Monday 15th December 2014

Aston Works limited edition Vanquish

Works' 60th anniversary marked with... heater controls made from pistons. Huh?

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Hopefully we can be excused for seeing 'six bespoke models celebrate Aston Martin Works' 60th anniversary' in a press release and becoming rather excited. This is Aston Works after all, the people who undertake manual conversions on the old Vanquish and the place to go if your Aston requires some optimisation.

Heater controls from pistons. Whatever next?

Unfortunately, the release also mentions 'unique colour and trim treatments' plus the fact the Vanquishes are being built with Q by Aston Martin. It's style rather than substance to mark the occasion, put simply. And to think 600hp would have tied in so nicely with a 60th anniversary.

There will however be just six models of the Vanquish, offered in both coupe and Volante forms. We're told each of the six cars is subtly different but with each 'tailored to reflect one of the six decades being celebrated'. So the paint and trim is unique but so also are the 'bespoke rotaries around the major controls'.

Each is cast from the metal of a piston used in an Aston engine from that period. Really. The decision has divided the PH office; some of us think it's really cool and others perceive it as tragically naff. The six cars and engines used are the DB 2/4 Mk II saloon (1955-65), DB5 (65-75), the V8 coupe (75-85), the V8 Vantage X-pack (85-95), V8 Vantage Supercharged (95-2005) and the original Vanquish (2005-2015). Just in case you forget which model yours is, there's a date inscription on the central dial. This car is the, er, Vanquish Vanquish limited edition, as shown by the 2005-2015 written inside.

Those wheels are on all of 'em...

Though each Anniversary Vanquish will be unique, there are certain features common to all. The yellow side strakes and wheels, for example... More discreet identifiers can be found with the new Aston Works 60th Anniversary logo and the black/white seat centre panels.

The Anniversary Vanquish is mechanically identical to the standard car, now of course in MY15 specification with 573hp and the eight-speed ZF auto. According to Aston Works Commercial Director Paul Spires it has "already taken a number of orders from collectors" on the new car. If you are after one, the price is available on application from Aston Works. Natch.

 

 

[markomah]

I really, really dislike those yellow wheels and side strakes.

[Ex Boy Racer]

Remember when Aston Martin was voted the coolest brand on the planet?

[anonymous-user]

Hark, what's that sound i hear??

Is it the sound of a mellifluous 6.0 V12 engine growling along?


Nope, it's David Brown spinning angrily in his grave as his soul is sold "up the river" by cash rich chavs.

[dukebox9reg]

The piston rotaries I like, the Mansory colour scheme not so.

[Maldini35]

How many more tacky special editions can they make before the AMG cavalry arrive?

Perhaps Aston should just take a year off, shut up shop and just wait for some new cars rather than tarnish their reputation with this sort of thing.

[anonymous-user]

Rated a 5.8?? I rated it 9!

[soad]

markomah said:

I really, really dislike those yellow wheels and side strakes.

Quite garish.

[HardtopManual]

It does make me wonder how crap the designs for the special editions that don't get made are, if this it the best they can come up with.

[Johnspex]

I've never understood the whole James Bond thing with Aston Martin. If you were the kind of person with enough taste, style and success ie money to afford an AM would you be shallow enough to buy one just because of the JB connection or would you buy it DESPITE the JB connection?
I guess if you were the shallow kind and liked the JB thing I would also guess you had little enough taste to buy this horrible thing. Those wheels!




NB the bit about taste and style precludes footballers and lottery winners.

[FWDRacer]

Utter tat.

[Gecko1978]

I find limited editions which are in effect styling exercises a little contrived on cars like this, the Veyron is a classic example lots of limited editions etc, but really why bother if I had £1 million etc to spend with Bugatti I can go along and choose any colour and trim options my mind can dream up so what are the chances of someone else having the same one?

its the same with this I am sure if I had the cash I could go to Aston Martin and say I would like a white one with yellow trim and could you melt down this old DB7 I have and make some switches out of it and while your at it can one seat be Green and the other White etc, (I recall seeing a Diable with one red an one blue seat in a magazine years ago). The cars are bespoke the limit is your wallet an Imagination so really a bit pointless if you ask me.

[cuda]

NAFF!

[Davey S2]

No thanks.

[Chicane-UK]

The gold and white colour scheme is quite, quite horrid

[TheDoggingFather]

That'll sell well... In the UAE... Coincidence?

[soad]

Surprised badges aren't gold-plated.

[Axionknight]

markomah said:

I really, really dislike those yellow wheels and side strakes.

Same, terrible IMO - what a pity.

I do like the general shape/design of the cars though, even after all these years!

[King Steffy]

For me, it's a nice car ruined for some richos..
Blue with cream leather & normal (yes normal & not black, or gold wheels)would suffice.

[ManFromDelmonte]

GULZAR EDITION

[R6VED]

Goddam those wheels are rancid - the sort of st a chav might put on a 1.0 Corsa