Wings that soar high – The Aston Martin V12 Vanquish

When a pair of wings with a certain inscription engraved on it flies by on the streets, all heads turn in enticement, all eyes, follow it with admiration all the way round the corner.

When the inscription in white over a green rectangular background placed upon the wings pulls over in a traffic red light, there is a common unrest among the crowd where whispers and gasps can be heard exclaiming Oh what a classy car that is, you see there!

And when the inscription that clearly reads ASTON MARTIN is pulled over in a parking lot, every passer by pauses for a moment with a fixed stare bearing a thought ‘Ah that’s the James Bond one!

For the logo, for years now, has been a symbol of classic elegance, pride and dignity that it earned through its skilled craftsmanship and the smooth touch on road. Established in the year 1914 in Kensington by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford, the brand’s name is a cross between the hill-climb circuit named Aston Hill and Lionel’s surname Martin. Yes, surprising as it may be, the year of establishment does signify the commencement of the World War 1 which explains the production of the first Aston Martin car being in the year 1921, the first competition car.

Ever since then, Aston Martin is a brand that lets its fine productions, speak for itself. Over these years Aston Martin has earned a respectable place not just in the global market but also in the heart of its proprietors. One fine example of such would be the Aston Martin V12 Vanquish, yet another addition to the ranks of the Aston Martin heritage vehicles.

Taken up from the 1998 Project Vantage concept car, this car was first seen on the streets in 2001. The V12 Vanquish flaunts a bonded aluminium chassis incorporated with traditional craftsmanship. The body is made from extruded aluminium and carbon fibres; the carbon fibres and composite materials being used primarily for the entire crash structure of the car. This endows the car with an extremely rigid and safe body-shell which is then clothed in hand finished aluminium panels.

And yes, beneath the handmade bonnet sits a 460bhp version of the Aston Martin V12 engine, delivering its power via a 6-speed manual gearbox, controlled by an electrohydraulic paddle shift gear change.

Specifications:

Engine- V12, 5935 cc, 460bhp @ 6500 rpm

                400 lbs-ft@5000 rpm

Transmission – 6-speed manual gearbox with Auto Shift Manual/ Select Shift Manual (ASM/SSM) electrohydraulic control system

Brakes –  Front and rear ventilated systems

Dimensions (LxWxH) –  4665 x 1923 x 1318 mm

Weight – 1835 kg

Top Speed – 190 mph

0-60 mph – 5 sec

Well it must be said that the name describes the car aptly, vanquish which it did to the cars of that range in the year of its production in 2001. And more interestingly, after its appearance in the Bond movie Die Another Day, it became the Bond Car securing its bonds in the history of James Bond.

Hence it can rightfully said, that the wings have indeed attained great heights.