- Aston Martin Vanquish celebrates its 25th birthday
- Three generations of the Super GT
- Shot to prominence in 2002 Bond flick Die Another Day
- Third gen model debuted in 2024
Aston Martin is celebrating 25 years of Super GT gloriousness as the Vanquish marks its landmark birthday.
Favoured by Pierce Brosnan’s 007 in 2002’s Die Another Day and still the pinnacle of Aston Martin’s fabled front-engined sports car range, the Vanquish is a true poster child of British engineering.
Aston Martin CEO, Adrian Hallmark, says: “Since its arrival 25 years ago, the Vanquish nameplate has been synonymous with something special; something ambitious, different and daring.
“Over those years Vanquish has grown into a true Aston Martin icon and, in 2026, it remains nothing less than a symbol of what this exceptional British marque is capable of creating. Like the fortunate owners who have chosen to add one, or more, of the three generations of Vanquish to their collections since 2001 I am immensely proud of what this model represents.”
It all began when the Vanquish made its debut at the 2001 Geneva Motor Show.
Here’s how it has panned out since.
V12 Vanquish | 2001-2007 (pictured far left, above)
The first Aston Martin to bear the ‘Vanquish’ name featured a new 6.0-litre V12 engine with an output of 460 bhp, mated to an F1-inspired paddle shift gearbox. It used a cutting-edge aluminum tub and composite body panels, and at the time represented a major leap in both design and technology for the luxury marque.
The Vanquish earned a new nickname in 2002 - the ‘Vanish’ - as it appeared in Bond flick Die Another Day with eye-popping adaptive camouflage technology!
A more potent V12 Vanquish S soon followed before it bowed out with the V12 Vanquish S Ultimate Edition.
Vanquish | 2012-2018 (pictured in the middle of the trio, above)
The second generation Vanquish broke cover in 2012, ahead of a production start the following year.
Its exterior took inspiration from Aston Martin’s One-77 hypercar and every panel on this Vanquish was made from aerospace standard carbon fibre, making it 25% lighter than the DBS this model superseded.
Under the bonnet sat a 6.0-litre V12 engine boasting significant revisions over its predecessors including features such as bigger throttle bodies, the company’s first dual variable valve timing and new fuel pumps and air boxes.
You got power of 565 bhp with 457lb ft of torque and it could hurtle from 0-62 mph in 4.1 seconds.
The ‘S’ variant developed 600bhp and hit a top speed of 201 mph.
Vanquish | 2024-present day (far left, above)
With production limited to under 1000 examples a year, this icon continues to reign in ultra-luxury exclusivity.
Powered by a new 5.2-litre Twin-Turbo V12 producing an astonishing 835 PS and 1000 Nm of torque, the current Vanquish will throttle from 0-60 mph in 3.3 seconds. Meanwhile the top speed of 214mph made this car, at the time of its launch, the fastest Aston Martin series production model to date.
Like its acclaimed stablemates, DB12 and Vantage, this generation of Vanquish is built around a bonded aluminium body structure with double wishbone front suspension and multi-link rear suspension.
Aston Martin Historian, Steve Waddingham, said: “Any Aston Martin is, of course, a rare and special thing. But for a car to grow and develop as Vanquish has, through three distinct and exceptional generations, is, to my mind, an extra-special achievement, and it is therefore only right that we now celebrate 25 years of this flagship model.”
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