extruded aluminium and composite materials, while all the exterior body panels are constructed from aluminium with each individual panel hand tailored to ensure a perfect panel fit. I’ve driven several different Vanquishes over the past few years, one of them utterly mercilessly, and not experienced any malfunctions in any. If I have to find fault, then some small components pinched from the Fiesta parts bin (Aston was owned by Ford) – eg. steering column stalks and electric window buttons – look a little spendthrift in a car of this class.

Safety & Security

It almost goes without saying that the Vanquish has many of the passive safety features found on lesser cars, but this Aston also pioneered the use of many advanced technologies and materials. As an example, its central monocoque safety cell has additional deformable composite energy absorbent zones at both front and rear which provide added occupant crash protection. The car’s Visteon control system can process two million commands per second and facilitates a continuous electronic dialogue between the engine, transmission and braking system. It also monitors and records the mechanical performance of the entire vehicle, and provides a high security anti-theft system.

Space & Practicality

Neither are strong points of the Vanquish, or indeed any other supercar. The Vanquish’s boot is big enough for a couple of weekend holdalls, but little else. And if you’ve a pro-sized bag of golf clubs, then you can forget it. That said, first time owners did have the option of a two-seater with extra loadspace behind the front seats, or as a 2+2 with rear seating for smaller people only. As you’d expect, the leather and alcantara accommodation for front seat passengers is both sporty and sumptuous.

Ownership & Value

Although recently discontinued, the Vanquish has an on-the-road presence that no current Aston model can match. Very tidy, low-mileage earlier models can now be bought for something under half their original retail price, but without the benefit of an accurate crystal ball it’s tough to predict where values will go from here. In the longer term the most sought after model is likely to be the final ‘Ultimate Edition’ Vanquish S, of which just 40 were built. However, any Vanquish is now a collectors item, and rightly so.