To drive or not to drive, that is the question
The Vanquish S is Aston Martin’s self-proclaimed ‘Super GT’ that boasts Supercar performance with everyday GT capabilities. With two iterations of the sought-after supercar residing within The PaddlUp Rooms, we saw the perfect opportunity to undertake a side-by-side comparison to see why one is built for the driver in all of us and the other serves as a lucrative investment opportunity.
Humble beginnings
Following on from the original, hand-crafted aluminium Vanquish produced at the Newport Pagnell factory, the Gen 2’s production was carried out at the contemporary Gaydon facility utilising new technology in its carbon fibre panel construction.
Ian Callum’s concept for the original iteration had more subtle, gentle curves whereas the Marek Reichman-designed second generation was more angular and aggressive, borrowing styling queues from the One 77 (including a steering wheel of the same distinct shape) and DBS that followed.
Both examples here are part of the second-generation Vanquish range so the styling is noticeably refined. Another updated aspect from the original is the power, the naturally aspirated 5.9-litre V12 – the last of a dying breed for Aston Martin – now produces 595 horsepower, an increase of 30 over the previous iteration.
The Vanquish
The Vanquish is a solus V12 model, and as is the case with many cars that are only available in the 12-cylinder configuration, such as the Ferrari 812 Superfast and F12berlinetta, the exclusivity that brings seems to positively affect the value as time goes on. The ‘flagship’ messaging that goes hand-in-hand with this model also has a drastic impact on its future price point.
Interestingly when a model is available in both an eight-cylinder and 12-cylinder configuration, like the Vantage or the Bentley Continental GT, then it is the eight-cylinder version that performs more enviably on the used car market.
The 2017 Aston Martin Vanquish S with AML Carbon Black exterior has just 15,000 miles on the clock and is undoubtedly the driver’s car in this equation, which could happily be used for long-distance grand tours across Europe or weekend jaunts to the seaside.
The Vanquish S Ultimate
Meanwhile, the 2018 Vanquish S Ultimate has just 50 miles on the odometer. With just 175 of these stunning limited edition models in existence, this is an investment opportunity in its truest form.
Whichever way you look at it, from an appreciating automotive asset perspective or you want to focus more on the thrill of driving, there is a second generation Vanquish S for every situation, and no matter which one you choose, it's always going to be visually stunning and audibly arresting.
Check out the full spec list for our 2017 Aston Martin Vanquish S.
For more details, view the full vehicle listing for our 2018 Aston Martin Vanquish S Ultimate.
View more of our supercars in The Gallery.