THE ASTON MARTIN
V12 VANQUISH

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V12 Vanquish
Vanquish, according to the Oxford English Dictionary means, ‘to reduce to submission by superior force’, in other words to conquer, overpower or overwhelm. No better phrase sums up the new V12 Vanquish, the most sophisticated and technologically advanced new model ever to be designed and developed by Aston Martin. Built at Newport Pagnell, V12 Vanquish will become Aston Martins premier flagship model complementing the already well established DB7 Vantage models.

Available in either two plus two or two seater form, V12 Vanquish will be powered by a 450 bhp (336kW) version of Aston Martin's 6.0 litre 48 valve, four cam V12 engine, and each car will be handbuilt and equipped, in true Aston Martin tradition to the exact and individual requirement of its owner.


Engine - Further development of Aston Martin’s low emissions, all alloy, twin overhead camshaft, 48 valve 6.0 litre V12 engine with new design inlet manifolds, camshafts, valve gear, crankshaft and exhaust system has resulted in an increase in power to 460bhp and an increase in torque to 400 lb.ft. With the catalysts located immediately adjacent to the exhaust manifold they achieve optimum operating efficiency within 30 seconds to further reduce emissions. To ensure that heat from the engine and exhaust system is insulated from the body structure the entire exhaust system and the front bulkhead is clad in a heat resistant material first developed within the aerospace industry. A unique engine oil to water heat exchanger accelerates and assists operating efficiency together with an ionised gas misfire detection system which provides continuous monitoring of each of the engine’s 12 cylinders.

Transmission - The six speed close ratio manual transmission which is installed in the new V12 Vanquish is linked to the electronic drive-by-wire throttle and controlled through twin paddles mounted on the steering column. Developed exclusively for Aston Martin, the advanced paddle shift gear change incorporates electronics matched to hydraulics to facilitate instantaneous gear changes. Sophisticated electronics also permit the manual transmission to operate automatically with the additional facility of a programme for winter driving conditions which automatically reduces the power and torque of the engine.


Brakes, Suspension and Steering - Anti-lock, ventilated and drilled 355mm (front) and 330mm (rear) diameter Brembo disc brakes are fitted to the aluminium alloy road wheels. These are combined with variable ratio power steering and independent front and rear suspension systems which incorporate forged aluminium wishbones and cast aluminium front suspension uprights. The rear axle is equipped with a limited slip differential operating in tandem with electronic traction control which senses potential wheel slippage and automatically reduces engine power and if necessary applies the rear brake system. The Yokohama 255/40 ZR 19 front and 285/40 ZR 19 rear tyres are mounted on 19" diameter wheels with 9" width rims at the front and 10" width rims at the rear. Individual tyre pressures and temperatures are monitored through an automatic electronic sensing system.

Engineering - The new V12 Vanquish benefits from the most comprehensive and exhaustive test programme ever to be undertaken by Aston Martin with 50 prototypes covering more than 1.0 million miles. Components and systems were subjected to a series of exhaustive trials on test rigs in Ford Research and Development Centres in Britain, mainland Europe and the United States. In order to assess the integrity and durability of the bonded body structure an environmental wind tunnel was employed to subject a Vanquish body to extremes of temperature ranging from minus 40°C to plus 81°C. In addition, high speed endurance and accelerated durability trials for vehicles and components were completed at proving grounds in Australia, the USA, Canada and Europe.

Specifications

Body
Two door style with 2+0 or 2+2 seating. Extruded aluminium and carbon fibre bonded monocoque. Composite front and rear crash structures. Aluminium skin panels. Extruded aluminium door side impact protection beam. Boot space of 0.24 cu m.

Interior
Connolly leather and Alcantara interior. Electrically controlled front seats incorporating seat heaters. Air conditioning. Heated rear screen. Six speaker Alpine stereo radio cassette system with 6 CD autochanger. Alarm and immobiliser system with remote central locking and boot release. Tyre pressure sensing system. Automatic rain sensing wiper operation. Automatic headlamp operation. Auto dimming rear view mirror. Trip computer. Instrument pack message centre display. Battery disconnect switch.

Engine
All alloy quad overhead cam 48 valve 5935cc 60° V12. Compression ratio 10.5:1. twin PTEC engine management controlling fuel injection, ignition and diagnostics. Fully catalysed stainless steel exhaust system.

Performance
Acceleration: 0-100 km/h (62mph) 5.0 seconds Maximum speed: 306 km/h (190mph)

Transmission
Six speed manual gearbox with Auto Shift Manual/Select Shift Manual (ASM/SSM) electro-hydraulic control system. SCP/CAN interface to engine management control system. Limited slip differential 3.69:1

Suspension
Front: Independent double aluminium wishbone. Coil springs, monotube dampers and anti-roll bar. Rear: Independent double aluminium wishbone. Coil springs, monotube dampers and anti-roll bar.

Steering
Rack and pinion, variable power assistance 2.73 turns lock to lock. Column tilt and reach adjustment.

Brakes
Front: Ventilated cross drilled steel discs 355mm diameter with four piston aluminium calipers. Rear: Ventilated steel discs 330mm diameter with four piston aluminium calipers and separate handbrake caliper. Teves vacuum assisted anti-lock braking system. Electronic brake and engine intervention traction control system.

Wheels & Tyres
Lightweight forged aluminium alloy wheels 9J x 19 (front), 10J x 19 (rear), 255/40 ZR19 tyres (front), 285/40 ZR19 (rear)

Dimensions
Length: 4665mm. Width: 1923mm. Height: 1318 mm Kerb Weight: 1820 kgs (estimated) Wheelbase: 2690 mm. Fuel tank capacity: 80 litres 95 RON unleaded fuel only.

Extract from Aston Martin.com

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