RE: Aston Martin V12 Vanquish S: Spotted

RE: Aston Martin V12 Vanquish S: Spotted

Tuesday 28th July 2015

Aston Martin V12 Vanquish S: Spotted

The finest of the modern V12 Astons?



By now you will probably have seen the latest trailer for Spectre. In it there's a better peek at the DB10, the latest Bond Aston. Rather excellent it looks too, complete even with one of those manual gearbox things.

And the concept was shown in 1998!
And the concept was shown in 1998!
Anyhow, what better excuse to search out another Aston preferred by 007? It could have been the DBS - certainly the films are better - but when this kind of Vanquish is for sale there's really no other alternative. It of course was the star of Die Another Day, Pierce Brosnan's last 007 adventure and, arguably, the best bit of the film. Yes, it wasn't an actual Vanquish used but it still looked damn good skidding across a frozen lake.

Moreover, the Vanquish is a very significant car in the history of Aston Martin. It was the first of the modern Astons, with styling that has clearly influenced subsequent cars and new technology like the paddleshift gearbox and carbon/aluminium construction. You have to wonder where Aston would be without cars like the Vanquish, plus of course the DB9 and V8 Vantage that followed.

The Vanquish also deserves some retrospective appreciation because it still looks magnificent. The original Project Vantage Concept was actually shown in January 1998 (!) and changed little before making production as the Vanquish. Assertive and powerful yet still restrained enough and classy, it really is a triumph of design.

Works manual conversion?
Works manual conversion?
One last thing - this is no ordinary Vanquish. It's an Ultimate Edition, one of the last 50 Vanquishes made and one of only 20 in right-hand drive. Based on the Vanquish S, each Ultimate Edition was painted Ultimate Black (natch) with some fancy leather and a sill plaque inside. It was announced at the same time as the Works manual conversions so, really, it would be rude not to have the job done...

The Ultimate cost £182,095 back in 2007; this car is offered at POA but a figure above £200K would seem likely. The last non-Ultimate Vanquishes are £190K with more miles and without the limited-edition status. For the look without the provenance, very nice early Vanquishes are available at less than £60K.

With the Aston-AMG era imminent, will there be increased demand for the limited run models of the past decade or so? Along with the Ultimate Edition, cars like the manual only V12 Vantages must surely have some appeal to collectors. But really this deserves a few more grand tours before it's tucked away and preserved. There's only 4,000 miles recorded after all. Which way to the Dolomites?


ASTON MARTIN V12 VANQUISH S ULTIMATE EDITION
Engine:
 5,935cc V12
Transmission: 6-speed automated manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 527@7,000rpm 
Torque (lb ft): 425@5,800rpm
MPG: 14.9
CO2: N/A
First registered: 2007
Recorded mileage: 4,000
Price new: £182,095
Yours for: £POA

View the original advert here.



 

Author
Discussion

chris333

Original Poster:

1,034 posts

238 months

Tuesday 28th July 2015
quotequote all
Last of the Newport Pagnell hand-built Aston's. Yes please!

Asterix

24,438 posts

227 months

Tuesday 28th July 2015
quotequote all
..and the best looking Aston of modern times.

A real bruiser of a car - Awesome!

pSyCoSiS

3,581 posts

204 months

Tuesday 28th July 2015
quotequote all
Apart from the V600 Vantage, this is my top modern Aston Martin

W124

1,497 posts

137 months

Tuesday 28th July 2015
quotequote all
It's a masterpiece. I've driven and been in untold exotic cars but if I see a Vanquish when I'm walking about I'll stop and look at it. First on the lottery list every time.

soad

32,829 posts

175 months

Tuesday 28th July 2015
quotequote all
Looks quite muscular.

Pull both paddles back to select a neutral, push the start button and listen to the noise.

j_s14a

863 posts

177 months

Tuesday 28th July 2015
quotequote all
pSyCoSiS said:
Apart from the V600 Vantage, this is my top modern Aston Martin
The V600 Le Mans is probably my ultimate Aston too. But there would still be a place in my lottery garage for a Vanquish. It seems to blend to beauty and grace of the DB7/DB9 with the masculinity of the Virage/Vantage line.

soad

32,829 posts

175 months

Tuesday 28th July 2015
quotequote all
pSyCoSiS said:
Apart from the V600 Vantage, this is my top modern Aston Martin

HorneyMX5

5,306 posts

149 months

Tuesday 28th July 2015
quotequote all
To these eyes the exterior hasn't dated at all (well maybe the lack of LED rear lights). The interior however looks like something out of a 10 year old focus. I wouldn't care though, the want is strong.

sparks_E39

12,738 posts

212 months

Tuesday 28th July 2015
quotequote all
The car in Die Another Day was an actual Vanquish but with a Mustang V8 and awd. I believe 6 or 7 of them were supplied by Aston and at least two were destroyed during filming. Awful film unfortunately.

anonymous-user

53 months

Tuesday 28th July 2015
quotequote all
HorneyMX5 said:
To these eyes the exterior hasn't dated at all (well maybe the lack of LED rear lights). The interior however looks like something out of a 10 year old focus. I wouldn't care though, the want is strong.
That's the updated interior! The earlier models were the last of the obvious "parts bin special" AM interiors, with the climate control and stereo straight out of the Jaguar X308





I don't know if that silver surround in the centre console is Hyundai style nasty silver plastic, or actual Aluminium carefully made to look like nasty silver painted plastic. Still a big step up from the horror of the Virage/Vantage cars though. XJ40 climate control panel and a steering wheel from some awful US market Ford.



