Déjà Vanquish
Seeing things? No. Ian Callum has had another crack at his Aston stunner
‘No matter what you can do, it can always be better,’ Ian Callum tells me not long after I drive his updated Aston Martin Vanquish, which you’ll remember Mr Callum originally designed over two decades ago.
Callum Design and engineering specialists R-Reforged have gone over the gorgeous early-2000s GT and made many small changes that add up to a massive difference. And a massive price – each Vanquish 25 costs £450k, plus taxes and donor car. It’s a huge amount to put into a car easily sourced for under £120k in S specification.
Your investment brings revised bodywork front to back, LED headlights (that remove the round foglights Ian never liked), a rear diffuser with a seamlessly integrated exhaust system, larger wheels, a refreshed interior and upgrades for both chassis and engine. There’s also the option of a manual gearbox or torque converter from a Corvette as well as the original semi-auto.
Even so, this is still an Aston Martin grand tourer and that DNA hasn’t been spliced out. It still starts with a harrumph, it’s wide (front and rear tracks are now wider) and heavy, has more muscle to flex than you’ll ever really need and turns heads like few other cars can.
The cockpit is where the updates are most obvious, blending 2020 tech with early-2000s foibles. The team have, among other changes, reworked the seats (you sit much lower), added a removable Bremont watch (because why not?) and bought in some infotainment. Fine, except the central screen is angled high, making it hard to read in sunlight. Ditto the dials, upon which an odd crosshair graphic has been overlaid.
The dynamic work refines the heavy GT’s best bits and improves its shortcomings; bespoke Bilstein dampers, custom springs, carbon-ceramic brakes and stiffer anti-roll bars combine to inject some serious athleticism. Get this Vanquish on a good B-road and it really flies, with taut, controlled body movements and much more alert steering (the original has a slight dead spot off-centre); it can dance from corner to corner better than a new Bentley Continental GT. The
PRICE POWERTRAIN
5935cc 48v V12, six-speed manual, rear-wheel drive manual option may be at odds with the grand tourer vibe, but its shift action is tactile like few I’ve ever experienced.
Add into the mix that glorious V12, now with uprated camshafts, a carbonfibre airbox and recalibrated ECU, boosting power by 60bhp to 580bhp, and singing tenor rather than baritone via a bespoke exhaust. Floor it any gear and it sings, with throttle response to die for. Who needs turbos anyway? Not the 25 people who will be paying a tidy sum for a Callum Vanquish.
First verdict
Even more gorgeous to look at and a job well done dynamically. It’s just a shame so few people will ever have the pleasure
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PERFORMANCE
580bhp, 395lb ft, 4.5sec 0-62mph (est), 200mph (est)
WEIGHT
1810kg
Glorious noise; manual gearbox; improved dynamics over original
MINUS
Hyper-expensive; interior niggles
EFFICIENCY
n/a mpg, n/a g/km CO2
PLUS ON SALE
Now