Aston Martin digitally pulled the covers off their new flagship, the Vanquish, today, after several weeks of undisguised and barely disguised versions of the car being glimpsed around the world. So it’s not quite the shock that it might have been—but damn, it still looks good. Just look at those hips, for God’s sake. The new Vanquish has the widest hips we’ve ever seen on an Aston. Between that, the taut rear end and the trunk that’s 60 percent larger than the outgoing DBS, this Vanquish pretty much establishes itself. That rear end also is host to what Aston Martin calls “the stunning new Aero Duct,” which the rest of us will call “a spoiler.” It’s part of an aero package that helps the Vanquish reach a top speed of 183 miles per hour—eight mph slower than the DBS’s top speed, but hey, the faster you go, the fewer people can see you. Power comes from a revised version of Aston’s 6.0 liter V12, tuned to pound out 565 horsepower and 457 lb-ft of torque and connected to the rear wheels by a six-speed torque converter automatic. If you want a manual, you’ll either need... or pray that Aston decides to offer a shift-your-own Vanquish at some point. Which is probably unlikely. That said, the transmission does come with dedicated paddles, and the powertrain sends the Vanquish from 0-60 in about four seconds flat. So the new Vanquish isn’t exactly a breakthrough for Aston Martin. But that’s all right. Astons (road-going ones, at least) have never been about being the fastest or best-handling cars on the road; they’re about effortless speed and timeless elegance. If you think Ferraris are gauche, Lamborghinis are gaudy, Bentleys are bulky and Porsches too proletarian, you buy an Aston. And for those buyers, the new Vanqush should hit all the right notes. Even at a price tage of £189,995—just about $300,000. Aston Martin unveils its new hero: the Vanquish Aston Martin is today unveiling a stunning new luxury sports car – the Vanquish. Sitting proudly at the pinnacle of the luxury British car maker’s sports car line-up, this breath-taking new super grand tourer represents the zenith of current Aston Martin design and engineering. Vanquish points to an exciting and confident future for the historic brand. Vanquish is a new Aston Martin featuring the next generation of the renowned VH architecture as well as a significantly upgraded 6.0-litre V12 engine that is considerably more potent than before. The design represents the latest take on Aston Martin’s iconic visual language. Vanquish unquestionably sees the brand continue its enviable tradition of producing some of the most beautiful sports cars in the world. Styling cues such as the elegant new waist, elongated side strakes and LED rear light blades are derived from the One-77 supercar. Unmistakably an Aston Martin, the design shows a clear and coherent lineage from its heritage while providing an equally clear pointer to the luxury car brand’s vibrant future. Closer inspection reveals details such as the stunning new Aero Duct on the rear boot lid. This elegantly devised passive engineering feature, which counteracts lift at the car’s rear when travelling at speed, is a triumph of both design and technical ability. Performance, presence, style and great British craftsmanship – the new Vanquish has all these traits in abundance. Aston Martin Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ulrich Bez said: “Today’s Vanquish is the ultimate expression of Aston Martin design ethos, engineering innovation and technical ability. It offers luxurious, continent-crossing capability and pure driving excitement without compromise. “Bearing the same name as the iconic original Vanquish that did so much to cement Aston Martin’s reputation as a maker of great GT cars in the modern era, I believe the car unveiled today once again puts this great British brand at the top of its class. “The new Vanquish mixes beautiful design with impressive technology such as the superb new infotainment system. This is the latest incarnation of everything we know, informed and developed from One-77. It is the ultimate Super Grand Tourer – confident and assured – and is the newest representation of Power, Beauty and Soul.” As happy on the streets of a bustling city as it is carving through the countryside or long distance motorway touring, the Vanquish offers a thoroughbred British luxury sports car that’s also suited to everyday use. Powered by a significantly revised naturally aspirated 6.0-litre V12 petrol engine mated to the proven Touchtronic 2 six-speed automatic gearbox, the new car offers suitably impressive performance figures. The V12’s power peak of 565 bhp (573 PS) makes it Aston Martin’s most potent production model yet, outmuscled only by the strictly limited edition £1.2m One-77 supercar. The raw statistics speak for themselves: 573 PS at 6,750 rpm, 620 Nm of torque at 5,500 rpm, 0-62 mph in 4.1 seconds and a top speed of 183 mph place the Vanquish firmly into supercar territory. Yet the brand’s team of engineers have been working towards economy and emissions improvements, too. The latest engineering methods, innovative technologies and typically understated classic British design come together to make the muscular new Vanquish a true super GT. For instance, each body panel on the car is constructed from carbon fibre because of its high strength-to-weight ratio and flexibility of form. Meanwhile