Latest news with #Vanquish
Motor Trend
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Motor Trend
2025 Aston Martin Vanquish First Test Review: Big Performance From One of the Most Beautiful Cars Ever Made
Pros A rolling work of art 824 hp ain't nothin' to sneeze at Great to drive Cons V-12 soundtrack a bit muted by turbos Desperately needs a nose-lift system Feels big on a winding road There's a moment when first-date jitters transform into the joy of possibilities. It's when you realize an emotional connection can be so much greater than you originally expected. The automotive equivalent of that experience is the 2025 Aston Martin Vanquish, one of the most beautiful cars ever designed. The coupe is this close to epitomizing the perfect front-engine V-12 grand tourer, a classic formula Aston's Italian rivals have iterated on for more than half a century. 0:00 / 0:00 Forget Ferrari for a second. This Aston's real good, and not only in the way you think it would be. Rolling Work of Art With the 2025 Aston Martin Vanquish, beauty is everywhere you look. The best part about the Vanquish's design is that there isn't a best part. Every angle reveals a new visual delight, and you don't need to be a design nerd to appreciate it. The proportions are perfect, from the short front overhangs to the way the roofline is low but not too low. It's so much more, though, like the stunning rear treatment. Or the surfacing of the doors. Take a close look at the carefully sculpted hood, and you'll see six holes in each of two hood vents, one for each of the 12 cylinders. Whether viewed on a phone screen or in person, the 2025 Aston Martin Vanquish is one of the most beautiful cars ever designed. 824 HP and 12 Cylinders at the Track Although the 2025 Vanquish is the latest in a long line of exotic GT cars, there's nothing nostalgic about its powertrain. A 5.2-liter twin-turbo V-12 producing 824 hp at 6,500 rpm and 738 lb-ft of torque at 2,500 rpm makes every trip a special occasion. Bursting from 0 to 60 mph in only 3.3 seconds should catch most lead-footed Teslas by surprise. The quarter mile is done in 11.2 seconds at an excellent 132.5 mph. On the track, the car just keeps pulling and pulling until you run out of dragstrip. Surprising no one, however, this isn't a stoplight drag-racer. You have to be in it for the experience. So as much as Aston may have been pleased to learn its baby has 6 hp more than the new Ferrari 12 Cilindri, you don't have to look far to find cars that match its impressive straight-line performance. And we don't mean electric cars like the MotorTrend-record-setting Porsche Taycan Turbo GT Weissach. Try the Audi RS 7 Performance, which beats the Aston to 60 (3.0 seconds) and matches its trap speed in the quarter mile (11.2 seconds at 123.7 mph). Then there's the new Bentley Continental GT Speed, a plug-in hybrid that hits 60 in 2.8 seconds and rips onto a 10.8-second quarter mile at 130.7 mph. These really are exciting times to be a car enthusiast. 'Way Better Than I Expected' The biggest surprise was when we ran the Vanquish through our figure-eight course, which evaluates braking, cornering, and acceleration as well as the transitions in between. The Aston finished the course in 23.3 seconds at 0.94 g (average), more than a second quicker than that Bentley. Just listen to associate road test editor Erick Ayapana: 'Way better than I expected. Turn-in is so fast and crisp. I expected this to be front heavy, but this is a very balanced car.' On and off the track, we found the Aston is at its best with delicate steering and pedal inputs. Finesse the car, and it will deliver world-class performance and rotate the tail out if that's what you're after. At the same time, it never feels as small as Aston's own Vantage. Some cars hide their weight remarkably well, but that's not the case for the 4,334-pound Vanquish. The V-12 GT car weighs 456 pounds more than the eight-cylinder Vantage, another Aston with just about perfect 50/50 weight distribution front to rear. The Vanquish is a thrill to drive, but on tight switchbacks it feels as wide as a Range Rover Sport with its mirrors folded in. Because it is. Vanquish as a GT Car For an occasional-use exotic, it seems like you couldn't ask for much more than a design for the ages, a solid driving experience, and a classy interior with fine attention to detail. But we will. No car that costs $560,700 