Photo: Aston Martin
Presented with great pomp and circumstance at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, the Vanquish Vision Concept is a different animal from the VH-based models that date back to January 1998 when Aston Martin premiered the Vantage Concept. A supercar instead of a front-engined gran turismo, the newcomer was originally planned with a hybrid V6.
Some people booed and hissed over the underwhelming powertrain, but as proven by the best name in the business, a twin-turbo V6 with the right kind of hybrid technology isn’t sucky at all. The 296 GTB is a stupendous thing, a genuine thriller compared to the all-wheel-driven Ferrari SF90 Stradale.
Andy Palmer, the previous big kahuna, further sweetened the deal with a manual transmission. But Palmer was booted after Lawrence Stroll became executive chairman of the British marque. In his place, Tobias Moers of Mercedes-AMG fame took the reigns of the company. The German executive had to phase out Aston Martin’s 3.0-liter V6 engine to save money, and the good ol’ stick shift has gone the way of the dodo as well.
The previous head honcho of Mercedes-AMG has reportedly changed the powerplant for the 4.0-liter V8 from the M176/M177/M178 series, namely the dry-sump M178 that’s used exclusively by the GT range of corner-carving sports cars. Autocar says that we’re in for “an electric drive unit” as well. Further expected to be called something other than Vanquish, the entry-level supercar will be slotted below the Valkyrie and the Valhalla.
According to Autocar, the newcomer is believed to supplement its internal combustion engine with up to 201 brake horsepower channeled to the rear wheels by an electric motor. That number is taken from the rear-mounted electric motor in the GT 63 S E Performance, a PHEV with a total system output of 831 hp and in excess of 1,033 pound-feet (1,400 Nm).
Based on a carbon-fiber tub, the maybe-not-called-this-way Vanquish is expected to weigh less than 1,500 kilograms (3,307 pounds). Its debut, meanwhile, is rumored for the second half of 2023, most likely for the 2024 model year. A track-only AMR Pro variant is mooted as well, along with a starting price of circa £250,000 ($330,000) for the road-going version.
Andy Palmer, the previous big kahuna, further sweetened the deal with a manual transmission. But Palmer was booted after Lawrence Stroll became executive chairman of the British marque. In his place, Tobias Moers of Mercedes-AMG fame took the reigns of the company. The German executive had to phase out Aston Martin’s 3.0-liter V6 engine to save money, and the good ol’ stick shift has gone the way of the dodo as well.
The previous head honcho of Mercedes-AMG has reportedly changed the powerplant for the 4.0-liter V8 from the M176/M177/M178 series, namely the dry-sump M178 that’s used exclusively by the GT range of corner-carving sports cars. Autocar says that we’re in for “an electric drive unit” as well. Further expected to be called something other than Vanquish, the entry-level supercar will be slotted below the Valkyrie and the Valhalla.
According to Autocar, the newcomer is believed to supplement its internal combustion engine with up to 201 brake horsepower channeled to the rear wheels by an electric motor. That number is taken from the rear-mounted electric motor in the GT 63 S E Performance, a PHEV with a total system output of 831 hp and in excess of 1,033 pound-feet (1,400 Nm).
Based on a carbon-fiber tub, the maybe-not-called-this-way Vanquish is expected to weigh less than 1,500 kilograms (3,307 pounds). Its debut, meanwhile, is rumored for the second half of 2023, most likely for the 2024 model year. A track-only AMR Pro variant is mooted as well, along with a starting price of circa £250,000 ($330,000) for the road-going version.
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