The Aston Martin Vanquish was created in Newport Pagnell. It was released in 2001 as a Grand Tourer vehicle. The Vanquish is the last in the series for a handcrafted vehicle. Aston Martin spent forty-nine years building vehicles with skilled workers. It took a total of forty-eight, eight hours a day to create the sports car. Clearly, care was taken in the build of the vehicle when examining the bodywork and exquisite interior.
Aston Martin was initially questioned about the engine. Some thought it was a Ford product. The company was considered to have combined two three-liter Ford Duratec engines. This turned out to be incorrect, although some parts of that engine were used. The 5.9-liter, 460bhp V12 engine that made up the Vanquish was definitely created differently from the Duratec.
Problems plagued early versions of the Vanquish. The main concerns were the manual paddle-shift gearbox and vehicle handling. There was a comparison to the gearbox in the Ferrari that was extremely perfect when shifting. The Vanquish’s performance in original condition was good, but when the car was pushed hard, the gearbox failed.
Aston Martin did not work on the gearbox problem until the Ultimate Edition Vanquish that was produced in 2007. There were a total of forty cars in this line that finally solved the manual gearbox problem with paddles. In fact, the company was so pleased with the new conventional manual gearbox with shifter that they were willing to install it on older Vanquish models.
While the Vanquish may have had a few issues in the early days, it was still a very popular vehicle. The dominance of the automobile on the road showcased the well-known Aston Martin trademarks. They started with the extended hood, which directed their gaze to the distinctive front grille and xenon headlights. The wheel arches stood out boldly and the side strakes completed the Aston Martin design.
The 2005 Vanquish S was another effort to reduce disapproval. The S series has 520 horsepower. It can hit 240 miles per hour and go from idle to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds.
The S series has a “Sports Dynamic Pack” on all models, instead of an additional component. The package is designed to increase steering, braking and handling performance.
In 2007, the Aston Martin Vanquish was discontinued and replaced by the new DBS model which was based on the more modern and acclaimed DB9. In 2010 Aston is rumored to release a suitable Vanquish replacement, however given that production has now moved to Gayden in Warwickshire it is unlikely to recreate the handcrafted build of the impressive but flawed Vanquish.