By Paul Blank
It’s not every day one gets a chance to drive a car like this to review… Elite British car manufacturer Aston Martin’s range topping model – of their regular production models – is the Vanquish, having now been built in three generations.
My recent drive was the all-new Vanquish – the first example to land in Australia.
There are high expectations for this car, as Aston Martin raises the bar in the way they’ve done continuously since 1913. The company has had its ups and downs, but they’ve always produced very exclusive, very high-performance cars.
With a lot of carbon fibre in its unique construction, the new, bigger Vanquish boasts a 5.2-litre V12 engine with two turbochargers, providing 614kW (824 horsepower). 0-100km/h takes 3.2 seconds! Needless to say, when you put your foot down, even in standard GT mode, there’s plenty of oomph. It can do 344km/h… apparently.
Around town it’s as docile as you could wish for. The test car had racy carbon fibre seats, which were properly comfortable as well as body-hugging. In fact, it was a ‘well-optioned’ car, with $236,820 of options, including a titanium muffler ($26,640), and some $80,000+ worth of carbon fibre finishes inside and out… The satin black paintwork – not to my taste – costs an additional $35,820. There’s a vast range of selections to make when you place your order, which can make the car even more spectacular. The reality is no buyer will order a standard car at $737,000. This car ‘as tested’ rang up at $1,072,725. Not the most valuable car I’ve driven, but a lot of dollars’ worth to punt around when there are black Ford Ranger drivers tailgating and Camry drivers vaguing-out ahead.
The Vanquish boasts a lot of nice details beyond all the immaculately finished carbon fibre parts. A little centrally mounted pull-tag for seat slide adjustment, the swan neck opening doors, now an Aston tradition and plenty of adjustability for the drive (different modes, adjustable ride, exhaust, etc) which add to the experience. The old Aston Martin waterfall-style centre console has gone. All the controls feel beautifully measured in their operation as do the carbon brakes, which can be difficult in some cars, but are ‘easy as’ in the Vanquish.
If you’re in the stratosphere of such buyers and want something not quite as low and flat as a Lamborghini or McLaren, the Vanquish offers a much more Grand Tourer style of car, with proper supercar performance.
Text and photos copyright Paul Blank 2025
Paul Blank 