All new Aston martin Vanquish S – a sharper, more polished version of the Vanquish competent of 0-62mph in 3.5 seconds and 201mph. It’s also the last outing for Aston’s Ford-derived 6. 0-litre V12, here tuned for an extra 27bhp within the Vanquish it replaces, even though the 465lb ft torque characters stays the same. The DB11 will be accompanied by an all-new twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 Vantage at the end of 2017, and then a new twin-turbo DB11-based Vanquish in 2018, so this is the last gasp for naturally-aspirated Astons. We can see why the launch of the new Conquer S (a 595bhp two plus two GT), following just weeks after the launch of the new DB11 (a 600bhp 2+2 GT) could cause much head scratch.
Aston’s CEO, Andy Palmer, says it “takes things a step further, with confidence asserting itself within the Aston Martin range and distinguishing itself from the new DB11.” A spokesman clarified further, dialing the DB11 Aston’s car and the Conquer S its super GRAND TOURING. It should be a more focused kind of car then, but considering it’s depending on older body and power train tech than the DB11 and costs? 45,050 or more it needs to be impressive to earn its keep.
The chassis has recently been given the complete Matt Becker treatment Aston’s head of ride and handling, poached from Lotus. Spring rates are up ten every cent, but with re tuned dampers to bring the front and rear ends in harmony with each other. A thicker rear end anti-roll bar has recently been added to keep the back of the auto more planted, the hydraulic driving has been revised, but keeps the same proportion, and a new back muffler amplifies the V12’s swansong.
There’s also a new aero package, including winglets on the ends of the leading bumper to direct air away from the wheels. That means less overall drag, less front-end lift to you and I that means less under steer and a fraction more aggression to the countenance of Vanquish. The announcement is happening at the doorstep of the L.A. auto show, Aston Martin chose to separate from the crowd and debut the Vanquish S closer to the beach at a private event in the Pacific Palisades.
