2025 Aston Martin Vanquish

Updating and modernizing a V12 in an era of electrification and engine downsizing seems a bit gluttonous, like going out for a three-martini lunch while your co-workers are eating salads at their desks. But when it's a V12 destined for placement beneath the hood of a nearly half-million-dollar Aston Martin Vanquish, this sort of go-big-or-go-home indulgence isn't a sin — it's a directive.

What's under the Vanquish's hood?

The new Aston Martin Vanquish is a long, low, wide and absolutely stunning coupe to behold. Yet this car's most impressive attribute is the monstrously mega powertrain nestled underneath that almost hyperbolically long hood. This is Aston's 5.2-liter twin-turbo V12 — yes, the same one that launched in the DB11 some eight years ago — though it's been updated for Vanquish duty.

The engine block is stronger, there are new intake and exhaust ports, the cylinder heads have been redesigned, and the turbochargers can spin 15% faster to increase airflow to the engine. Redesigned engine calibration software also plays a key role and alters the power and torque curves to give the Vanquish more immediate throttle response than you might expect from such a massive lump of an engine.

TL;DR: There's 824 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque on tap, delivered exclusively to the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. Aston Martin estimates a 3.2-second 0-60 mph time, and top speed is a stratospheric 214 mph. Awesome sauce.

How's the Vanquish drive?

Aston's 12-cylinder GT cars have never really been known for their sharp, sophisticated handling; even the new DB12 prefers long stints of fast autobahns than technical sections of California canyons. But the Vanquish has a newfound sense of athleticism, making it feel like it's more closely related to the smaller Vantage sports car than the next-rung-up DB12 coupe.

The Vanquish's body is largely made of aluminum and carbon fiber, so there's an inherent lightness to the car's body while in motion. That's a good thing since this is still a 16-foot-long, 6.5-foot-wide, nearly 4,000-pound coupe, and I'm driving it on the narrow hillside passes of Sardinia. But the ease with which the Vanquish dispatches hairpin turns along gorgeous Italian backroads is astonishing — and refreshing. The steering is quick to respond and feels alive in your hands. The throttle response is immediate, and keeping the transmission in its manual mode allows me to hold the Vanquish in third gear for long stretches of uphill S-curves. I will note, the gearbox can be a little slow to respond when you're the one dictating the shifts. But all told, this car is so much more nimble and visceral and exciting to drive than any 12-cylinder Aston that's come before.

Remarkably, this ability to cut a rug comes without any newfangled suspension technology; you won't find 48-volt active anti-roll stabilization here. Yes, the adaptive dampers adjust their calibrations depending on road surface and your selected drive mode, and sure, there's an electronic limited-slip differential that modulates power across the 21-inch rear wheels (and their bespoke 325/30 Pirelli P Zero tires) for better cornering grip. But the whole experience just feels natural and cohesive. The Vanquish is set up for twisty-road antics from the get-go; there's no special software setting to unlock that verve.

The Vanquish is a great grand tourer

The truth is most of Sardinia's most technical roads are too narrow for a large, fast, incredibly capable coupe like the Vanquish. You'll never come close to fully opening this Aston's performance envelope, save for the occasional straightaway where you'd be remiss not to drop a few gears, nail the throttle, and listen to that V12 sing in its upper register 'til you smooch that 7,000-rpm redline. Dive into the huge carbon-ceramic brakes and the Vanquish scrubs off speed just as easily as it piles it on.

Settling in to long stretches of freeway cruising allows you to stretch the Vanquish's legs in a similar fashion. There's power for days, and the Vanquish simply feels like it can cruise across continents without needing to stop and catch its breath. The only downside is a somewhat brittle and chatty ride over rough stretches of pavement — and that's with the adaptive dampers in the default GT mode. The available glass roof also doesn't tint dark enough, so beware the extra brightness and heat on sunny days.

Aston Martin doesn't offer any sort of hands-free highway driving tech, but then again, not many automakers in the exotic spectrum do. That's fine; a V12 grand tourer compels you to stay actively involved in the driving experience — a commuter car this is not. That said, technological aids like adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning and blind-spot warning are on hand to make your drives a little less stressful. There's also a super-useful 3D surround-view camera system, which is a godsend since outward visibility isn't the Vanquish's strong suit, and everyone will be watching when you try to parallel park this big boy.

Other tech highlights include Aston's revamped multimedia system, which is exactly 800 million times better to use than the company's outgoing Mercedes-Benz-based infotainment interface. Apple CarPlay connects wirelessly — no mention of Android Auto, though — and while the touchscreen isn't the last word in responsiveness, it at least looks nice and has a logical menu structure. Sometimes, that's all that matters.

Pricing and availability

The world is your oyster when it comes time to spec a new Vanquish, and Aston Martin fully expects the majority of its customers to put their cars through the company's bespoke customization program, called Q. You don't have to option your Vanquish's interior in a full swath of blue leather like this test car, but please, don't do something boring. There are eleventy billion ways you can personalize a Vanquish, from exterior colors to wheels to interior hues and trim. Why would you do something boring?

Aston Martin will only build around 1,000 examples of the Vanquish each year, and while the starting MSRP is officially $429,000, good luck ever finding a "base" example. Remember, a coupe like this is all about exclusivity and indulgence. Unlike the DB12, the Vanquish finally has a monstrously capable driving experience to match.

Long live the V12! Aston's new flagship revives the high-output engine for its production-series road cars, and we can't wait to hear its howl in person.