Aston Martin Vanquish Returns Still as Awesome V-12 ICE

Aston Martin joins Ferrari in a dwindling club of automakers staying true to the venerable V-12 internal-combustion engine in an era of electrification.

While several other mainstream carmakers have moved toward more efficient electric-assisted hybrid powertrains, such as smaller-capacity V-8 hybrids, the pair keep faith with V-12 internal-combustion engines. Ferrari’s naturally aspirated 12Cilindri Berlinetta 2-seater launched earlier this year and now Aston Martin brings back the Vanquish flagship nameplate in the shape of the new Vanquish with a 5.2L twin-turbocharged V-12 boasting hypercar power and performance.

It comes at a hypercar price, too, at around a starting sticker of £335,000 ($440,093).

The automaker justifies its decision to maintain its relationship with the engine format that goes back to the Project Vantage concept V-12 from 1998, albeit not the length of tradition Ferrari can boast launching its first V-12 in 1947 in the shape of the 125 S.

That said, the new Aston Martin Vanquish shades the new Ferrari in terms of power claiming its most powerful V-12 to date with a whopping 823 hp and 737 lb.-ft. (999 Nm) of torque. This makes it the highest specific power output Aston Martin V-12 engine at 158 hp per liter, almost double that of the Project Vantage concept.

All that power equates to a claimed top speed of 214 mph (345 km/h) although the automaker is not making specific acceleration times just now.

Standout powertrain highlights include a strengthened cylinder block and conrods, redesigned cylinder heads incorporating reprofiled camshafts, plus new intake and exhaust ports.

Repositioned spark plugs aid the claimed class-leading performance thanks to improved combustion efficiency.

On top of these changes, the powerplant boasts new higher speed and reduced inertia turbochargers to improve throttle response. These provide 15% high run speeds to harness the increased energy in the exhaust, providing increased airflow to the engine. New fuel injectors with 10% higher flowrate enable the engine to reach its peak power while also ensuring it meets its emissions targets.

The automaker also adds its Boost Reserve technology to the new engine to negate the risk of any turbo lag. It does this by increasing turbo boost pressure above what would normally be required for any given part throttle position, in readiness for when full power is called upon.

This happens during partial throttle demands, imperceptibly to the driver, by balancing the throttle flap position (to restrict the intake flow) and the intelligent wastegate in the turbo (to fine-tune the increased intake pressure), matching what the driver expects. When the driver demands full power/torque, the throttle releases the accumulated boost pressure for immediate response.

Even the engine’s oil from Valvoline, developed to be used by the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One racing team, boosts the Vanquish’s performance potential. Flowing through a larger engine oil cooler with 50% more heat dispersion capability, the fully synthetic engine oil is kept at its optimal operating temperature.

For the first time on an Aston Martin front-engine V-12 sports car, the ZF 8-speed automatic gearbox is paired with an electronic rear limited-slip differential. Sadly, it's not a mechanical differential that many regular track drivers would prefer for their more natural feel and with fewer electronic parts to go wrong.

That said, Aston Martin trumpets its e-diff’s capabilities that can transition from fully open to 100% locked in 135 milliseconds. Combined with the car’s ESP technology, this claims to significantly improve dynamic capability, providing greater agility in low- and medium-speed cornering while offering greater control in oversteer and high-speed lane-change conditions.

It effectively "shortens" the Vanquish’s wheelbase to aid faster turn-ins by giving it more rotational response to steering inputs while also providing assured stability through fast sweeping curves.

In reintroducing the Vanquish nameplate as its flagship model, Aston Martin is hoping to replicate the sales success of the first Vanquish that made its debut in 2001. The model, in various power iterations, went on to be one of the automaker’s best-selling cars, recording 2,500 units until series production ended in 2007. The model returned to build on its sales success between 2012 and 2018.

Aston Martin chief technical officer Roberto Fedeli says: “It was inconceivable that a new Aston Martin flagship should be powered by anything other than a state-of-the-art V-12. To this end our engineering team completely reworked our existing 5.2-liter twin-turbo engine from block casting to cylinder heads. With ambitious targets for gains in power and torque, plus equally tough goals for improvements in drivability, efficiency and global emissions compliance, the result is a modern masterpiece.”

The new Aston Martin Vanquish will be limited to under 1,000 production examples each year. First deliveries to global markets are scheduled to begin before the end of this year.