Here goes one of the most evocative shapes in motoring.
British marque Aston Martin is preparing to say goodbye to its beautiful Vanquish S grand-tourer, as the stunning super-coupe has completed its tour of duty, having been in service since 2012. So timeless is its (exterior) design that it’s hard to believe that it’s been around quite that long, with its commanding presence still turning as many heads today as it did five years ago.
“Since the Vanquish was first introduced it immediately established itself as the pinnacle of our series production range. It has since evolved into a truly formidable machine. As the much-loved and highly-acclaimed Vanquish S nears the end of production, we wanted to celebrate its success with a limited run of very special cars. The Ultimate edition perfectly captures the spirit of Vanquish and is sure to be sought after by collectors around the world.” — Christian Marti, Vice President (Sales), Aston Martin
Alas, it’s the end of the line, and so Gaydon has decided to send it off with what it’s dubbing as the ‘Ultimate’ series. Featuring a series of aesthetic revisions, Aston Martin’s Vanquish S Ultimate will be offered with three ‘Designer Theme’ packages that encompass paintwork and interior schemes, while all cars will enjoy carbon fibre side strakes, ‘Ultimate’ decals in rose gold, tread plates finished in carbon fibre, along with rose-gold seat stiching.
If you like carbon fibre, then good news, because the Ultimate Black theme matches black paintwork with graphics in bronze, along with carbon fibre bonnet louvres, grilles, and side strakes (but the last one’s standard). Black exhaust tips and brake callipers, along with five-spoke lightweight alloy wheels finish the look outside, while the cabin features black leather with tan accents, and a fascia featuring a carbon fibre weave.
A second theme will match a grey exterior with blue features, with a cabin finished in the same shade of grey but with accents in yellow and blue. The third Designer theme will centre around a white-gold exterior paint finish, paired with gloss black and carbon-fibre detailing. The cabin will be finished with tan leather and black accents, while the centre stack will feature something called “spectacular cuprum carbon fibre.”
Of course, if any of these combinations aren’t quite to the liking of a discerning Aston Martin client, any combination can be specified instead as a no-cost option.
“With the Ultimate Edition we have accentuated the Vanquish S’s unique blend of tradition, technology and craftsmanship with a selection of three bold exterior paint schemes and hugely appealing interior packages that make creative use of exciting materials. Our design team has created three unique themes which unite an exterior and interior package, but we have been careful to ensure each exterior colour and interior theme work well together to offer our customers maximum choice.” — Marek Reichman, Chief Creative Officer, Aston Martin
There are no changes under the bonnet, so motivation still comes from an aurally-arresting 5.9-litre atmospheric V12 engine, which sends all of its 424kW of power and 630Nm of twist exclusively to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox, the way a real grand tourer should. Interior appointments should also be similar (insofar as tech is concerned), so you should find a relatively clunky infotainment system and old-school physical dials in the instrument binnacle, with the latter something that this writer favours immensely. There’s also a 3-stage adaptive damping system as well as carbon-ceramic brakes, to ensure that the performance of the V12 can be enjoyed to its fullest.
With prices starting at £211,995 (or a shade under $368,000) for the Coupe and £223,995 (or $388,000) for the drop-top Volante, there’s no doubt in our mind that not only will the drop-top be the more desirable of the limited-run of 175 cars globally (because why would you want an obstruction between you and that engine), but that they’ll be sold out in a flash. Deliveries are expected in early 2018, around about the same time the 2018 Aston Martin Vanquish will debut. As for the new car, what we know for sure is that it has enormous shoes to fill, and we wish Aston Martin the best of luck.
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