Aston Martin Vanquish S V12

2004 Aston Martin Vanquish S V12
Personal views: Beautiful like the DB9. Faster as well than the DB9. Bond's car in Die Another Day as well. Still, I prefer the DB9.
Rating: 17/20

Brakes Changes

* New larger diameter front discs - 378mm in place of 355mm - providing increased swept area and delivering improved cooling with a 33% increase in thermal capacity giving enhanced resistance to fade.
* New rear discs - diameter unchanged at 330mm but 2mm thicker giving a 21% increase in thermal capacity providing enhanced resistance to fade.
* Floating discs - Maintain consistent pedal feel under heavy braking.
* New front caliper - 6 piston in place of 4 piston caliper with 21% larger pad area contributing to improved braking efficiency. Repositioned to the front of the brake disc for optimised location of this larger caliper.
* New brake pads - High performance friction material tuned to the disc/caliper to provide enhanced performance and stability under repeated high loads.

Engine Changes

* Engine changes include a new cylinder head casting with machined inlet ports and combustion chambers with revised profiles to improve airflow.
* A remapped engine management system, together with new fuel injectors and spark plugs takes advantage of the improved air flow and increases power and torque outputs significantly.
* Higher grade materials are used in the piston connecting rods to handle the increased cylinder pressures.

Performance Difference

* Peak power is increased by 60 bhp to 520 bhp (388kW), which is achieved at 7000rpm. Peak torque increases by 25 lb.ft to 425 lb.ft (577Nm) which is now delivered at 5800rpm.
* Combined with revised final drive gearing (shortened from 3.69:1 to 4.3:1), mid-range performance 'feel' is significantly improved; 50-70mph acceleration time (in top gear) is improved by almost two seconds to 6.5 seconds.

Chassis Changes

* Revised springs - shortened, reducing ride height by 5mm, and with a change in the spring rate biased to handling.
* Revised dampers - increased damping providing improved body control, especially at higher speeds.
* Revised steering - shorter 'steering arms' providing 20% quicker steering response.
* A new front suspension knuckle assembly and new wheel bearing hub assembly which, together with revisions to the steering geometry, provide enhanced steering response, feel and precision.

Aston Martin Vanquish S Specifications

* Length: 4665mm
* Width: 1923mm
* Height: 1318 mm
* Kerb Weight: 1875 kgs
* Wheelbase: 2690 mm
* Fuel tank capacity: 80 litres
* Maximum power: 388kW (520 bhp) @ 6500 rpm
* Maximum torque: 577 Nm (425 lb. ft) @ 5000 rpm
* Acceleration: 0-100 km/h (62mph) 4.8 seconds
* Maximum speed: 320 km/h (200+ mph)