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2014 ASTON MARTIN Vanquish Review

OUR TEST CAR: 2014 ASTON MARTIN Vanquish AM 310

 
2014 ASTON MARTIN Vanquish - Page - 2
The sheer aroma of the Aston Martin Vanquish’s Alcantara and leather is enough to make you feel spoiled. This must be the car’s way of bringing you in a good mood even before you get things started. It takes Aston Martin 70 hours to fully furbish a Vanquish cabin. Even the machine used for the stitching has been custom built for the company.

Once you do put the wheels in motion, you’ll notice that the show-off interior is matched with pleasing ergonomics. The control arrangement around the cabin is clear. Only Aston’s handbrake, which is placed on the side of the car, not the center, takes some time getting used to. Speaking of this, since we were treated with a lever, we would’ve liked a system you can actually use, but this only works to secure the car once you’re come to a halt.

And since we’re going over the practical side of the Vanquish’s interior, we have to note that there are plenty of stowage spaces. Just be careful with the central-mounted cup holders. They’re way too small to be able to contain anything larger than one drop of liquid.

Cars like the 2014 Aston Martin Vanquish usually have a hard time preparing for this chapter. We’re referring to the soundproofing here. It’s very difficult to get the sound insulation balance right when you’ve got a driver that wants his V12 sounds and a passenger that demands GT levels of comfort. Well, the Vanquish knows exactly what to do in order to please both. We hear the active exhaust giggling underneath the car.

And when you’re taking a short break along your journey and still want to feel special, take a bit of time to open the bonnet. If anybody starts making reliability jokes, ignore them, the move is worth it. You’ll find a massive brace keeping things stiff and the two-tone finish is as elaborate as engine compartments go without turning to the exposed carbon trick. Oh, there’s also a six-liter V12 waiting for you there.

All these elements combine to create a pleasant atmosphere during long trips, being part of the Aston Martin Vanquish’ character.

Body and Chassis

Aston Martin’s new Vanquish is built around the fourth-generation VH (Vertical Horizontal) architecture. This is an aluminum structure that’s now received 75 percent new parts. A carbon fiber diet has been introduced to keep the weight in check, with every exterior panel being made from the material. On top of the panels, Aston applies a 200-micron epoxy and glass layer to keep the finish neat.

Oh and as a nice detail for impressing people, the bonnet is made of titanium.

The 2014 Vanquish tips the scales at 1,725 kg (3,800 lbs), so the process was effective, but still not a miracle. However, it has made the Vanquish 25 percent stiffer compared to the DBS it replaces. In addition, the revised architecture means that the engine now sits 19 mm (0.8 inches) lower within the body. As for the weight distribution, this sits at 50:50.


Powertrain


Muscle comes via an AM11 V12 engine measuring 5,935 cc in displacement. In case this sounds familiar, that’s because you’ve heard the capacity before - this is a revised unit. The powerplant received larger throttle bodies, a new intake manifold, as well as tweaked combustion chambers. As a result, the V12 now delivers 573 HP at 6,750 rpm. Peak torque sits at 457 lb-ft (620 Nm), which arrive at 5,500 rpm. The British company also brags about having pet the torque curve for improved low-end punch.

An alloy tube house a carbon fiber prop shaft, which delivers the power to rear-mounted Touchtronic 2 six-speed automatic. This also offers a manual function that changes gears 37 percent faster than in the past.

Road connection


The most important suspension feat of the Aston Martin Vanquish comes in the form of its adaptive shock absorbers. These offer three settings: Normal, Sport and Track.

The Vanquish is suspended on double wishbones on all four corners, also using a hollow cast aluminum subframe for the front axle.

The 2014 Aston Martin Vanquish stays on the hydraulic steering camp. Predictably, it comes with a pretty sharp ration, needing 2.62 turns from lock to lock.

Stopping power


Bringing the Aston Martin to a halt, or perhaps helping you draw a nicer line through the corners, we have a set of third-generation Brembo Carbon Ceramic Matrix brakes. Up front, we find 398 x 36 mm discs with six-piston calipers straight from the One-77. At the back, the car features 360 x 32 mm rotors with four-piston grabbers.

Unlike other Brits like McLaren or Jaguar Land Rover, Aston Martin didn’t go with UK-based Meridian for the audio system of the Vanquish. Instead, they kept their ties with Bang & Olufsen, installing a 1,000W BeoSound system.

