- DBS successor 99 percent confirmed to bring back the Vanquish name last used in the 2000s
- Reworked twin-turbo V12 makes 824 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque
- Engine will debut in Vanquish, but will be used in other Aston models later
Aston Martin is bringing back the Vanquish, but it’s not as a mid-engined supercar promised by 2019’s Vanquish Vision concept. It’s a traditional grand tourer in the mould of the original 1999 coupe and these images show Aston’s R&D team racking up the miles on a development car garaged at its Nurburgring test base ahead of this summer’s launch.
We snapped the DBS successor in Germany still dressed in its full disguise and doing its best not to give too much away about what’s hiding under the camouflage. But the swoopy GT lines, huge open grille, gigantic brakes and rear diffuser are there for all to see. And panels added to the hood cover what must be cooling vents for the monster engine hiding below.
Related: Aston Martin Vanquish All But Confirmed With A New 824 HP Twin-Turbo V12
The basic platform and body of the Vanquish is shared with the new DB12, but contrary to what its name suggests, the DB12 comes only with a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter Mercedes V8 that makes 671 hp (500 kW / 680 PS) and 590 lb-ft (800 Nm) of torque. The Vanquish swaps that for an Aston-designed V12 that we last saw in the now-departed DBS 770 Ultimate where it generated 760 hp (566 kW / 770 PS) and 900 Nm (664 lb-ft).
But the big motor has been comprehensively overhauled for the Vanquish, Aston claiming it has “refined every stage of the internal combustion process” and added a strengthened block and conrods, redesigned cylinder heads, re-profiled camshafts, high-flow injectors and new turbochargers. The upshot is a peak output of 824 hp (614 kW / 835 PS) and a beefy 1,000 Nm (737.6 lb-ft) of torque. You can see and hear the engine for yourself in the brief teaser video Aston released earlier this month.
Although Aston is using the new V12 to distinguish the Vanquish from the DB12, the Vanquish won’t get to keep it all to itself. Aston says the motor will also power some of the brand’s “most exclusive and limited availability models” suggesting the marque has more plans for high-ticket cars like the Valour and DBR22.
