There are certain things we all know about the Aston Martin Vanquish, even if we’ve never driven one before. For instance, it’s gorgeous. It’s also expensive.
What’s it like to live with for a day (mostly) in the city, though? Is it as nightmarish as the car’s looks are dream-inspiring?
Car Throttle‘s Alex Kersten drove one through metropolitan traffic in London to find out.
He discovered that, despite having rear seats which could only accommodate contortionists, the Vanquish Carbon White was surprisingly easy to use in the ways you would use a car that doesn’t cost as much as a house.
It provided a good amount of outward visibility, the Touchtronic III eight-speed automatic didn’t herk and jerk at low speeds, the trunk was spacious, and the interior was quiet. After delicately maneuvering his way through and out of a McDonalds drive-thru, Kersten took the Vanquish to a gas station. For a high-performance car with a 6.0-liter V12 under its hood, the Vanquish turned out to be surprisingly fuel-efficient.
It was that same 568-horsepower engine that produced a spine-tingling raspy wail when Kersten opened up the Aston on back roads. That, combined with the Vanquish’s unexpected 9-5 user-friendliness, helped the curvy exotic secure a spot in Kersten’s three-car dream garage.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
