Well, can't say I didn't expect to see this sort of thing. From jalopnik today:

"When Aston martin unveiled their AM310 supercar concept at Villa d'Este, everyone knew that it would become the company's next flagship. Now Motor Authority has leaked the production version and it's not quite as super as you might have imagined.

The upcoming Vanquish, set to debut tomorrow and go on sale later in the year, is built on the same VH platform that we first saw nearly a decade ago on the DB9. The Vanquish's engine is a 6.0 liter V12, likely a further refinement of their current motor. While Aston calls these features next-generation designs, they are nothing groundbreaking in their field.

Where the Vanquish really loses out is in the numbers game. Top speed is estimated at 183 mph and 0-60 is expected at 4.1 seconds. That's hardly quicker than a base 911 Carrera S."

Can't say that I disagree with the criticism. I'm sure the car will be a nice grand tourer, but it doesn't compete very well with the flagships of Aston's competitors and that makes me a bid sad.

 

How do those numbers compare with the original Vanquish? I think I remember watching a video (Top Gear?) where the old Vanquish was faster in a straight line than the DBS.

 

The Vanq S was a bit faster. I'd be surprised if the new Vanq isn't faster than 4.1 s to 60, but still, this is more like a model refresh than a completely different car as Bez promised.

 

Totally agree, this does not seem like a totally new car at all. Perhaps it is considered new because it's carbon fiber? I know the One-77 was CF but it's a halo car, so maybe doesn't count.

Inside line: http://www.insideline.com/aston-mart...om-279995.html

The reader comments are pretty brutal, can't say that I fault them. $280k starting price for performance that is not quite on par with similarly priced competition? Of course, 4.1 is not an instrumented test, so perhaps that is conservative.

I am looking forward to seeing that new interior in person, looks like a nice refresh of the waterfall theme. That said, the same old placement of the nav and drive select further reinforces that this really isn't a totally new car.

PS - I also don't really understand where this car slots in. Just checked the AM site and it is between the Zagato and the DBS. I think AM now has way too many cars that are too similar. DB9, Virage, DBS, and Vanquish. What are the big differentiators between these four?

 

Yeah, I have to say that the new interior is the part I like best, which is kinda lame if you think about it. A snazzy new interior is not going to move a lot of cars at that price.

Just don't understand why this "all new" car only has about 50 more bhp than the original DBS of nearly 10 years ago. Surely Aston could have gotten the power up to 600 bhp. I realize that some will say it's just a number, but it's a pretty important number when it come to making sales. IMO, this car is a disappointment.

 

How much more lipstick and make-up can you put on VH platform and the DB9 shell? It's like a sausage.

Cut the sausage long, it's a Rapide. Cut the sausage short, it's a Vantage.
Add more spice, it's a Virage. Add even more spice, it's a DBS.


It's all becoming a silly exercise at this point. Same design. Small increases in on-paper performance. Slightly changed interior.



Meanwhile Ferrari and Bentley are continually upping the ante, and even Jag is beginning to look like a nice alternative.

 

Evolution not revolution. I get it, sort of. The 911 has looked like a 911 for 50 years - it's an automotive design icon. Perhaps AML is hoping the current design can last as long as the 911.

Power needs to be increased to remain competitive and draw more buyers of other marques, but there will always be Aston fans that will buy the car simply because it exudes elegance and class.

 

It looks decent but no thanks. I read that Aston didn't think direct fuel injection was worth it. Seriously, a V12 with less than 600hp?

 

This is obviously a consequence of being an independent, low volume manufacturer with not enough scale to invest significant development dollars.

Almost a catch 22 - we all love Aston for their bespoke, exclusive nature - but that very nature makes it hard for them to compete in today's world

 

Tata should have picked them up along with Land Rover and Jaguar

 

The 2013 Vanquish indeed is a brand new car compare to the previous Vanquish/S ended in MY06/07. With the newly added launch control, it should hit sub 4s from 0-60 without breaking a sweat.

I certainly hope this model name game works out the best for AML.

 

Yeah, I'm not talking about looks, I'm talking about performance. If it's evolution, it's late evolution. The DBS should've evolved to 550 bhp years ago, and this new car should have a bhp number that begins with a "6".

Yes, this is part of the problem, but I wonder if Aston couldn't devote more effort and funds into developing the core production cars, instead of the One-77 and the racing program. I was hoping that the advances from the One-77 and the racing cars would've found their way to this new Vanquish, but that doesn't seem to be the case. And I agree that the lack of direct injection is disappointing.

I just don't see it. The car looks like a DBS with a new body kit and an updated interior. The power is only marginally increased, similar to the increase from the 4.3 Vantage to the 4.7 Vantage. All of this says "refresh" to me.

As for sub 4s 0-60, that may be true, but just adding launch control doesn't make the car better on the road or the track. All it does is improve that one statistic, which has some value but clearly does not tell the whole story.

 

I don't understand the criticism that the VH platform is outdated. Lambo build the Diablo chassis from 1990 until 2010 in the LP670 SV with very few substantial changes and never got the same amount of flak that AM does. And let me tell you, having seen that chassis with its clothes off - same goes for the Gallardo/LP560, I can tell you I'd 10x rather be in a VH platform car for a massive crash. The Lambos are just angle iron....

Obviously they raised the game a lot with the Aventador, but if a chassis is fundamentally well designed like the VH platform is, there is no need to make a major redesign to offer competitive products.

Numbers on a page, BHP, 0-60, whatever don't translate into the real world. I had a modded T5 Volvo that probably had a horrible 0-60, but honestly, once you were rolling and into second gear, it hit 300ft/lbs of torque from 2000RPM and the thing was a rocket. Surprised a lot of people. So I don't buy into the horsepower wars 100%. However.....

As much as I admire Bez for having principles and a vision and sticking to it, I'm starting to wonder if the obsession with NA is going to start to sting. Engine & drivetrain development is such a huge cost for manufacturers, and Aston just doesn't have the resources to do it on a very regular basis like some of the big boys do. I'm not saying this new Vanquish needs to have 700+BHP, or go tit for tat with a 599, but the gap is growing ever wider and at some point it is just going to be too big for a lot of buyers.

If they took the DBS engine with 510BHP, looked at uprating the pistons/rods & cooling system, maybe drop the compression a touch and put a low pressure (4-5psi) forced induction system on it, that thing is making 600-650BHP all day long with massive reliability and it still for the most part retains the characteristics of NA engines which we all love. That kind of boost level is just a bit of a helper, it doesn't fundamentally change the engine and emotional experience like changing to a 4.0L V8 twin turbo would.

 

More details and a video: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/06/20/a...uish-official/

 

I prefer the look of the original Vanquish and i'm sure i'm not alone in this..

I have a DB9 and I think it's the most asthetically pleasing of all the modified versions of it.. It's a great DD and I don't see why people need more than that.. the DBS/Virage and this new Vanquish aren't worth it and are hardly better looking..

They all look like a chop job on the DB9.. which is silly