AStOn mARtIn VAnqUISh AStOn mARtIn V8 EFI AStOn ... - The Seen

More documents

Recommendations

Info

FEATURE : KATIE, KERMIT & KILOMETRES 13 ‘THE VANQUISH AlSO rEPrESENTS THE fINAl cHAPTEr IN NEwPOrT PAGNEll’S PrOdUcTION HISTOry.’ before. This ‘VH’ chassis architecture as it has become known is now the backbone of all modern Aston Martin models. In terms of driving style, the Vanquish is certainly stiff enough and communicative enough to be hustled along a B-road, but it’s more rewarding when commanded smoothly with measured inputs. Although the six-speed paddle-shift hardware was still in its infancy at launch, the system has received software upgrades over the years and feels similar to BMW’s SMG gearbox. Early reports that suggested you could rock yourself into a coma before the transmission acknowledged a command are unfounded in this 2003 example. The ‘box responds well to positive, unflustered commands but I’ll admit that crawling in traffic isn’t a strong point. While a manual gearbox became available as a much lauded retro-fit option, I don’t see how a stick and a heavy clutch would suit this car’s fluid character. The Vanquish should be approached less as an on-the-limit supercar and more as the ultimate grand tourer that deserves respect. Figures are an uncouth irrelevance here; all you need to know is that the speedometer goes to 210mph and that those front chairs are comfortable enough to hit the south of France in one sitting. The Vanquish is an incredibly versatile beast: it’s devastatingly quick when required (even in snow) but equally content cruising at 30mph in Auto Shift Manual (ASM) mode. Vanquish 1 : Snow 0. If all this wasn’t compelling enough, the Vanquish also represents the final chapter in Newport Pagnell’s production history. When the last car rolled off the line (No 40 of just 40 Vanquish S ‘Ultimate Editions’ in case you were wondering…), it marked the end of the handmade Aston Martin – unless, that is, you’re currently in the queue for a £1.2m One-77 hypercar, for which I salute you. Every fuLLbore Vanquish went through 2,000 stages of checks and took just over 396 man-hours to create, the equivalent of six weeks work. If a car took six weeks to build in the current Gaydon factory, AM’s CEO Dr. Bez would have a coronary. The Vanquish therefore is a car that simultaneously defines its era at Aston Martin while remaining relevant to the present day. It goes a long way to explaining why the company continues to move from strength to strength today, and majors on that illusive, intangible asset: feeling special. You’re not just buying a car here, you’re buying automotive theatre and a particularly significant slice of the Aston Martin story. The line starts behind me… Jon Quirk is an automotive journalist that has written and presented for Autocar, Which? and BSkyB. Follow him on twitter: @Jon_Quirk As London’s only official Aston Martin-appointed Heritage Specialist, Nicholas Mee & Co has recently invested in all relevant diagnostic equipment and our staff have received the latest factory training, ensuring that we are best placed to care for every aspect of your Vanquish. For a free servicing quote, or for advice on buying or selling a Vanquish, please don’t hesitate to contact the team.
THE FULLBORE CENTREFOLD Photography: Tom Andrew
Page 2 and 3: MEE SPEAK Short days and long, dark
Page 4 and 5: NEWS AStOn COOLESt, AgAIn In Septem
Page 6 and 7: FEATURE VANQUISHING POINT... 9 Word
Page 10 and 11: GARRARD’S GEMS + HOT LIST gARRARD
Page 12 and 13: WhAt’S In StOCK AStoN mArtiN V8 V
Page 14 and 15: FEATURE 9 fuLLbore rOAd rAcEr Words
Page 16 and 17: FEATURE : ROAD RACER 16 engine was
Page 18 and 19: CTR EVENTS 2011 18 EXCLUSIVE DRIVIN
Page 20 and 21: ASTONSTORE SPOTLIGHT + ASTON MARTIN
Page 22 and 23: MOTORSPORT BRItCAR 24hR, SILVERStOn

AStOn mARtIn VAnqUISh AStOn mARtIn V8 EFI AStOn ... - The Seen

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?