Is the Aston Martin V12 Vanquish a true Ferrari killer? Mat Watson finds out

I’ve always admired Aston Martins, but I’ve never really wanted to own one. But could the new Aston Martin V12 Vanquish be the car to change that?

It looks fantastic, sounds fantastic and the engine produces more torque than any road-going Aston Martin ever made. To find out if this car can win me around, I’ve been thoroughly testing it for a few days.

You can watch the video below for my full review, but here’s a summary of what I think about the Aston Martin V12 Vanquish.

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Aston Martin V12 Vanquish design: it’s a stunner

The Aston Martin V12 Vanquish is a car with serious attitude. That massive grille not only looks imposing, it’s there to gulp in the huge amounts of air needed by the massive engine under the bonnet.

It’s around 80mm longer between the wheels than an Aston Martin DB12, and that gives the Vanquish a muscular stance which makes it look fast even when it’s standing still. I love all the exposed carbon fibre as well, especially at the rear.

The “shield” panel between the taillights gives the back of this car a really distinctive look. You can have it in pretty much any colour you like, but I like it in gloss carbon. The little fin taillights are a nod to the Valkyrie race car, and that massive lower diffuser makes the Vanquish look like it means business.

Aston Martin V12 Vanquish interior: a huge step up

“Finally, an Aston Martin which feels like it belongs in this century…”

…is what I thought when I first got in the new Vanquish. Aston Martin has finally ditched the last-gen Mercedes touchpads you got in the old DB11, and you get a new 10.25-inch touchscreen which is much easier to use.

I also really like the physical buttons you get on the centre console. They’re not only easy to use on the move, they’re solid metal so they feel really expensive. All the leather feels superb as well, it’s a lovely cabin.

Aston Martin V12 Vanquish engine and performance: It’s ballistically fast

Under the bonnet of the Vanquish is a 5.2-litre twin-turbocharged V12 engine, and it’s a massive middle finger to downsizing.

There’s no hybridisation here, and yet this car produces 835hp and 1,000Nm of torque. Aston Martin claims that it should do 0-60mph in 3.2 seconds, but the best time I got using my specialist timing gear was 3.8 seconds. I was on winter tyres though, and for a rear-wheel drive car in chilly winter conditions this is pretty good going.

With a 214mph top speed, this is also the fastest series-production Aston Martin ever made.

Driving the Aston Martin V12 Vanquish: It’s a velvet sledgehammer

The Aston Martin V12 Vanquish has a real split personality, because it can be both a comfortable GT cruiser as well as a lairy sports car.

In its softer settings, the Vanquish feels smooth and refined. It soaks up bumps remarkably well for a supercar, and on the motorway it’s quiet and comfortable. I could happily cross continents in this car.

But when you switch it into sport mode, the Vanquish becomes a bit of an animal. Despite weighing over 1.8 tonnes, it feels properly agile on a twisty road. The clever electronic rear differential helps tuck the car into corners as well.

A word of warning though. With 1,000Nm of torque going to just the rear wheels, you only need to slightly flex your right foot to get the tail kicking out. It’s so serene most of the time that you can forget just how powerful it is.

My final verdict: would I buy an Aston Martin V12 Vanquish?

At around £330,000, you’d need to have pretty deep pockets to buy an Aston Martin V12 Vanquish. However, if you have the means then I reckon you should just do it.

I prefer the way this car looks over a Ferrari 12 Cillindri, and I think it drives better than a Bentley Continental GT. It’s a triumphant eff you to the downsizing era, and proves that the screaming V12 engine still has a place in the world.

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