Like all Aston Martin automobiles, its appearance is shaped along familiar lines, yet the car is easily discernible from the DBS it replaces. With the end of One-77 production, the Vanquish now sits atop the Aston Martin lineup.
Power comes from a reworked 6.0-liter V-12 engine, now rated at 565 horsepower and 457 pound-feet of torque. That’s sent to the rear wheels only, via a paddle-shifted six-speed automatic gearbox, and (sadly) no manual transmission will be offered. From what we understand, no dual-clutch automatic is in the works, either.
As equipped, the Vanquish will sprint from 0-60 mph in 4.1 seconds, on its way to a top speed of 183 miles per hour. In its role as “The Ultimate Super Grand Tourer,” perhaps no other choice of gearbox is really needed; after all, it’s likely that Vanquish buyers who enjoy track days have a dedicated car (or cars) for that purpose.
The Vanquish will debut as a 2014 model in early 2013, priced from $279,995 including both destination charges and the requisite gas-guzzler tax. Look for our driving impressions of the 2014 Aston Martin Vanquish next week.