If last year's reveal of R-Reforged’s Vanquish 25 by CALLUM had you scoffing at another aesthetically tweaked restomod set to cost allota money, newly revealed development details might help persuade you about the seriousness of the project. While this reworked take on Ian Callum’s famed 2001 Aston Martin model looks like a GT with a nip and tuck to go with a new shade of red paint, it is in fact a far more comprehensive offering. So much so that Vanquish designer Callum himself cites the chassis upgrades as the most significant alteration to occur on the 2020 version. That, and the car gets a three-pedal manual option.
We were first shown the styling changes in September, with new bumpers, grills and lights, as well as black details in place of chrome, creating the impression of an OEM facelift. We now know that R-Reforged has also achieved the more muscular stance of its Vanquish with wider tracks that have been extended by 60mm, as well as a 10mm lower ride height. This is as much for handling gains as it is for the look, with Bilstein dampers – tuned specifically for this application – at the centre of the revisions.
The German-made struts get slightly stiffer compression and rebound rates, matched to higher-grade bushes, tighter anti-roll bars and 20-inch rims, wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport boots. All told, the changes are said to drastically cut roll and sharpen up handling, as you’d expect, but the Vanquish 25 retains an air of suppleness appropriate for a long distance, high-performance GT. R-Reforged has also lowered the seating position and used a thinner steering wheel rim to enhance the connectivity between driver and car, which all sounds rather lovely.
It’s not like the Vanquish was a particularly dated starting point, either. Don’t forget, it’s built around a bonded aluminium composite chassis with a carbon fibre backbone, which was co-developed with Lotus, no less. But R-Reforged reckons the chassis alterations, along with the updated V12 – a carbon induction system, new exhaust and top-end changes – create a car very much capable of impressing in 2020. A naturally-aspirated 5.9-litre with crisper vocals and 580hp, 60hp better than before, certainly sounds good to us.
You can stick with the car’s original robotic automated manual six-speed, the Speedshift, but R-Reforged also offers a full torque converter auto or proper manual conversion. Aston was convinced to offer a post-production manual conversion for the Mk1 Vanquish itself, so there are certainly plenty of people out there who believe this former Bond car is deserving of three-pedals - even if Callum has previously stated that the original Speedshift is likeable enough for him to retain it in his own Vanquish, albeit with updated software.
It’s fair to say that building techniques have moved on since the turn of the millennium, so R-Reforged’s claims of achieving tighter-fitting panel gaps and a more lavishly trimmed cabin are credible enough. The cabin gets Bridge of Weir Leather Company materials, but keeps the original layout, while the engine bay gets a smattering of carbon fibre to spruce up what was already a fairly dramatic under-bonnet showing.
“The designers, engineers and craftspeople have poured all their energy into breathing new life into the car, pushing the boundaries of every detail: flawless surface finishes, tight shutlines and a crafted interior I believe you’ll enjoy spending time in,” reports Callum. “I’m particularly impressed with how it drives. From the lower, more sculpted and cossetting seat, the crisper steering with enhanced feel to just the glorious way it sounds, I think we have created something quite special.”
With the car now into its final stages of development, following 20,000 miles of testing with a prototype, the first of a total of 25 customer builds is on schedule to begin in September. The price remains as before: £550,000, excluding VAT. Alright for some.
1 / 11