Aston Martin Celebrates 20 Years Of The Epic V12 Vanquish

The V12 GT's story began long before 2001 with a concept called Project Vantage, which was developed in the mid-1990s and shown for the first time at the 1998 Detroit Motor Show. Designed by Ian Callum, it was a beauty and featured a new 6.0-liter V12 with 460 horsepower. Thanks to an aluminum tub and composite body panels, it was light too, and something far more advanced than anything the sports car manufacturer had built up to that point. Development on the program continued until the autumn of 2000 when a pre-production version was shown to a select few journalists. A short while later, the finished product was ready for reveal.

As much as the car's technical achievements were part of its success, the gorgeous design is what drew people in. Available as a strict two-seater or a 2+2, the Vanquish "was shaped to reflect the pedigree, heritage, and tradition of Aston Martin." Key features of the design included the distinctive grille and lower intake along with large fog lamps and turn signals. The sculpted hood led back to a similarly curvaceous profile that boasted a low roofline and large rear haunches. A short tail with a subtle rear spoiler gave the car a classic look that still holds up against modern designs.

Of course, we have to spend some time on the engine. With two overhead camshafts, 48 valves, and six liters of displacement across 12 cylinders, the engine's specs read like an engineer's pornographic novel. It developed 460 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 410 lb-ft of torque at 5,000 rpm, allowing it to reach a top speed of 190 mph. Better than the V12 in the DB7 of the time, this engine received a long list of new goodies: inlet manifolds, camshafts, valve gear, crankshaft, and exhaust system - all of which helped increase power by 7%. Interestingly, while Aston is proud of the whole package, its in-house heritage center and new car dealership, Aston Martin Works, offers a manual conversion for those who don't like "flappy paddles."

Enhancements continued into 2004, where the Paris Motor Show saw the unveiling of the V12 Vanquish S. This could do more than 200 mph and developed 520 hp, while subtle suspension and steering changes further enhanced handling ability. Small changes to the body, like a rounded and more open front grille, improved cooling, while the front splitter and rear trunk lid were redesigned for better aerodynamic efficiency. All told, the changes resulted in a drag coefficient of 0.32, 20% quicker steering response, and a rise in torque to 425 lb-ft. To handle the added output, the brakes were upgraded with six-piston calipers in front while the rear discs swelled by 2 millimeters.

Finally, the V12 Vanquish S Ultimate signaled the end of new car production at Newport Pagnell in February 2007. To send the facility off in style, just 40 of the Ultimate were made by special request, with these boasting special Ultimate Black paint and semi-aniline upholstery with coarse stitching. A leather headliner and black chrome interior finishings were complemented by personalized sill plaques. At the same time, an undisclosed number of runout V12 Vanquish models were also made for the Middle Eastern market.

The V12 Vanquish may not be the Aston Martin you dream of owning now, but without it, masterpieces like the visually arrestingV12 Zagato,ludicrous Vantage V12 RS, and thebreathtaking One-77may never have seen the light of day. Also, James Bond might never have outrun a Jaguar XK when he needed to most.