Aston Martin grabbed headlines at this year's Geneva Motor Show with two concepts that got us on our toes. You can read about the RB-003 by clicking these words.
While the 003 did take us by surprise, we feel that the Vanquish Vision concept if commissioned would stir up a storm in the segment that is currently dominated by Ferrari's 488 (now F8 Tributo) and the McLaren 720S. A segment of talent and thrills.
The Vanquish will derive notable skills from its elder V-12 siblings. Yes, Aston Martin has confirmed that all the madness that makes the Valkyrie insane will trickle down into the new Vanquish: things like aero, efficiency, packaging, weight, and so on.
The Vanquish, however, won't get the V12 as the Valkyrie. Aston Martin will grace the Vanquish with the V6 engine that we earlier talked about in the 003. No information about its displacement or power has been unveiled yet, but considering the F8 Tributo and 720S have conquered the 700-hp mark, we expect nothing less from the Vanquish.
We have been told that the engine will find a place in the middle of the bonded aluminium chassis, rather than the carbon-fibre tubs seen on the Valkyrie and AM-RB 003. While looks could be subjective, one cannot help but notice the huge resemblance with the Valkyrie. Aston uses many other words to describe the outside, design director Miles Nurnberger saying: “There's less of the negative space that defines the look of the Aston Martin Valkyrie and AM-RB 003. It's a prettier car, and purposely so, and it's been designed to thrive in a less extreme performance envelope.”
While there is not much to infer from at this moment, we're assured that the car will be honed to within an inch of its life by Aston's experienced driver line-up. “Our first series production rear mid-engined supercar will be a transformational moment for the brand,” explains Aston boss Andy Palmer, “for it is the car that will propel Aston Martin into a sector of the market traditionally seen as the heartland of luxury sports cars.”
