Later this year, Aston will be bringing out an engine tweak for the Vanquish which will increase the peak power output from the current 460 bhp to around 520 bhp. It's to keep it one step ahead of the 575M (515 bhp) and to move the Vanquish comfortably ahead of the 450-bhp DB9, which currently has a better power-to-weight ratio. The extra power will be welcome (it generally always is) but it will also be largely academic-the current car is already extraordinarily rapid as figures of 0 to 60 mph in 4.4 sec. and 0 to 100 mph in 10.5 sec. attest.
At least when the power boost does come, the brakes will be ready. The new setup now inspires greater confidence and the brakes feel as if they are genuinely suited to a 196-mph supercar, rather than a 100-mph hatchback. It's now possible to lean on them on corner entry and even to use them to quell initial understeer. But while they're better, they still lack the ultimate bite and feedback afforded by the Porsche 911's anchors.
There are also clearly defined limits to the Aston's chassis. The Vanquish, for all it's trick carbon and aluminum structure, is still a big, heavy car and that weight is still focused on the front. Attempt to drive it like a whipper-snapper Japanese road racer and you'll be greeted with grumbling understeer. Slow-in, fast-out is still the way forwards for this British bulldog, and care is required in the wet.
It would be quite wrong to describe the Vanquish as a better than the DB9, despite these impressive revisions. Even if we leave aside the 62,000 price differential and judge them purely on their merits, the new car would still win a twin test. It feels as if it was designed in a different age and, in a sense, it was.
But for all its faults, the Vanquish boasts a charisma even its swotty little brother cannot match. It is the last bastion of the enigmatic world of the old Aston Martin, a world in which men beat panels into shape with hammers and where engines were hand built by a single bloke. To drive it is to drink in the nostalgia of a world that will not be seen again.
Likes*Glorious engine note*Styling*Linn hi-fi*Image
Dislikes*Parts-bin switchgear*Small boot*No manual gearbox
Wow Factor*No production engine sounds better
Aston Martin Vanquish Specs
EngineType: 5925cc V12Power Output (bhp): 460 @ 6500 rpmTorque (lb-ft): 500 @ 5000 rpm
Transmission Six-speed semi-automatic with Automatic Shift Manual
DimensionsL/W/H (in.): 183.7/75.7/51.9Curb weight (lb): 4,133
ChassisBrakes: Ventilated discs, 14.9-in. (378mm) (f), 13.0 in. (330mm) (f),Wheels: Alloy, 19-in. diameterTires: Yokohama, 255/40ZR19 (f), 285/40ZR19 (r)
Performance0 to 60 mph (sec.): 4.4Top speed (mph): 196