should make its owner feel uncomfortable on a sunny day. The optional glass roof lacks a simple roller shade or an electrochromic dimming function, the kind you find on some glass-roofed cars these days. Aston tells us the tinted glass shields occupants from UV-A and -B rays and is tinted to allow 6 percent light transmission. That works most of the time, but we'd like more control when the weather is especially hot and sunny. The other feature every Vanquish needs is a nose-lift system. Imagine pulling up to the raised entrance of a busy hotel valet. While everyone gawks at your Aston Martin, the car's low front end loudly scrapes on the pavement. That wouldn't happen in a Corvette or a 911. In those cars, the feature is even connected to the navigation system so you can mark frequently visited locations, and the car knows exactly where to lift. Finally, we wouldn't argue with an even more comfortable Comfort drive mode to have the option of occasionally selecting a cushier ride. V-8 or V-12? Yes. Awaken the V-12 engine, and its sound immediately communicates power and exclusivity. Very few V-12 engines remain in production, and this one propels the Vanquish to become the most powerful front-engine Aston in history, as well as the fastest with its 214-mph top speed. Perhaps the biggest surprise of all during our time with the Vanquish was how we started daydreaming about a Lexus LC500. What makes an engine sound like beautiful music is subjective, just like actual music. And for me, the naturally aspirated V-8 of the Lexus LC500 is a treasure. The Aston's V-12 is mighty, but it's also turbocharged. The Ferrari 12 Cilindri manages its 800-plus-horsepower experience with no turbos. That translates to an even more stirring aural performance. As we said, it's subjective, and we'll gladly drive them all through our favorite tunnels anytime. A Worthy Flagship The best cars deliver a natural high during your first experience with them. What happens next is the real test of automotive goodness. Do you still see its value after realizing that every car has flaws? In the case of the 2025 Aston Martin Vanquish, the answer is a resounding yes. This classic GT car has a few drawbacks, but its true beauty is in the way it simultaneously looks good and inspires you on the road. We hope Aston won't get complacent with this flagship car, as reputations aren't solidified overnight. But the hard work is done, and what a gorgeous way to honor the classic tradition of gas-powered 12-cylinder front-engine GTs.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Skip the SUV — These Modern Shooting Brakes Are So Much Cooler
Although uncommon, the shooting brake car style has a noticeable and unique presence all to its own. In the traditional sense, a shooting brake is a three-door station wagon with sporty styling, blurring the lines between sports car and utility with a lower, streamlined stance, focus on performance, and a mix of luxury features. Modern-day variations blend these boundaries further by throwing four-door variations into the mix, as you'll see with some of the options on this list. However, the general aura of the shooting brake remains, and we are all too excited to continue to see them on the market, even in limited quantities at higher prices. This list of some of the best-looking modern shooting brakes on the market might be enough to prove that one car can do it all, but at what cost? Shooting brakes are a rare breed, so to curate this list, we focused on modern models that truly embody the spirit of the format — low-slung, stylish, and sporty with a practical twist. While some stretch the definition with four doors or electric drivetrains, all of them maintain that unmistakable shooting brake attitude: bold proportions, upscale details, and just enough cargo space to feel rebellious. We prioritized cars that: Features distinctive, coupe-like design with an extended roofline Blend performance and utility in a single silhouette Have generated buzz from enthusiasts, collectors, or design critics Were limited in production or uniquely styled (because ordinary wagons need not apply) Pricing and production numbers come from reputable sources, including RM Sotheby's, Evo Magazine, Top Gear, MotorTrend, and official manufacturer data. Enthusiast forums like BimmerLife and Reddit's r/SportWagon also helped us understand which models have earned cult status — and