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Meet The New Aston Martin Vanquish – Aston’s First Mid-Engined Production Car

Yes, you read that correctly. Aston Martin have ditched their front-engined Vanquish for something a bit more flashy. In essence, this new Vanquish is a watered down Valkyrie straight from the brain juices of Adrian Newey, but unlike the mighty Valkyrie it won’t possess the same V12. Instead it will embrace the power of a… sigh… V6.

That’s right. The British car company is taking strides onto Ferrari and McLaren’s turf with a car that will take on the 488 (now the Tributo) and the 720S. It’s a territory that isn’t low on talent, but neither is this new Vanquish. While it doesn’t carry the powertrain of its big brother, it does retain its aerodynamic authority and lightweight wizardry which has been lifted straight from the tech that goes into Red Bull’s F1 cars.

Sadly, not much else is known about the powertrain other than the fact that the same engine will make its way into the soon-to-be limited-edition mid-engined AM-RB 003. Size and power is a mystery as of yet, but looking at the stats of competitors we should be looking at around the 700hp mark. Possibly slightly less if the car weighs significantly less than that of the 720S and co, which it may do due to its bonded aluminium chassis.

Unfortunately, while the success Aston has been having lately will surely continue through this car, I have mixed opinions on the aesthetics and proposed idea of the car. To me, the Vanquish has always been the pinnacle of class and luxury. In the past its hunky engines had to lump around its thick, heavy body. Heavy due to luxuries, and that’s fine. Aston’s latest change of design language denotes a more lightweight and performance orientated idea, but is that something we want from Bond’s daily driver?

I’m not sure, but am still very excited to see where this new chapter of Aston Martin takes them. So, bring on the new Vanquish. Squash the competition. But don’t forget the guy who wants to settle into a front-engined tourer after a night of killing baddies and drinking vodka martinis.

Andy Palmer, Aston Martin CEO on the new Vanquish:

“Our first series production rear mid-engined supercar will be a transformational moment for the brand,” he explains, “for it is the car that will propel Aston Martin into a sector of the market traditionally seen as the heartland of luxury sports cars.”

Alex Harrington

Alex started racing at a young age so certainly knows his way around a car and a track. He can just about put a sentence together too, which helps. He has a great interest in the latest models, but would throw all of his money at a rusty old French classic and a 300ZX. Contact: [email protected]

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One Comment

  1. While it may be a good car I think they should have come up with a new name. I’m sorry but this is not a vanquish.

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