Edited by dme123 on Tuesday 28th July 12:20


Edited by dme123 on Tuesday 28th July 12:21

WCZ

10,492 posts

193 months

Tuesday 28th July 2015
quotequote all
seems like a rather large premium to pay

ecs0set

2,470 posts

283 months

Tuesday 28th July 2015
quotequote all
dme123 said:
That's the updated interior! The earlier models were the last of the obvious "parts bin special" AM interiors, with the climate control and stereo straight out of the Jaguar X308





I don't know if that silver surround in the centre console is Hyundai style nasty silver plastic, or actual Aluminium carefully made to look like nasty silver painted plastic.
That is awful!

Also, I'm afraid I'd prefer a DB9 for half the price. It might not be as powerful but it's still a V12 Aston and I think they look nicer. getmecoat

Liquid Tuna

1,398 posts

155 months

Tuesday 28th July 2015
quotequote all
I love the front, but the back doesn't look right? In either photo? Maybe it's just the pictures and looks better in real life.

Hardly matters as I can't afford one anyway hehe

V8LM

5,166 posts

208 months

Tuesday 28th July 2015
quotequote all
pSyCoSiS said:
Apart from the V600 Vantage, this is my top modern Aston Martin


Rear of the Project Vantage, which eventually mutated into Vanquish, was nicer:



Schermerhorn

4,342 posts

188 months

Tuesday 28th July 2015
quotequote all
Finest? Hardly.

More like archaic.

A lot of this 'wonderfulness' about these old cars is wrapped up in nostalgia. The game has moved on very quickly.

Still bloody nice to look at though.

anonymous-user

53 months

Tuesday 28th July 2015
quotequote all
I worked on the development program for Vanq and VanqS and have a bit of a soft spot for these!

Sure, the DB9 is a better car in EVERY respect, but park one next to a Vanq and the 9 seems somewhat ordinary somehow! Sure, it's held together with less double sided tape, velcro and string, and at least the gearbox in the DB9 will generally be in an appropriate gear more than once a month, but i'd still have a place in my virtual garage for a Vanq but not a 9......... ;-)

Asterix

24,438 posts

227 months

Tuesday 28th July 2015
quotequote all
Max_Torque said:
I worked on the development program for Vanq and VanqS and have a bit of a soft spot for these!

Sure, the DB9 is a better car in EVERY respect, but park one next to a Vanq and the 9 seems somewhat ordinary somehow! Sure, it's held together with less double sided tape, velcro and string, and at least the gearbox in the DB9 will generally be in an appropriate gear more than once a month, but i'd still have a place in my virtual garage for a Vanq but not a 9......... ;-)
Agreed - I'd have the Vanquish over a DB9 any day of the week.

That said, it would be unlikely if it would be a daily drive so to a certain degree the dynamics wouldn't be as much of an issue.

Vee12V

1,329 posts

159 months

Tuesday 28th July 2015
quotequote all
Stunning car with equally stunning looks, well especially stunning looks. But couldn't live with the interior. Unless it had the works manual conversion perhaps.

Armen

252 posts

147 months

Tuesday 28th July 2015
quotequote all
We are the very happy owners of a late model. smile

A 2007 Vanquish S, the one which was shown at the Geneva Motorshow 2007.
Besides, on the door sill plates you can read "Handbuilt in England for Geneva Motorshow 2007".
The car color is Tempest Blue and our car (chassis 2442) is apparently the unique and only Vanquish/S built in that color.
The car is in the family since 5 years and it is absolutely STUNNING. thumbup

Why the Vanquish (and especially the S version of 520 bhp / 528 PS) ?

- timeless design mixing charisma and sexiness
- the last ever of Newport Pagnell factory since the DB4 in 1958
- only 2578 ever made (1086 of them were Vanquish S), so a pretty rare car
- in the case of the S, more than 200 MPH of top speed, one of the fastest AM ever
- one of the most beautiful engine sounds ever, no other modern V12 Aston can beat it
- a very raw car without DSC, only a limited slip differential and traction control
- the gearbox is not an automatic with torque converter, it is a manual with electro-hydraulic clutch, which allows you to feel greatly the car while changing gears
- iconic status because the Vanquish back in 2001 was a complete new model
- it announced the following models of the current range
- while all new modern Aston are good cars, they all look like the same
- the new Vanquish 2013/2015 (which, to me, doesn't deserve the name at all...) remains a "tuned" DB9 2013, not at all a new model as the Vanquish was 14 years ago
- it was mixing craftsmanship and modern technologies
- it appeared in James Bond "Die Another Day" in 2002

The Vanquish/S (2001-2007) will remain as one of the most iconic Aston ever made. smile

People are realizing more and more that the Vanquish is something quiet special.

I think any car enthusiast would fall in love with the Vanquish at the first driving.

The way it drives, the way it sounds, the way it looks… this car is just MAGICAL. thumbup

If the car is driven well, the clutch can last at least 60 000 miles (tested and approved by one of my friends, 2002 Vanquish owner since new)

The value between an early Vanquish and a late S is around the double.

Values are constantly increasing... Catch them while you can smile










The car at Geneva Motorshow 2007 :




Asterix

24,438 posts

227 months

Tuesday 28th July 2015
quotequote all
Beautiful - lucky man thumbup

This beats the piss out of so many of the so called megacars.