which ones just look the part. If you are unfamiliar with the Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato, you are not alone. Zagato, the Italian coachbuilder, created only 99 of these exclusive and stunning vehicles in collaboration with Aston Martin. They developed a version of the Vanquish, a 5.9-liter naturally aspirated V12-toting British supercar, into a sleek, two-door grand tourer with insane proportions, as reported by British automobile magazine Evo. The catch? These rare, low-production number cars are hard to find and come with a hefty price tag ranging between $400,000, according to collector car auction houses like Barrett-Jackson and RM Sotheby's. Porsche enthusiasts and purists may be conflicted over the introduction of an all-electric sedan into the brand's lineup, according to popular Porsche forums like Rennlist, but anyone who has gotten behind the wheel of the Porsche Taycan could agree that this car is something special. With the addition of the Taycan 4 Cross Turismo, this sporty sedan transforms into a gorgeous shooting brake. Although not as rare as the Vanquish Zagato, the Cross Turismo comes in at a significantly more reasonable starting price of $111,100 and moves upwards of $149,800 for the more performance-oriented Taycan GTS Sport Turismo, according to the Porsche online configurator. If you like classic styling combined with luxury, the Mercedes-AMG CLS Shooting Brake ditches the idea of eccentric body lines and supercar-like styling for a timeless appearance. The AMG-styled radiator grille, combined with the widened rear end and strong roofline, gives the car an aggressive appearance, while the sleek lines of the body and doors stay true to the "quiet luxury" styling Mercedes is known for. Unfortunately for us here in the US, the market for shooting brakes is significantly smaller than that of other countries, and the Mercedes-AMG CLS Shooting Brake hasn't been made available here. For our European readers, however, you can find these starting at €60,000 and up, depending on the insane tech options and stylings in the brand's configurator. The US vehicle market really struggles with the European concept of a shooting brake, but of all of the options available on the market, the Ferrari GTC4Lusso is perhaps the most true to the name 'shooting brake.' In recent years, we've seen Ferrari branch out into more practical vehicles such as the Purosangue, a proper SUV (even if Ferrari doesn't want to admit it's an SUV), and expand into the market of practical, daily-driver-ready sports cars. The GTC4Lusso shooting brake is no exception, boasting a proper Ferrari 12-cylinder engine with an extended roofline and surprisingly usable rear seats. While the GTC4Lusso is no longer available new, they can be found on the used market for a wide range of prices in the 6-figure range, depending on mileage and condition. Although it looks slightly like a wagon, as confirmed by its long chain of polarized comments on the r/SportWagon comment thread, the Genesis G70 takes the overall appearance of the G70 four-door executive luxury sedan we got here in the US market and elongated the body lines into a proper shooting brake that unfortunately did not make it to the US market. Estimated pricing for the Genesis G70 Shooting Brake converts to around $42,300, according to MotorTrend, making it one of the more attainable shooting brakes on this list — as long as you're in a country where it is available. Another example of a striking modern shooting brake we didn't get in the US, the Peugeot 508 SW sits halfway between a station wagon and a shooting brake — based on the Peugeot 508, a family-oriented sedan, with adjusted body lines of a station wagon as denoted by the 'SW' in the name. It's not all that dissimilar from the Genesis G70 Shooting Brake, as shown by the direct comparison of the two by UK's weekly car magazine Auto Express. Although you can no longer order the 508 SW from Peugeot, prices started at £34,910 according to Top Gear. Affectionately nicknamed the "clown shoe" by fans and forums like BMW-specific publication BimmerLife, the BMW Z3 coupe was made in surprisingly low production numbers but was at least available in the US. The specialty website reports that only 2,071 coupes were produced, making it just as uncommon, if not more so, than some of the other options on this list, but at a far more affordable price