torsional rigidity is improved by more than 25%. Practical improvements such as a newly designed and significantly more spacious cabin and a boot that, at 368 litres, is more than 60% larger than that of the DBS, ensure the new Vanquish can carry sufficient luggage for even the most ambitious grand tourist. Designed and hand-built at Aston Martin’s global headquarters at Gaydon in Warwickshire the new Vanquish, available as a 2+2 or 2+0, sits atop a broad line-up of world-class sports cars including the exquisite DB9, sporty V8 Vantage and luxurious four-door Rapide. Dr Bez said: “The Aston Martin range is stronger now than at any time in our 99-year history. The new Vanquish represents the perfect way to signal the beginning of our centenary celebrations next year.” Priced from £189,995 RRP first deliveries of the new sports car are expected to begin in the UK and Continental Europe late in 2012. Specifications: Body Two-door coupe body style with 2+0 or optional 2+2 seating New generation bonded aluminium and carbon fibre VH structure Aluminium, magnesium alloy and carbon-fibre composite body Extruded aluminium door side-impact beams Bi-xenon headlamps LED light blade rear lamps and LED side repeaters Engine All-alloy, independent quad variable camshaft timing, 48-valve, 5,935 cc V12 Compression ratio 11.0:1 Front-mid mounted engine, rear-wheel drive Fully catalysed stainless steel exhaust system with active bypass valves Six three-way catalytic convertors Max power: 573 PS (565 bhp) at 6,750 rpm Max torque: 620 Nm (457 lb ft) at 5,500 rpm Acceleration: 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 4.1 seconds Max speed: 295 km/h (183 mph) Transmission Rear-mid mounted, six-speed Touchtronic 2 gearbox. Alloy torque tube with carbon fibre propeller shaft Limited-slip differential Wheels and Tyres Front: 9J x 20’’ Pirelli P Zero 255/35 ZR20 Rear: 11.5J x 20’’ Pirelli P Zero 305/30 ZR20 Steering Speed-dependent electronically controlled rack and pinion power-assisted steering, 2.62 turns lock-to-lock. Column tilt and reach adjustment Suspension Lightweight aluminium front subframe with hollow castings Front: Independent double wishbone incorporating anti-dive geometry, coil springs, anti-roll bar and monotube adaptive dampers Rear: Independent double wishbones with anti-squat and anti-lift geometry, coil springs, anti-roll bar and monotube adaptive dampers Three-stage adjustable Adaptive Damping System (ADS) with Normal, Sport and Track modes Brakes Front: Ventilated carbon ceramic discs, 398mm diameter with six-piston calipers Rear: Ventilated carbon ceramic discs, 360mm diameter with four-piston calipers Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) with Track mode Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) Emergency Brake Assist (EBA) Positive Torque Control (PTC) Traction Control Launch Control Dimensions Length: 4720mm Width: 2067mm Height: 1294mm Wheelbase: 2740mm Fuel Tank Capacity: 78litres Weight: 1739kg Standard specification Full-grain leather interior Alcantara headlining Electrically operated front seats Memory front seats and exterior mirrors (three memory positions) 2+0 seating configuration with flexible rear environment storage Powerfold exterior heated mirrors Front and rear parking sensors Cruise control Tyre pressure monitoring Alarm and immobiliser Remote-control central door locking and boot release Automatic temperature control Heated front seats Curtain side head airbags Dual Stage Driver and Passenger Front Airbags Pelvis and thorax seat mounted airbags Seat belt dual-pretensioners and digressive load limiters Trip computer Tracking device (UK only) Laminated windscreen with clear noise-insulation layer Glass ECU Titanium bonnet and side strake meshes Bright aluminium front grille Chrome side strakes and tailpipe trim Heated rear screen In Car Entertainment New infotainment system with capacitive switching 1000W Bang & Olufsen BeoSound 15-speaker audio system Garmin satellite navigation system*+ 6.5” LCD Screen iPod® and iPhone® Integration and USB playback Satellite radio system (USA only) AM/FM radio1 A2DP Bluetooth® audio and phone streaming Wi-Fi Hub5 Options Ten-spoke alloy wheel in a Graphite finish 20-spoke alloy wheel in a Liquid Silver, Silver finish with diamond turning, Graphite finish with diamond turning, Gloss Black with diamond turning and Satin Black with diamond turning Black-vaned grille Magnum Silver or Black Mesh finish Matt black textured tailpipe Black, blue, yellow or red calipers Exposed carbon fibre roof panel Exposed carbon fibre door mirror caps Exposed carbon fibre side strakes Exposed carbon door handles Protective tape Black Luxmil Leather and part-Alcantara steering wheel Colour-Keyed Luxmil Leather steering wheel Black One-77 leather steering wheel with black Alcantara Inserts Colour-Keyed One-77 Luxmil leather steering wheel with black leather inserts Centre stack facia in carbon fibre 2×2 twill, carbon fibre 2×2 fishbone, Piano Red, Piano Black or Piano Ice mocha. Headrest embroidery – Aston Martin wings or Vanquish logo Black hardware pack Full carbon fibre gearshift paddles Personalised sill plaques Rear parking assist camera Auto-dimming mirror with garage door opener Heated and ventilated seats Smoker’s Pack Second glass key Tracking device**1 Alarm upgrade (volumetric and tilt sensors) Option toolkit Six-CD auto-changer First-aid kit