Used 2015 Aston Martin Vanquish

The 2015 Aston Martin Vanquish is special for many more reasons than the $300,000 price of entry. This rare bird turns heads two ways: Its 568-horsepower V12 has a growl that echoes off canyon walls, yet the body’s curves are so beautiful and so unique, even if you don’t hear the engine, you’ll still be tempted to stare. The Vanquish is sold as a coupe and a convertible – called Volante – and is incredibly quick, yet its suspension makes sure you stay comfortable while enjoying high-performance motoring and the craftsmanship inherent in the Vanquish. Elite competition includes the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT, Ferrari F12 Berlinetta and Bentley Continental GT Speed, but the Vanquish has that enviable combination of stately elegance, effortless power and composed confidence.

While the Aston Martin Vanquish is well suited to a gently curving road that follows the shape of an island’s coastline, it also offers the unique advantage of making humdrum roads something to relish. You can drive at a relaxed pace, taking in the scenery or, with one quick touch of the throttle, leave everyone else in your dust. For 2015, acceleration times have dropped: Now the 568-horsepower V12 gets the Vanquish to 60 mph in only 3.6 seconds. Whether you’re in the Vanquish coupe or Volante, it grips the road in corners and is nicely responsive to driver input. However, while it’s more expensive and a hair slower, opting for the Volante makes the driving experience more wonderfully visceral. The Vanquish simultaneously provides class, dignity and elegance, and near-instant power, in a carefully crafted, beautifully designed package.

Leather covers the steering wheel, dash and seats, with available diamond stitching on the seat bolsters and headrests. The 4-seat 2015 Aston Martin Vanquish’s cabin is as finely crafted and genuine as they come – if an item looks like carbon fiber or metal, it is. Volante models do get a second row of seats, but this is more extra storage space than a place where grown-up humans can sit. Even starting the car is special: you place a rectangular glass prism in a slot in the center stack.

The Aston Martin Vanquish both timeless and modern. How is that possible, you ask? The curvaceous body is absolutely stunning, with a design that will still look good years from now, yet underneath those eye-catching curves lies a body made of carbon fiber and aluminum. That move increases rigidity while reducing weight. The low-slung 2-door finished off by flared-out rear haunches.

TOUCHTRONIC III AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
For 2015, Aston Martin replaced the 6-speed automated manual transmission, perhaps the previous Vanquish’s only shortcoming, with a lovely 8-speed automatic. Removing the distraction of less-than-smooth shifts makes it even easier to enjoy driving this car.

LIGHTWEIGHT STRUCTURE
The Vanquish isn’t a small car, but it is relatively light, thanks to generous use of carbon fiber and some extruded aluminum in the body, it takes a mere blink of an eye to get to freeway speed.

When a car costs more than the average price of a home in the United States, you can expect the car will come with plenty of standard features, some of which are fairly exotic. A Vanquish buyer can expect standard heated memory seats, full leather interior, an Alcantara headliner (coupe only), navigation, an excellent Bang & Olufsen audio system and, appealing to the car’s sporting nature, paddle shifters, launch control and carbon-ceramic brakes.

If your 2015 Aston Martin Vanquish isn’t unique enough right out of the box, fear not: There are plenty of ways to make your 2-door stand out. From paint color – including Skyfall Silver, a nod to Aston’s history with James Bond – to caliper color, carbon-fiber accents, carpet colors, dozens of stitching choices, and knob colors, plus options like an upgraded alarm, a 4-piece luggage set, and an AMVOX7 watch, this car isn’t just hand-built, it’s practically custom-built.

With the 2015 Aston Martin Vanquish, you get one engine and one transmission, but we doubt that will cause any complaints. The Vanquish’s V12 engine is referred to by Aston Martin as a 6.0-liter, but that’s rounded up from its 5,935-cc displacement (technically making it a 5.9-liter). Backing the 568-horsepower engine is a new rear mid-mounted 8-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. Coupe or Volante, all Vanquishes come with a limited-slip differential and launch control.

5.9-liter V12
568 horsepower @ 6,650 rpm
465 lb-ft of torque @ 5,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 13/21 mpg