2026 Aston Martin Vanquish Review

The Vanquish returns for another round. It’s always been expensive, exclusive and exhilarating, and this latest version elevates the experience yet again.  

One million dollars. It’s a lot of money. It was once the average house price in Auckland, but inflation/speculation did its thing, and now the average sits around $1.2 million. 

For the few that can fathom buying something other than property for a seven-figure sum, the options are plentiful. A reasonably large boat comes to mind, or a modest helicopter. But as far as blowing that sort of money on a means of transport, surely high-end cars are the way to go, right? 

A million dollars will get you the pick of any top-tier vehicle currently sold in New Zealand, if we’re talking Ferrari, Lamborghini or Aston Martin. The Revuelto is listed at $950,000, I doubt you’ll get any change from buying a 12Cilindri, and the Vanquish lands right on the money with a few options added.  

It’s the latter we’ll be focusing on today, after spending a day with Aston’s new flagship Super GT. But before we dive into how it drives, it’s worth taking a look at how the British brand has ended up with a million-dollar coupe in its line-up.   

A Sticky Name  

The first Vanquish appeared in 2001 with a 5.9-litre V12, making 343kW/542Nm, paired with a six-speed automated manual transmission. Based around a bonded aluminum/carbon fibre architecture, this first Vanquish made a statement both technologically and performance-wise as Aston Martin’s new big dog in the GT world. 

When the DB9 arrived in 2004, it ushered in a new design language making the Vanquish look a little senile. The writing was on the wall for the brand’s flagship coupe and an evolution came in 2007, the new car called the DBS. Despite building on the winning super GT formula of the Vanquish, the name was retired, and the DBS quickly earned a reputation as one of the best-performing in its category. With DB9 underpinnings, and a revised 5.9-litre V12 from the Vanquish, the DBS offered a convertible roof, and a manual transmission.  

Aston Martin revived the Vanquish in 2012, built on the same VH platform that was introduced with the model’s first iteration, and used with the subsequent DBS. This time the platform was 30 per cent stiffer, and the engine was mounted lower.  While some buyers were left wondering where the option for a manual transmission had gone, others were happy to see yet another power bump from the V12, pushing it to 427kW.   

Development of the Vanquish continued over the following years, with the introduction of the Volante, a new eight-speed auto, and an updated Vanquish S. And while it still looked the part, pressure was mounting as Ferrari had released its F12berlinetta, which provided 544kW from its screaming V12.   

The answer to Maranello’s touring coupe came in 2018, with yet another DBS, this time adding Superleggera to the badge. While the name suggested a lightweight coupe (superleggera translates to super light), the real story harks back to inspiration coming from Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera, who had penned many of Aston’s heritage models. But this second-gen DBS tipped the scales close to 1.7-tonnes, so no one was buying the lightweight tag. It was however built on an all-new platform, and benefited from a twin-turbo V12 engine taken from the DB11. This engine was more than enough to compete with the Italian cruisers, producing 533kW. 

As the pattern would go, the DBS wouldn’t receive a replacement bearing the same name, instead, making way for yet another Vanquish in late 2024. Word is that this new car started out as a one-off build for Lawrence Stroll, but it ended up morphing into the Vanquish we have before us, which is fresh off the boat, and ready to eat up Kiwi tarmac.  

A Winning Formula   

Aston Martin has had a tricky few years financially until a healthy cash injection came courtesy of the Stroll family. Along with bankrolling the British marque, and securing his son a seat in Formula 1, Lawrence also had a significant role in the deal with Mercedes-Benz. This partnership saw a lot of hardware borrowed from Benz, including AMG’s twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 engine. Currently, you can find this engine in the Vantage and DBX, but it’s clear that Aston Martin wants to keep its big grand touring models as British as can be. 

And so the centrepiece of this new Vanquish is the V12. In this iteration, the twin-turbo 5.2-litre mill pumps out 614kW and 1000Nm. An eight-speed auto sends power to the rear wheels. A plaque placed on the strut brace lets you know that this engine was pieced together by hand in Great Britain, and final sign-off was given by a chap named Cameron McKenzie. 

While we’re on the topic of numbers, 3.3 seconds is all this Vanquish needs to hit 100km/h from a standing start. It’ll keep accelerating to 345km/h apparently. It sits on an updated version of the platform that underpins the DB12 and Vantage, and weighs in at a hefty 1.9-tonnes. As such, it has massive carbon ceramic brakes as standard; Aston is taking no chances with its braking ability.    

Have it Your Way 

As is the case with a lot of high end vehicles, Aston Martin gives buyers plenty of choice when it comes to how their Vanquish can look. The car we tested came fitted with over $120,000 worth of options. This included a titanium exhaust, a copper-infused carbon interior package, 21-inch alloy wheels, and a panoramic glass roof. This is packaged into a cabin that feels reasonably roomy for a coupe. There’s also an option to get a pair of seats installed in the rear. A lot of this spaciousness comes from its length, measuring over 4.8-metres long.  

