Aston Martin to launch all-new V12 Vanquish supercar in 2018

The performance-focused model is likely to launch with a 5.2-litre V12 motor; power output expected to be closer to the 800hp Ferrari 812 Superfast.

Published On Sep 11, 2017 02:05:00 PM

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Aston Martin to launch all-new V12 Vanquish supercar in 2018

Aston Martin is in the process of developing a more performance-focused version of the Vanquish, eschewing the car’s grand touring predecessors. The video below shows the Vanquish, disguised under the body of a DB11 test mule, being tested at the Nürburgring.

The supercar is expected to arrive internationally in 2018, after the V8 Vantage’s launch, and will be powered by Aston Martin’s 5.2-litre V12 turbo-petrol motor that is shared with the DB11. Power figures are expected to be well north of the DB11’s 608hp, bringing it closer to the 800hp Ferrari 812 Superfast, which has a 6.5-litre V12 engine.

The new Vanquish will probably sit above the DB11 in Aston’s range.

While the model being tested gives no indication of how the new Vanquish will look, the large rear spoiler, front lip and larger wheels point to the finished product's more aggressive set-up. The upcoming supercar will be underpinned by a modified version of the DB11’s platform, which will also be used by the V8 Vantage that is due soon.

Aston Martin has a history of running development versions of upcoming cars under the body of sibling models, with the most recent example being the V8 Vantage. It has recently been seen with production bodywork, but sightings earlier this year were of a DB11 test mule similar to the one that is in the video.

The British manufacturer’s decision to change the Vanquish into a supercar is a part of Aston’s overall plan that includes launching the DBX SUV in 2019, a mid-engined rival to the Ferrari 488 GTB and McLaren 720S in 2021, and a Lagonda sedan and a Lagonda SUV in 2020 and 2022.