Review
The Vanquish is the last survivor of the way Aston Martin used to do things. It's hand-built, ultra-exclusive and wears a pricetag that, even in the rarefied market segment it competes in, looks fairly steep.
The Vanquish's big problem is that, spectacular as it is, the newer DB9 is a far more rounded car: prettier to look at, more practical and actually better to drive. Yet when Vanquish manufacture does end in the summer of 2007, many will still mourn the passing of the last old-school Aston.
The Vanquish's design has aged well, with external styling still having the ability to form crowds of qawping spectators wherever it goes. The interior is less impressive, feeling rather cheap for something wearing a pricetag this monstrous with some cheap-looking mainstream switchgear and a very plasticky finish to the centre console. Space is good for the two front occupants, with Aston also offering the sensible option of a luggage-ledge in place of the nominal rear "two-plus-two" seats. The boot is a bit on the small side for grand-touring though.
The V12 engine gives massive performance and a wonderful soundtrack but delivers drive through a lurch-prone semi-automatic gearbox that doesn't really suit the rest of the car. A manual gearbox option has just been made available by the factory, but will only be offered on the very last-of-line cars.