As a brand that was once criticised for its build quality, it’s clear Aston has come a long way, as this cabin was one of the most impressive I have seen. The attention to detail was clear from the stitching to the weight of the dials in the centre console.  

I found it interesting how the two digital displays inside are the work of Mercedes, yet they run a bespoke Aston Martin system that was developed with Microsoft. Apple Carplay Ultra is present, which allows occupants to control the majority of vehicle functions through the Apple UI. This also allows drivers to customise the digital gauge clusters, but none of the options felt fitting. I was disappointed to see a digital gauge cluster on a million-dollar, hand-built speed machine. Yes it’s probably cheaper to run with an iPad behind the steering wheel, but surely an analog cluster would add to the charm, right? 

If I had to critique this cabin, the carbon fibre/chrome centre console is basically a disco ball in direct sunlight, reflecting the glare. It is exacerbated by the glass roof, significantly lowering the comfort factor. Perhaps don’t tick that box then. 

Kilometres for Breakfast   

With a name that bears as much weight as Vanquish, you’d hope Aston Martin has knocked it out of the park with this car, and to no one’s surprise, they absolutely have. In all my years driving performance cars, I have never experienced a rear-driven machine that puts so much torque down in such a composed manner. Now while I describe it as composed, I don’t for a second mean it is boring, it just won’t try to throw you into a ditch every time the accelerator is pressed. 

Yes, the traction control light was strobing every time I buried the throttle, hinting at just how much work the computer is doing to keep it in a straight line. What I wouldn’t have given to hit the track and turn all the systems off; but I’ll leave that sort of malarky to Harris for the time being. 

With a near three-second 0-100km/h time, the Vanquish seemingly warps time as the turbos spool. Sure, the exhaust note isn’t as screechy as an Italian V12, but it’s still other-wordly above 5000rpm. I was sceptical of the engine’s sound ahead of my drive, especially, considering the 7000rpm redline, but these concerns quickly disappeared with a couple of pulls. Aside from the note of the V12, I was also enamored by the sound of the turbos spooling, as it isn’t something you’d expect to hear from such a prestigious GT. 

With the eight-speed transmission keeping the engine well within its powerband on shifts, you have to stay sharp as the speedo climbs at an alarming rate. I have never experienced something that will just point and go like this Vanquish. 

Surprisingly, this straight-line performance doesn’t come at the cost of cornering, despite its massive wheelbase. The electric power steering system is very quick, but there is also quite a weight to it. This is especially apparent in Sport + mode, which is the most extreme of the four driving modes available. 

My one qualm with the Vanquish was how stiff the ride is. Even with GT mode selected, it isn’t exactly forgiving, and this was only accentuated by the questionably-sealed rural road we tested it on. But then again, it is designed to eat up hundreds of kilometres on European highways, and no blast around New Zealand back roads, so I’m happy to turn the other cheek in this scenario. 

Blistering performance aside, I was just as impressed by the Vanquish’s ability to tone everything down and blend in with regular traffic when needed. Without the shouty aesthetics of its Italian rivals, it can slip past the unknowing eye, and perform regular duties like anything else. Sure, it’s a bit harder to get into than a Corolla, but the hydraulically assisted swan doors make things easier, and the boot is a generous size.   

A Lucky Few   

Considering Aston Martin has committed to producing just 1000 of these Vanquish coupes each year, not many people will get to experience it. And at around $1 million a pop, you’d think even less would be lining up to buy them. 

This seems to be a little left of the truth considering Aston Martin has already sold four of them in New Zealand. And with another two in the order books, plus this demonstrator (listed for $985,000) online, there are going to be at least seven of these things running around the country. 

I can only hope they are used for their intended purpose of gobbling up kilometres on the open road, but fear they will be subject to a life of sitting in a climate-controlled garage.  

Aston Martin Vanquish
$985,000  / 13.7L/100km 
0-100 km/h 3.3
Engine  5204cc / V12 / T / EFI
Max power  614kW@6500rpm
Max torque  1000Nm@2500rpm
Drivetrain  8-speed auto / RWD
Front suspension  Wishbones / swaybar
Rear suspension  Multilink / swaybar
Turning circle  12.7m (2.1 turns)
Front brakes  Carbon discs (410mm)
Rear brakes  Carbon discs (360mm)
Stability systems  ABS, ESP
Safety  AEB, ACC, BSM, LDW, RCTA, ALK, AHB
Tyre size  f-275/35R21  r-325/30R21
Wheelbase  2885mm
L/W/H  4855 / 2120 / 1290mm
Track f-1680mm  r-1670mm
Fuel capacity  82L
Luggage capacity  248L
Warranty  3yrs/ unlimited km
ANCAP rating not rated
Weight (claimed)  1910kg