Aston Martin Vanquish was designed after the “Project Vantage” concept car and remained unchanged until 2005, when the Aston Martin Vanquish S was launched, which had new wheels and more power. It was sold alongside with the original Vanquish and in 2006 it managed stand-alone sales. Approximately 1500 Aston Martins v12 Vanquish and Aston Martins v12 Vanquish S have been sold since the first launch in 2001. The production stopped in July 2007, moment celebrated by the introduction of the Vanquish Ultimate Edition. This was the only one sold with manual-transmission. Many criticized the Aston Martin Vanquish’s automatic gearbox, especially acclaimed Jeremy Clarkson, from “Top Gear”. This change was estimated at £13,250.
The Vanquish has a V12 engine of 6.0 l that generates 460 horsepower and 400 feet-pound torque. It has 6 speed semi-automatic transmission, with gear that changes under 250 milliseconds. It reaches 100km/hour under 5 seconds, using electronic throttle control and has a top speed of 300km/hour. The body structure is made of aluminum and carbon fiber and composite materials. Superior electronic developments allow the transmission to run automatically for sport modes or difficult weather condition, running on 19-inch wheels. The V12 engine was designed at the Ford Company in USA and shares certain components with the 3.0 l Duratec 30 V6.
