Vanquish S leads NZ drive
Aston Martin signals the start of a new push in the New Zealand luxury car market with the arrival of the Vanquish S.
The new model was revealed on Tuesday to a private audience at a harbour-side venue overlooking Auckland Harbour Bridge.
Aston Martin president and chief executive, Dr Andy Palmer on his first trip to New Zealand as the company CEO - was among the speakers at the function and also confirmed that a soon-to-be finished state-of-the-art showroom in the city will be opened in June.
The new multi-storey multimillion dollar building with a showroom on the ground floor was described as a "massive project" by Greg Brinck, general manager of Independent Prestige, agents for Aston Martin and Lamborghini with planning beginning up to three years ago.
Brinck, who has been involved with Aston Martin in NZ for 14 years, expects the Vanquish S to be another strong seller in NZ, following on from huge sales success here for the DB11.
"We had the highest order uptake for the DB11 in the Southern Hemisphere."
Palmer, who joined the company in 2014, did not see the NZ expansion as a gamble.
"No, I don’t gamble, I’m an engineer. I’m an advocate of maths and data," he said, adding that New Zealand was proving to be a great showcase to people worldwide for their product.
Palmer, meanwhile, described the Vanquish S as a "spectacular machine in every sense" saying it was a great addition to our range, and one we expect will appeal to our New Zealand clients."
"The Vanquish S confidently asserts itself within the Aston Martin range, distinguishing itself from the new DB11.
Equipped with an uprated 6-litre V12 engine producing 588 PS, the Vanquish S has a top speed of 323kmh, and achieves 0-100kmh in just 3.5 seconds. There is an 8-speed Touchtronic III Transmission, quadexhaust tailpipes, and revised inlet manifolds for increased engine airflow.
Visually, it comes with a new aerodynamic package, cloaked in a suit of carbon. A 2x2 carbon fibre twill front splitter and rear diffuser add not only to the exterior styling are claimed to improve high-speed stability as well.
New quad exhaust outlets provide a more aggressive appearance which the British marque says is entirely fitting for its most overtly sporting GT production model.
Inside, the cabin features such Filograph quilt design options, Bang and Olufsen audio and the AMI III Infotainment system with all new satellite navigation.
The Vanquish S is available in both Coupe and Volante, with a starting price of $395,000 plus onroad costs. First customer deliveries in New Zealand are due to commence in April.