The name is Vanquish

James Bond buffs may remember the Aston Martin Vanquish from 2002’s Die Another Day, with one of the movie car’s tricks being the ability to turn invisible using adaptive camouflage. The fictional feature saved 007’s bacon, but the real-world Vanquish was never a car to be hidden, with a sultry shape that could compete with any of Bond’s curvy love interests in terms of attention-grabbing ability. And so it is for the bewitchingly handsome third-generation Vanquish, launched as the British brand’s flagship car.

The nameplate has returned for 2024 — the year Aston Martin celebrates the 60th anniversary of its iconic association with the James Bond films. The latest Vanquish made its premiere at the Venice International Film Festival on 2 September, with Bond actor Daniel Craig among a bevy of stars in attendance as the car was unveiled by Aston Martin Formula One drivers Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso.

This launch completes a busy period for the 111-year-old firm, following as it does the launches of the DB12 in May 2023 and the Vantage in February 2024, both powered by V8 engines.

The new Vanquish boasts the British marque’s most powerful combustion engine to date: a twin-turbo petrol V12. In a world where a dozen cylinders are becoming a rarity owing to stringent emissions regulations, the Vanquish’s 5.2l lump delivers the performance and aural charisma of a flagship grand tourer. Under a sculpted bonnet with F1-inspired cooling vents lurks 614kW of power and a mighty 1 000Nm of torque, giving the two-seat coupé the ability to cover the 0-100km/h sprint in 3.3 seconds and reach a 345km/h maximum speed.

By changing the drive mode, the exhaust character can be changed from a relaxed, refined V12 tone in GT mode to an increasingly full-throated war cry when Sport and Sport+ modes are selected. Power is delivered to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox and an electronic rear limited-slip differential to improve high-speed stability. A new ABS system provides significantly improved braking distances with the assistance of race-bred carbon-ceramic discs.

The British grand tourer also boasts a state-of-the-art chassis. Riding on lightweight, 21-inch forged alloy wheels wearing grippy Pirelli P Zero tyres, the Vanquish has Bilstein DTX intelligent adaptive dampers. To boost handling it has nearly double the lateral stiffness of Aston Martin’s previous V12-powered flagship, the DBS 770 Ultimate. The luxurious cabin is finished with Alcantara-leather upholstery and the power-adjusted seats feature a quilted design. The Vanquish has a 15-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system under a full-length panoramic glass roof.

• From the October edition of Wanted, 2024.