Building on the DBS Superleggera it replaces in Aston Martin's lineup, the Vanquish outmuscles both of its direct rivals from Bentley and Ferrari. The fastest Aston Martin series-production vehicle also happens to be a rare breed, for the British automaker has limited production to 1,000 units per annum.
Deliveries are scheduled to kick off in the fourth quarter of 2024 for the 2025 model year. From the standpoint of exterior design, the most obvious difference over the DBS Superleggera is the design of the rear lights. Aston Martin calls them Light Blades, with each taillight comprising seven horizontal bits that emphasize width. The rear end further boasts the so-called Shield, which can be had in either carbon-fiber or body-color finish.
Kamm-style integrated decklid spoiler adds to the visual drama and aerodynamic performance of the vehicle, along with a full-width diffuser. Available with an optional titanium exhaust system that enables a 10.5-kilogram weight reduction over the standard stainless-steel setup, Vanquish further sweetens the deal with side strakes that read Aston Martin and V12 in different colors.
Photo: Aston Martin
Visual differences also include a massive front grille and matrix LED headlights with a different signature from the preceding model. As if the wordmark out back and on the side strakes wasn't enough, Aston Martin is etched to the side of each lamp's metallic garnish.
Finally, the louvres in the hood are quite a bit larger than the vents of the DBS Superleggera. That's not all, though, for the Gaydon-based manufacturer has also lengthened the wheelbase by 80 millimeters (3.15 inches) in the area between the A-pillars and front axle. Question is, why did Aston Martin do this?
Simply put, for additional stiffening components that provide a 75 increase in lateral stiffness over the DBS 770 Ultimate. As a brief refresher, the 770 in DBS 770 Ultimate stands for metric ponies, meaning 759 mechanical horsepower. The most extreme incarnation of the DBS yet was produced in 499 units, namely 300 coupes and 199 convertible examples.
Photo: Aston Martin
The revised chassis structure is backed up by Bilstein DTX adaptive dampers from the DB12, albeit with a bespoke calibration. Said adaptive dampers are joined by AML-specific Pirelli P Zero tires, while DB12 comes with Michelin rubber. Also standard are 21-inch forged alloy wheels. Those who intend to drive the Vanquish in the winter are presented with the optional Pirelli P Zero Winter 2 tires.
Hopping into the super GT reveals a full-length panoramic glass roof and 10.25 inches of touchscreen instead of the swivel wheel-operated COMAND system from the DBS Superleggera and earlier models. The all-new infotainment solution, which benefits from multi-finger gesture control, is joined by a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster.
What comes as a bit of a surprise is the sea of physical controls located just below the touchscreen and on the center console. In stark contrast to certain automakers who think they know better than the customer, Aston Martin refrained from switching the fan speed and temperature control to digital controls.
Photo: Aston Martin
The center console is also home to a diminutive shift lever that wouldn't look out of place in a Porsche 911 with the PDK dual-clutch transmission. However, the British automaker's electric shaver-like shifter is connected to a torque-converter automatic. No prizes will be awarded to whoever guesses that we're dealing with the familiar ZF 8HP.
Aston Martin recalibrated the transmission for quicker shifts compared to the DBS Superleggera. The final drive ratio of 2.93:1 favors top speed rather than outright acceleration, with the British company quoting 214 miles per hour or 345 kilometers per hour. Be that as it may, this thing is very quick.
3.2 seconds to 60 miles per hour or 3.3 seconds to 100 kilometers per hour used to be supercar territory a few years ago. Then again, what did you expect from a 5.2L twin-turbo V12 that produces 1,000 Nm or 738 pound-feet of torque at 2,500 through 5,000 revolutions?
Photo: Aston Martin
That's as much peak torque as the plug-in hybrid twin-turbo V8 powertrain of the Bentley Continental GT Speed, and quite a bit more than Ferrari's 6.5L free-breathing V12. The 12Cilindri sadly doesn't hold a candle to the Vanquish, for it produces 830 cavalli vapore (819 horsepower) compared to 835 metric horsepower (824 mechanical horsepower).
Built around an extruded bonded aluminum structure with carbon-fiber and composite panels, the 2025 Aston Martin Vanquish makes that little bit more power and torque than its forerunner due to revised or new hardware. New injectors, cylinder heads with reprofiled cams and intake/exhaust ports, turbos, beefier connecting rods, and a stronger block are the main improvements over the 715-horse V12 of the DBS Superleggera and 759-horse V12 of the limited-edition DBS 770 Ultimate.
Tipping the scales at 1,774 kilograms dry, which is 3,911 pounds in old money, the Vanquish is more than 200 kilos heavier than the 12Cilindri. According to Ferrari, the 812 Superfast-replacing model weighs 1,560 kilograms or 3,439 pounds dry. On that note, the Vanquish is slightly heavier over the front axle at 51 percent versus 48.4 for the Fezza.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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