point. Prices vary drastically for the Z3 coupe, depending on specs, mileage, and condition, but according to online vehicle sales website the average sales price is around $11,989 — quite a big dip from the newer, more modern options on this list for those looking to score a bargain on a rare, US-available shooting brake. The Ferrari GTC4Lusso may be one of the newer shooting brake vehicles in the Italian supercar manufacturer's lineup, but we can't forget about the Ferrari FF. It's a three-door, four-seater with traditional shooting brake proportions, making it a great addition to this list. According to Ferrari, the FF features a 12-cylinder engine supported by not one but two transmissions for a revolutionary four-wheel-drive system. Collector car insurance company Hagerty reports that while the original MSRP for the Ferrari FF started at $302,450 for the base model, today, the average price for a car in good condition is $122,000. With only 2291 produced, that money gets you something that stands out. The Rolls-Royce Wraith Silver Spectre is more of an honorable mention as a one-of-one adaptation, but it definitely deserves some attention. Unlike some of the flashier supercar-based shooting brakes on this list, the Wraith Silver Spectre shows off a simpler design with big 'old money' vibes. According to RM Sotheby's, the collector car auction that saw this car cross the block for $280,265, the designer, Niels van Roij, said that the Rolls-Royce Wraith Silver Spectre shooting brake was designed to "subtly link back to the heyday of shooting brakes in the 1930s." While mainstream buyers have turned their backs on wagons, the shooting brake endures, quietly and confidently, in design studios and collector wishlists around the world. These cars aren't for everyone, and that's kind of the point. They're for those who want practicality without giving up on personality, and who believe hauling groceries shouldn't mean giving up on great design. Whether it's a Ferrari with room for luggage, a Porsche built for grand touring, or a BMW that looks like it escaped from a design experiment, these shooting brakes prove that you really can have it all, if you're willing to search a little harder.
Express Tribune
16-05-2025
- Automotive
- Express Tribune
Aston Martin first to launch Apple's next-gen ‘CarPlay Ultra' software
Listen to article Aston Martin has become the first carmaker to integrate Apple's next-generation CarPlay Ultra system, marking a major step forward in in-car infotainment technology. Announced on Thursday, the updated system will roll out to all new Aston Martin models sold in the US and Canada, including the DB12, Vanquish, Vantage, and the latest DBX SUV — provided they feature the brand's post-2023 infotainment platform. Unlike previous versions, CarPlay Ultra takes full control of both the infotainment display and digital dashboard, offering granular customisation of instrument clusters, themes, and wallpapers. This includes speedometer, tachometer, and full-screen navigation layouts, all styled to match Aston Martin's distinctive design language. Apple's updated CarPlay also enables users to control climate, media, and vehicle settings using touch or Siri voice commands. Some essential functions, such as reverse camera feeds, will remain independent of the CarPlay interface. CarPlay Ultra requires an iPhone 12 or newer running iOS 18.5.4 or later. Aston Martin confirmed that eligible existing models will receive the upgrade via a dealer-installed software update in the coming weeks. The move places Apple in direct competition with Google's Android Auto, which already offers deep system integration in several car brands. Apple noted that Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis are also planning to support CarPlay Ultra soon. This long-awaited launch follows Apple's original 2022 promise of a more immersive CarPlay experience, although several brands listed then — including Mercedes-Benz — have since opted out of implementing the new platform.
Canberra Times
15-05-2025
- Automotive
- Canberra Times
Apple CarPlay Ultra debuts in Aston Martin models
Aston Martin is the first auto brand to feature the system, and it's available as standard on all DB12, DBX, Vantage and Vanquish vehicles ordered in the US and Canada from today, but it can also be retrofitted to existing current-generation Aston vehicles in those markets from June.
