New Aston Martin Vanquish to be powered by a mighty 824bhp V12

Aston Martin has released a teaser video of its forthcoming flagship – thought to be called Vanquish – confirming it’ll utilise a V12 engine. We’re yet to see official images of the new car, but previous spy shots have given us plenty of clues as to how the upcoming car will look.

There had been rumours the range-topping Aston Martin would see its engine downsized to a V8 – possibly a variation of the DB12’s powertrain. Now, though, the brand has confirmed the car will use a twin-turbo 5.2-litre V12, thoroughly redesigned with strengthened cylinder block and conrods, redesigned cylinder heads incorporating reprofiled camshafts, plus new intake, new exhaust ports, repositioned spark plugs and new higher flowrate fuel injectors. All of this helps to deliver a “higher speed, class leading performance and efficiency gains”, according to Aston. 

Chief Technical Officer, Roberto Fedeli said: “The V12 engine has long been a symbol of power and prestige, but it is also a statement of engineering passion and technical prowess. With 824bhp and 1,000Nm of torque, this unparalleled engine represents nothing less than the dawn of a dazzling new V12 era for Aston Martin.” 

Those figures will make the new Vanquish more powerful than the outgoing DBS, which has a V12 with 759bhp and 900Nm. Aston Martin says the new engine will only feature in its most exclusive cars as a “bold statement of luxurious sporting intent.” 

Although the name is yet to be confirmed by Aston, a statement issued ahead of the car’s reveal included the line “all will be Vanquished” – hinting at the revival of this classic brand nameplate. The car will arrive later in 2024. 

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We’ve already seen the new Vanquish testing on the road and despite some camouflage, there are plenty of design details already on show. The Vanquish will sport a bespoke exterior design to differentiate it from the rest of the Aston Martin range, while retaining a familiar overall shape. 

Compared to the old DBS range-topper, the Vanquish will feature a larger body that’s not shy about accentuating its large overhangs. The bonnet is extremely long and sits low over the front wheels, with a large slatted front grille and upright headlights that look similar to those used on the new Aston Martin Vantage.

The rear looks even more dramatic thanks to a far more blocky and muscular set of rear arches that emulate the original Ian Callum-designed Aston Martin Vanquish of the 2000s. As well as more width, they also now sit as one unbroken surface with the C-pillar, punctuated by a much squarer rear quarter window.

As the tail extends beyond the rear screen Aston has given it a far more aggressive built-in lip spoiler, similar in shape to the one on the limited-run Aston Martin Victor. Don’t be fooled by what looks like a full-width rear light bar, that’s merely part of the camouflage. The real rear lights sit beneath somewhere. 

Behind those 21-inch wheels are a giant set of brake discs and calipers, which should provide enough stopping force for what will be one of the most powerful Aston Martins ever made. 

As for the rest of the technical side, we’ll have to wait and see. As the performance flagship and with Aston Martin referring to it as a “true dynamic disruptor”, we expect it to feature more than a few chassis toys to contain the uprated power output, while not compromising too much on its GT credentials.

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