New Aston Martin Vanquish launches tonight as firm’s most powerful series production car
Aston Martin’s DBS Superleggera replacement will pack 824bhp to go up against Ferrari's 12Cilindri
Despite ever-tightening emissions and noise regulations, V12 Aston Martins will live on for a while yet. Tonight, the firm will launch a new flagship coupe to replace the DBS Superleggera, powered by an 824bhp V12 engine to go head-to-head with the Ferrari 12Cilindri.
Aston isn’t being subtle about what the new car will be called, using the phrase ‘All will be vanquished’ in the teaser material for the new model. Technical details are thin on the ground, but it’s safe to assume that the Vanquish will be a heavy evolution of the DBS that came before, sporting a DB12-style makeover for its design and interior technology. A teaser image of the Vanquish's intricate blade-like LED rear light clusters indicates that some elements will be highly bespoke, however.
> The new Aston Martin Vanquish is an 824bhp, £333k Ferrari 12Cilindri rival
As for the engine, Aston claims that it has been completely redesigned (presumably compared to the DBS’s 5.2-litre unit) for a boost in power and response. The cylinder block and connecting rods have been strengthened, the heads are new and there are reprofiled cams to suit. New fuel injectors offer a higher flow rate and work with repositioned spark plugs to optimise the combustion process. Finally, there’s a pair of new turbochargers, which can spin up faster and to higher speeds than before.
The result is an enormous power uplift over the DBS, with peaks of 824bhp (up 109bhp) and 738lb ft (up 74lb ft). Expect the Vanquish to trim down its predecessor’s 3.4sec 0-62mph time, topping out at well over 200mph.
Speaking on the announcement, Aston Martin’s Chief Technical Officer Roberto Fedeli said: ‘The V12 engine has long been a symbol of power and prestige, but it is also a statement of engineering passion and technical prowess. With 835PS and 1000Nm of torque this unparalleled engine represents nothing less than the dawn of a dazzling new V12 era for Aston Martin.’
The new engine will find a home in other Astons too, although these will be limited-series models in the same mould as the Valour and Victor. Nevertheless, the fact that Aston can build any V12 cars at all in 2024 is a very good thing. Full details will follow once the covers come off at 21:30 tonight.