Scottish Sun
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
I drove Aston Martin Vantage Roadster – it's car which cries out to be driven hard & will get you a nod of appreciation
FAST-forward to 2028 and Aston Martin will be killing it – as a car company, as a Formula 1 team, as a brand. I'm 100-per-cent certain. Billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll doesn't do anything by half and he's recruited the biggest brains to make Aston world-beaters on and off the track. Here's ten minutes inside the mind of Aston Martin CEO Adrian Hallmark, headhunted from Bentley last year to reinvent the car side of the business. Who phoned who? A mutual contact asked if I'd be interested in a conversation, which I agreed to because I was interested in the story. So I had the conversation, understood the story, could see the credibility of what they'd done and what they were doing, and thought about it. It wasn't a quick thing. It was a conversation over many, many months. What was the deciding factor? To prove if I could do it again. When I arrived at Bentley I was almost angry with the condition the company had got itself into having worked there before. I knew what it could be and had seen how Ferrari and others had developed. Aston is another brand that has never realised its true potential. It was never really sustainably profitable. It was very niche. So the chance to do it one more time, as long as I'm feeling happy, healthy, fit and fully energised, what an opportunity. Have you ever owned an Aston Martin? Never. In fact, when I drove the Vantage, I almost felt a twinge of guilt. The performance and the quality and the feel of the Vantage is phenomenal. I'd never tried it because I always underestimated what it would be. The whole philosophy at Bentley is super-fast but relaxed. In an Aston Martin, you feel energised. Every single one. The DB12 looks like an intercontinental cruiser. When you drive it, it's rampant, and feels really energetic and alive. The Vantage is a step even further and Vanquish is another level. All very different characters, but they've all got this vitality in the way they feel and drive. And they look the nuts . . . Honestly, you can't drive anywhere without being photographed. Everybody wants to talk to you about them and that's not just in the UK, that's when I'm in France or in Switzerland or travelling. So what needs fixing? To be really punchy about it, we were either unimaginative or self-limiting in assuming that we could launch a car for five years and take the top off it as the only action to keep the car relevant to customers. If I buy a Vantage in 2023, I probably want to change it by 2025-2026. So what's changed that allows me to come back and feel I'm buying a different and more attractive car than the one I'm already selling? That's our duty and we've not planned enough of that. We're gonna do the exciting stuff as well. But the real key to building a sustainable profitable business is having this bedrock of products that work through this five, six-year life cycle where there's lots of innovation. The luxury market has expanded exponentially over the past 20 years and we need to go and get our share. We're covering a price range from £150,000 to £1million for the base cars. With the plans we've got to take each nameplate and express its full potential, do more specials but at the right cadence, I can see a clear pathway to making the brand sustainably profitable. Talk to me about electrification . . . Step one is hybridisation. Beyond Valhalla, you'll start to see a complete hybridisation offer in parallel to some of the combustion offers that we have. We will focus our hybrid approach on performance first and the emissions benefits will be the given. We are still committed to full electric in the future. But we won't rush to change every model to electric one year after the next. We will launch something in this decade – but we won't have an offer in every body style by the end of this decade. Will the first EV have four doors and a high hip-point? More than likely. An all-new model? Or will you use an existing name? We've not made those decisions yet. It's like babies, isn't it? You have ideas before they are born but always do it after they are born. Aston has always had James Bond. Now it has F1 too . . . I was jealous to death of James Bond, F1 and the specials business of Aston Martin when I was at Bentley. Any one thing on its own is interesting. But if you look at the credibility and the integrity of what Lawrence is pulling together, I mean to get Adrian Newey, Enrico Cardile and Andy Cowell into the F1 team, this is not a vanity project. This is freaking serious. All-in. For now, we've got to get through this season and it's all about 2026, 2027, 2028. That three-year window is what Lawrence and the whole team are absolutely obsessively focused on. It coincides with where we should be as well. In the next few years we will have refreshed everything. Replaced everything. Not just the derivatives. Every car will be redone. You'll start to see a complete reset of the company both on track and off. We've got the resources and the talent. Everything we need to get it done. Last question – what's in your garage at home? I don't collect cars. I'm a profligate consumer. I would never buy something just to own it. I buy it for the fun of the driving. I've got two G-Wagons, a 1991 Swiss Army eight-seater, and a G63. We've also got a Fiat 500 Electric for the city. It's beautiful. Satin grey, OZ Racing wheels.
