The V12 is roused only moderately loudly, the car defaulting to its buttoned-down GT running mode to begin with, but it doesn’t remain a moderate for long. Spin the car’s drive mode collar selector around to Sport, and then Sport+, and the car’s presence is widely and unapologetically announced.
Aston’s aim was to make this car significantly more characterful and more capable than the DBS Superleggera, and the first part is achieved via a much more effusive-sounding engine, whose appeal doesn’t feel impinged upon by the presence of turbochargers. It can really bellow at low crank speeds, and then erupt into a vibrating, multi-faceted howl when extended.
In our test car, at least, it wasn’t what you’d call a well-mannered engine when working hard – Aston has evidently embraced almost all that it has to give in terms of noise and vibration in a warts-and-all way uncharacteristic of a modern luxury GT, but very telling about the Vanquish’s particular performance agenda. It certainly isn’t short of audible drama.
Nor, for that matter, outright muscle. You’ll need those fiercer drive modes to get unfettered access to the V12’s fathoms-deep torque reserves in the lower intermediate gears – and, crikey, they’re something. The car resists turbo lag really well, and so surges forward in second and third with a violence that you simply can’t believe its rear tyres can actually transmit. Thanks to the extra dynamic capability that Aston has added here, however, they do. For this tester, it was only when feeling particularly brave that I risked full power in third gear, never mind second (when it’s a throttle you squeeze, not stamp on).
Even fourth is made to feel pretty savage, the bristling, whining V12’s ferocity still building, rather than tailing off, beyond 6000rpm.
The Vanquish gets carbon-ceramic brakes as standard, which offer strong power and fade resistance, though they’re a little reluctant to hold the car stationary, requiring a firmer press on the pedal once the car has come to a stop lest it creep back forwards (a quirk typical of carbon brakes due to the way their pads create friction).