Model Highlights
The Vanquish (coupe) and Vanquish Volante (convertible) are both powered by a 6.0L V12 engine, making 568 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque. It's teamed to a "Touchtronic III" 8-speed automatic transmission with magnesium steering-wheel shift paddles that can order up shifts manually when desired.
Aston Martin quotes an official 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) time of just 3.6 seconds, with a top speed of 201 mph. The new launch control feature helps make takeoffs from a standing start as rapid as possible when activated, by allowing just the right amount of wheelspin.
Aston Martin chose to make all of the body panels on the Vanquish out of carbon fiber, to provide a strong body that resists flex during high-performance driving, while also saving weight. Power is sent to the rear wheels via an alloy torque tube and carbon fiber propeller shaft--both of which also help cut weight.
The hydraulic, speed-sensitive power steering system has a quick ratio and plenty of feedback, while the standard carbon-ceramic brakes (6-piston in front and 4-piston in back) provide strong stops from triple-digit speeds. The Vanquish's perfect 50/50 front/rear weight distribution and its low center of mass make it a natural for stability in tight corners and sudden transitions in challenging mountain roads. The Vanquish has a limited-slip rear differential and includes robust 20-inch Pirelli P Zero Z-rated performance tires.
A Sport mode doesn't just make the powertrain more sensitive to your accelerator-pedal inputs and change the shift (points) and attitude of the transmission; it also opens an exhaust bypass for a louder, more aggressive engine sound to be enjoyed during performance driving. Separately, there's a Track mode for the stability control, and the 3-mode adaptive suspension includes Normal, Sport and Track modes.
Front seats are sporty in appearance and mission, but luxurious enough for long road trips. Keep in mind that a back seat is optional, but it's quite small. As is the trunk, at about 13 cubic feet and not all that helpfully shaped. Otherwise, there's a lot of dazzle in the Vanquish's interface, as it mixes capacitive glass buttons with illumination and haptic feedback for a smooth and futuristic look.
The Vanquish comes equipped as a prestige-luxury model, including full-grain leather upholstery, an Alcantara (faux-suede) headliner, heated power front seats with memory settings, heated power-folding side mirrors, front and rear parking sensors, cruise control, automatic climate control, Bluetooth audio streaming and hands-free, a Garmin navigation system and a powerful 13-speaker, 1000-watt Bang & Olufsen premium audio system that has full iPhone integration and USB input.
As is the case for a prestige brand such as Aston Martin, options are reserved for customization and personal expression, mainly. And there's a long list of items--such as exposed carbon fiber elements, special wheels, black Luxmil leather, embroidered headrests and a matte-black textured tailpipe. Among the few functional extras are heated and ventilated seats, a rear parking-assist camera and an upgraded alarm system.
Volante models are virtually the same in features and performance as their coupe counterparts, although they instead have a multi-layer lightweight fabric power top that folds open in just 14 seconds, tucking into an aerodynamically shaped tonneau.