This relies on 15-speakers to bring music to your ears. It even managed to convince us to prioritize it over the V12’s soundtrack. Yes, Bang & Olufsen’s hardware is that good, but, of course, Aston’s engine regained its status after a while.

We’re pretty happy Aston sticked to the B&O scheme, as we’ve always found the Danes to offer something that’s a tad above the other premium audio system developers.

Moving to the interior trimming area, Aston’s leather is among the finest we’ve ever touched. Nevertheless, they don’t go as far as Bentley does when it comes to the rest of the available cabin materials.

In addition, you can also have various accessories for your 2014 Vanquish. The ones that drew out attention start with the rear parking camera. Not the sharpest tool of its kind, but still a must have. The same can be said about the heated and ventilated seats.

And there were other aspects of our tester that pointed to a questionable reliability. Despite the car’s low mileage, the carbon side strakes seemed to bite into the panels around them a little bit. Climbing aboard, we found a few stitches that had become undone on the inner door handle. These are all little details, but they matter, especially given the price of the car.

In fact, it’s not difficult to see that Aston Martin is suffering from the lack of access to proper R&D resources. For example, you can feel the ventilators working underneath you in the seats. Well, the reason for which you won’t experience this in a Bentley is the VW Group ownership.

Hey, let’s lighten up the mood a bit - you can order snow chains on your 2014 Vanquish.

For a machine mixing V12 power with rear-wheel drive, the Aston Martin Vanquish feels pretty keen to stay on the road at speed. This is a chapter where the car’s GT setup, obviously softer than that of a supercar, brings it points.

The linear power delivery means that you’ll never be surprised during a corner. Again, a positive thing as far as this chapter is concerned. For example, a Jaguar XKR's supercharged V8 is much more likely to upset the handling balance when an inexperienced driver pushes the pedal too hard in the middle of a bend.

Alas, once you reach the limit, the 2014 Vanquish doesn’t feel quite as sharp as we’d like it to be. The thing is responsive though, thanks to its balanced chassis, adaptive suspension and hydraulic steering.

In terms of passive safety, the 25 percent torsional rigidity boost brought by the revised platform is an asset.

What’s more the exterior panels are now made of carbon, bringing energy-absorbing assets. Moving inside the car, we find six airbags: front bags, side head bags, as well as the pelvis and thorax bags.

The 2014 Aston Martin Vanquish certainly isn’t the kind of car you can narrow down to a one-sentence conclusion. It’s a brilliant, mind-blowing effort from the Brits, but we have to understand the waters in which it swims.

The Vanquish takes Aston’s familiar styling cues to a new level. When this thing shows up, it owns the place. This GT throws a superior smile to a Lamborghini Aventador, mocking the latter’s vulgarity. Its flavor is the best thing about it.

We were supposed to say “character”, not “flavor”, but we can’t. This is because there are many aspects about the Vanquish that should be sharper in order to allow the character of this creation to shine. Here lays the worst part of the car.

Let’s take the interior, for example. The leather work is a treat you’ll want to spoil yourself with, but there are outdated bits that dent the overall picture a bit.

And it’s the same story with the tech side of the deal. Yes, Aston has upgraded the platform and their V12 and you’ll instantly feel this when driving the new Vanquish. However, the gearbox (updated too) could use a replacement.

All these mean this isn’t the car to buy if you’re looking for comparos. There’s really no point in comparing the Aston Martin Vanquish with the Ferrari F12. Yes, the Brit has its special flavor, but the F12 tops in in just about every other area. It’s faster, it’s more comfortable and so on. And the price difference between the two isn’t all that big, at least not in the US.

The 2014 Aston Martin Vanquish starts at $280,000 or EUR230,000 (19% VAT included), while the F12 Berlinetta begins at $330,000 or EUR327,000 (including 19% VAT).

And if you can spare a part of the driving involvement, you could always go for a Bentley. It will even be easier to purchase. The Bentley Continental GT W12 starts at $189,000 plus delivery and individual state taxes, or EUR184,000 (19 percent VAT included).

Nevertheless, Aston Martin’s brand value shines as strong as ever. With the new Vanquish, they proved that they’re on top of their game, but there’s only so much you can do without the support of a major carmaker. Throughout its history, Aston’s never enjoyed too much time under a safe financial roof.

For Aston Martin’s centenary, we wish they find their Fiat or VW Group.
THE END
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autoevolution Nov 2013
81
History
10
Exterior
10
Interior
8
In the city
6
Open road
9
Comfort
8
Tech facts
9
Gadgets
7
Safety
9
Conclusion
7
82user rating 63 votes
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