A LUXURY sports car brand has revived one of its most popular models years after it was discontinued.
The comeback scotches rumours that the car’s iconic engine configuration had reached the end of the line thanks to Net Zero rules.
After six long years, Aston Martin has confirmed the resurrection of the Vanquish name.
The lean, mean grand tourer was based on the ’60s-era DB4 GT Zagato and defined a fresh era in the firm’s history through the noughties.
One even featured in a memorable car chase in the 2002 Bond film Die Another Day.
Orignally released in 2001, it was first scrapped in 2007 to make way for the related DBS.
It would then return to replace its own successor in 2012, before going out of production again in 2018.
However, Aston now seems to have disavowed that second generation to a degree, leading to the rebirth of the model range.
The firm’s head of product Alex Long told Autocar: “We didn’t call the DBS ‘Vanquish’ because it wasn’t a Vanquish.
“It wasn’t a dedicated car like the [original] car, which was on its own platform and had its own engine and tuning.
“This time that’s what we wanted to do.
“It needed to have its own footprint, its own drivetrain, its own look, its own interior and so on.”
Perhaps most significantly the new Vanquish contains a reimagined version of Aston’s legendary twin-turbocharged V12 engine.
It was believed that tightening emissions rules had finished off the beloved setup, which dates back 30 years, when the V12 Vantage was believed discontinued in 2022 before making a comeback of its own.
But the new Vanquish will continue the V12 range into the next decade.
Long confirmed that the model will comply with emissions regulations up to 2030 at least and that bosses “hope to continue beyond that”.
And the revived model will boast the brand’s most powerful combustion engine ever, generating 824 horsepower and a whopping 214mph top speed.
This will be accompanied by a shiver-inducing Boost button, which will increase the turbo and make the engine more sensitive to low-rev input for a short time, squeezing out extra speed across the gear ratios.
Combined with a “significantly improved” ABS setup and stiffer chassis, it looks set to be perfect for tearing up the track and munching miles alike.
Inside, there is a redesigned dashboard with fewer physical buttons and a full-length panoramic roof.
All that will set you back a hefty £300,000 when it hits showrooms in the coming months.
It comes after three motors from the personal collection of TV chef Jamie Oliver went up for sale – including his “go-to” Ford Capri.
