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The Aston Martin Vanquish is a $300,000 angry piece of art that you can't stop looking at
Hollis Johnson
There are cars, and then there are Aston Martins. The boutique British sports car maker doesn't build transportation; it is a purveyor of automotive art. And though they may not all be a striking as the Vulcan hypercar or as classically beautiful as the Aston Martin DB5, Aston Martins have always been stylish, powerful, and attention-grabbing. So much so that Aston is the car of choice for the world's most famous fictional super spy. No, we're not talking about Jason Bourne or Austin Powers.
At the top of the Aston Martin hierarchy is their flagship grand tourer — the Vanquish. The multimillion-dollar Vulcan is a limited-edition, track-only offering to 23 customers and the Lagonda Taraf is, well, a Lagonda. The Vanquish is a car we've had our eye on for some time. Last year, we named the Aston one of the most beautiful news cars money can buy.
Recently, Business Insider had the opportunity to check out a 2016 Vanquish for a few days. Aston Martin delivered the silver super GT to our New York office one afternoon. And from the moment we laid eyes on the Vanquish it was hard to turn away.
Photos by Hollis Johnson unless otherwise credited.
The Vanquish is the latest model to serve as Aston Martin's flagship offering.
Hollis Johnson
The carbon-fiber-intensive super GT has big shoes to fill.
Hollis Johnson
It succeeds the DBS and ...
Aston Martin
.... the first-generation Vanquish. Both of which served a tour of duty as James Bond's official mode of transport.
REUTERS/Ferran Paredes
Sadly, Bond's DB10 from "Spectre" won't make it to production.
Aston Martin
The Vanquish sits a top a lineup consisting of the Vantage ...
Aston Martin
... the Rapide and ...
Aston Martin
... the outgoing DB9.
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The Vanquish's seductive sheet metal, or this case carbon fiber, is the work of Aston Martin Design Director Marek Reichman and ...
AP
... draws heavily from another one of Reichman's designs — the million-dollar Aston Martin One-77 hypercar.
Aston Martin
However, the Vanquish is latest and perhaps the final interpretation of the design language which originated in ...
Hollis Johnson
... 1993 with the DB7 by former Aston designer Ian Callum.
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That design theme continued under Reichman's predecessor Henrik Fisker, with cars such as the DB9.
Aston Martin
And If this is the final hurrah for this design theme, it will be a true shame because it presents a truly gorgeous silhouette.
Hollis Johnson
For Vanquish duty, the Aston look has been made leaner and meaner.
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The front end is punctuated by the the traditional Aston grille and a low-slung carbon-fiber splitter.
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The side profile of the Vanquish is defined by sculpted wheel arches and aggressive rear haunches.
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The rear end of the Aston features a sleek fastback design and a partially integrated spoiler.
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The angular tail lights and much the rear-end design are lifted from the One-77.
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In fact, the body of the Vanquish is crafted entirely out of aerospace-grade carbon fiber. According to Aston, the car is 25% lighter than the DBS it replaced.
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The gray Vanquish delivered to Business Insider is an updated version of the car that debuted in 2013.
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The biggest change is the addition of a new 8-speed ZF automatic transmission, which replaces an overmatched 6-speed unit. According to Aston, the new 8-speed can change gears in just 130 milliseconds.
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Lift up the Aston's long carbon-fiber hood and ...
Hollis Johnson
... you'll find something very familiar. Aston's venerable 6.0-liter, V-12 engine. In this case, the mighty powerplant produces 568 horsepower.
Hollis Johnson
Unlike its fellow English GTs, the Rolls-Royce Wraith and ...
Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider
... Bentley Continental GT ...
Bentley
