Aston Martin is coming back to Vanquish the competition. Yeah, that’s pretty corny….anyway, the brand is readying a replacement for the DBS and DB9. They recently celebrated the end of the DBS production line with the limited-run Ultimate Edition.
Then, at Concorso d’Eleganze Villa d’Este they showed off the AM 310 Concept. It is a preview of the new coupe, based on the vertical/horizontal (VM) architecture that underpins the rest of the brand’s lineup. With that car, we’ve gotten a good idea of what the replacement will look like – a sportier Virage with elements of the One-77 super car around back.
In other words, it isn’t too much of a variation from Aston Martin’s successful formula. As far as beauty goes, that is a great thing – and we do really like the new rear end. The DBS replacement doesn’t press the styling envelope, but being an independent automaker it appears Aston can’t afford to take any risks doing that. While it isn’t official, CAR has gotten the scoop about the Vanquish name. They “discovered” the car in the United Kingdom, loaded on a trailer that the driver carelessly left open. CAR’s intrepid staff took the opportunity to snap off a photo.
The design perfectly matched up with the AM 310 Concept that was recently shown in Italy. The original Vanquish sat at the top of the Aston lineup prior to the DBS. It was introduced in 2001 and produced (in S form) until July 2007. It was a product of the Ford era, and fittingly it also got a send off with an “Ultimate Edition” model. The new Vanquish will (of course) outperform the outgoing DBS, and it is expected to make its production debut in August at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The car is also said to weight less than the DBS, thanks to a heavy use of carbon fiber. Once again, Aston’s lovely 6.0-liter V-12 will provide motivation.
