There are certain things you simply must not do when sitting in an Aston Martin: wear denim or baseball caps, fart, scratch your privates, pick your nose. Aston Martins are in a class of their own-never forget that. Recently voted the coolest brand (of anything) on sale in the UK, the company is riding the crest of a wave. And deservedly so. Unlike some of the competition, Aston Martins have never been seen as vulgar or naff. They've always been championed by a loyal group of supporters who could never imagine life without this most evocative marque-and Aston Martin has been through more lows than almost any other auto company. It's a miracle the cars are still with us, really.
Not long ago, in 1993, the famous Newport Pagnell factory built just 42 cars in 12 months. Now Aston is on its way to nearly 6500 a year, built at the new factory in Gaydon, situated in Shakespeare country, Warwickshire. Today's range of Aston products is beautiful, exclusive and prestigious-rare qualities these days.
When Dr. Ulrich Bez, formerly of Porsche, took over the top job in 2000, the future of the company was, as ever, in turmoil. He set about restoring its fortunes, the first car under his control being the Vanquish. What a brilliant name for a supercar. The truth, though, is that the Vanquish had no real rivals to overcome at the time of its launch. It created its own little sub-genre.
It wasn't a perfect car by any means. Its paddle-shift gearbox was awkward to use and the car was too softly sprung for truly heroic driving. The interior, while a vast improvement on anything Aston Martin had come up with before, was still a mish-mash of high quality leather and bits from the Ford parts bin. It was a muscular, macho car that did not suffer fools and it sold spectacularly well, with almost 2500 built to date.
The Vanquish S, despite looking exceedingly similar, is vastly different-it needed to be, because the DB9 threatened to make it redundant. Announced in 2004, the S was the car the Vanquish should have been all along, and it was different enough from anything else available to ensure it retained a share of the marketplace, albeit a small one.
With the Vanquish S retailing at 75 percent more than a DB9, it needed to make a strong case for itself-and it did. A hike to 520 hp (thanks to newly designed cylinder heads, revised mapping for the engine management system and new fuel injectors), combined with Sports Dynamics suspension, improved steering response, an easier-to-use transmission and bigger, better brakes made it vastly superior to its predecessor.
Each Vanquish S takes 350 man-hours to build, compared with 200 for a DB9. This is mainly down to the hand-beating of the aluminum body panels, which goes some way to explaining the $260,000 price.
The quality of fit and finish on our test car is breathtaking, the hand-applied Sapphire Blue metallic paint possesses a look so deep you want to reach out and sink your arms into it. But the interior is still a let-down. After spending so much time in a V8 Vantage recently, I know where I'd rather be sitting. The analog clock sits so low in the center console that it might as well not be there, the door handles are hideous and the instruments are dull to look at. The rear seats are an absolute joke (my 11-year-old son had to sit across them).
These minor irritations vanish once the 6.0-liter V12 fires up. Foot on the brake, pull both gearshift paddles toward you at the same time to engage neutral, then the tantalizing Start button glows red. Press it, rev it, and grin like a fool. With 520 hp going to just the rear wheels, this is a car that demands respect, especially in the wet. It will bite you if you get it wrong, unlike the playful Vantage.
It rides superbly, soaking up bumps as though they weren't there, all the while informing the driver exactly what's going on underneath. It's sure-footed and amazingly taut.
But nothing, I repeat-nothing-impresses more than the heavenly racket it makes when you drop into third and floor the throttle. If you ever get the chance to experience a Vanquish S, find a long tunnel, drop the windows and let rip. It's a noise worthy of the asking price.
But don't think about getting your checkbook out if you're in the States. In 2007, Aston will stop making the Vanquish S for the American market because its V12 fails to meet federal emission controls.
Find a used one, though, and cherish it for what it is, a unique piece of European car history.
2007 Aston MartinVanquish S
*Layout
Longitudinal front engine, rear-wheel drive
*Engine
6.0-liter V12, doch, 48-valve, PTEC management system
*Transmission
Six-speed sequential manual
*Suspension
Independent double aluminum wishbones, coil springs, monotube dampers, front and rear anti-roll bars
*Brakes
Six-piston calipers (f),four-piston calipers (r), ventilated and grooved steel rotors
*Dimensions
Length x Width x Height (in.): 183.7 x 75.7 x 51.9
Wheelbase: 105.9 in.
Curb Weight: 4133 lb
*Performance
Peak Power: 520 hp @ 7000 rpm
Peak Torque: 425 lb-ft @ 5800 rpm
0-62 mph: 4.9 sec.
Top Speed: 200+ mph