First, I’m very glad this exists – because it has an Aston Martin engine. That, to me, is absolutely critical. That it’s a V12 is fantastic, but it’s more important to me that it’s not bought in from someone else, as the 4.0 V8 is. Would a Ferrari be a Ferrari if it had a Benz engine? Of course not, and the mere thought of it is utterly absurd. It’s telling that Roberto Fedeli, Aston’s Chief Technical Officer (and ex-Ferrari man) said, “It was inconceivable that a new Aston Martin flagship should be powered by anything other than a state-of-the-art V12. One which delivers performance characteristics unmatched by any other car in its category.” I hope he understands that it’s important that the engine isn’t only a state-of-the-art V12, but that it’s Aston’s own V12. The AMG V8 is a great engine, but it doesn’t belong in an Aston Martin IMO. Yes, I know the history of the V12 and the previous 4.3/4.7L V8 and, IMO, they are Aston Martin engines. This car is apparently the reason why the DB12 (and Vantage) won’t get the V12, and that’s a crying shame. That said…

It looks very good overall. I love that the gimmicky “roof strakes” are gone -- no longer do the A-pillars look like they’re broken where they meet the hood/fenders. Thankfully there are no excessive lines, creases, folds, slashes. It’s great that it’s front-engine/rear-drive – to me, that’s what Aston does best. IMO, current cars are generally nowhere near as good-looking as older models. The designs are too fussy, too busy, too in-your-face, too angry-looking. And the mouths are RIDICULOUSLY ENORMOUS. This car’s mouth is way beyond too big, as is the current trend. The tail should have the Aston wings, not the big lettering (that goes for all new Astons IMO). Now that they’ve put Aston’s own V12 in it, why hide it under an engine cover??? That’s shameful – let us see that glorious engine!!! Of course, the power and torque figures are utterly absurd and, IMO, completely pointless – other than for marketing. That’s the world we live in, but the power race is so far beyond ludicrous (regardless of energy source). The interior is much like that of the DB12 and newest Vantage, and it’s very nice. I greatly prefer the simpler, cleaner, less fussy, more elegant interiors of the VH cars, but that’s me. I’m not a fan of screens – the VH-gen cars had gorgeous physical instruments machined from a plank of aluminum in a wonderful nod to the dash of the DB Mark III and the DB4/5/6. I’m a huge fan of attention to detail like that. The Bugatti Tourbillon will have stunning physical instruments...

To be fair, much of what I don’t like about this is true of all new cars, sadly. But this is a new car and, in that context, it looks really good overall. Importantly, it’s different from anything anyone else makes. With the outrageous power outputs, no one should ever say it lacks any performance. It’s a monumental shame that they won’t offer an Aston Martin engine in the DB12 or Vantage, but it’s wonderful that an epic Aston Martin V12 engine lives. I hope this car does very, very well. But I like the VH-generation cars better, including my own.

 

Agree.

 

I was hoping that Aston would move in a different direction. The car is too big and big power numbers really do little to change performance as size increases. The power numbers seem more of a marketing exercise.
In the end, there is little in this vehicle that compels me to move on from my Vantage V12S especially knowing that depreciation is going to be massive.
I would love for Aston to build a more lightweight "affordable" sporting car in addition to the GTs.

 

Here's a new review......https://www.thedrive.com/news/2025-a...h-grand-tourer

 

Looks nice and all that. I don't think it'll move the stock price at all.

 

I wonder. I think it should sell though, given the offerings from Ferrari, Lamborghini, etc. that are also extremely expensive (often even more so). This car is understated in comparison, as an Aston should be IMO, it has Aston Martin's own V12 that is ridiculously powerful (but seemingly required for marketing), etc., so it should be a compelling option in this price range. Time will tell. Stock price? I thought that was the DBX's job...

 

DBX moved the stock a few cents. You didn't notice that?

 

I'm not a buyer, but here's my thoughts:

- Interesting design direction. I think it looks good overall, but doesn't look like the Aston's that I personally like, which was the VH era DB9 and Vanquish. So my personal bias doesn't allow me to fully appreciate this new one. There's just too many quirks that clash with what I envision as an Aston, and a beautiful Aston at that.
- Price is surprisingly on par. Not that $300k+ is a great price, but when you look at what the previous Vanquish and S were selling for a decade ago, I'm surprised this new one is not higher. Then again, $400k cars are Rolls Royce and high end supercar territory, so to play in that space you better have a nearly perfect product and buyer market base.
- The latest design cues in the rear are debatable; nonetheless, they are definitely unique and I think that alone helps differentiate the vehicle from others.
- There are certain things like the fender side strakes that while linked to heritage, their implementation looks "cheap" to me
- Love love love that they put in a V12 in this one and that they're not planning on using the V12 in lower lines. And a silly powerful one at that.
- I absolutely hate the X-brace/strut tower bar that they have over the engine, specifically because of the weld lines. I also just noticed this similar design (with cheap looking weld lines) was used in one of the other cars. This looks like it's been welded by hand by a mid-skill-level person who's doing some field welding that doesn't need any aesthetic requirements. With the amount of robotics that we have nowadays, you can get a pretty and perfect weld pool that gives you that "fabricated" look without it looking cheap. This brace looks incredibly cheap to me because of those weld lines. Exhausts are made better than this, and they're underneath the car. If they couldn't figure out another way to weld it, then they should've ground down the welds to smooth it over before powdercoating it and make it look one piece. Or cast it out of one solid piece of aluminum, or mill it out of billet. Sure, it's much more expensive, but this is a $300k+ car for cryin out loud. /End rant on the X-brace

I think over time I'll like it, but if you were to put a C217 S65 Coupe next to this (although now 4 years gone), I'd still take the S65. There's just a certain amount of beauty to it, just like the beauty that I seen in the 14+ Vanquish. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

 

A must watch, on MUTE!

 

Agree totally. The previous Vanquish is one of my favorite designs of all time and all the AM cars of that era are phenomenal. They just got it exactly right, and everything since has been an incremental step backward. The Mercedes power detracts from the specialness too.

With that said, the new Vanquish is a great looking car for what it is. That the V12 and all the software is bespoke to AM is quite a plus also.

I'm not a buyer in the $400k price range, but if I were I'd give it serious consideration. Frankly there just aren't many 'beautiful' brand new cars anymore, at any price point. As it stands now, if I upgrade from my Vantage it will definitely be to a previous-gen Vanquish.

 

I like it a lot, but in a detached academic way. I wouldn’t recommend a new Aston Martin of any variety to my enemies, let alone friends. It’s like withdrawing a large steamer trunk full of cash from your bank and using it as kindling for a large bonfire in your backyard.

Now after a few years, maybe! But the current (or recent) DBSS would come within my purchasing power a lot sooner.

Hey ​​​​@Speedraser good to see you in this online venue as well! 😁

 

Ram_g, Cheers!

 

I agree that the silver one looks much better than the brown or red one I've seen in the press photos.

My biggest issue with this car is the price. Car and Driver says it's going to start at around $430K.

https://www.caranddriver.com/aston-martin/vanquish

The new Vantage starts at around $200K. I'm not really seeing anything about the Vanquish which justifies it costing *double* what the Vantage does. Yes, the V12 is nice, but that, alone, doesn't justify that kind of price increase. Also, the new Vantage apparently already struggles to put down its power, so most of the performance figures for the Vanquish might not even be that different in the real world. The interiors also look very similar.

 

Carbon fiber body is what put the last Vanquish in the price range it competed in.

 

Meh. Not digging the side vent nor the black thing bolted on the back lid