2025 Aston Martin Vanquish First Test Review: Big Performance From One of the Most Beautiful Cars Ever Made
Pros A rolling work of art
824 hp ain't nothin' to sneeze at
Great to drive Cons V-12 soundtrack a bit muted by turbos
Desperately needs a nose-lift system
Feels big on a winding road
There's a moment when first-date jitters transform into the joy of possibilities. It's when you realize an emotional connection can be so much greater than you originally expected. The automotive equivalent of that experience is the 2025 Aston Martin Vanquish, one of the most beautiful cars ever designed. The coupe is this close to epitomizing the perfect front-engine V-12 grand tourer, a classic formula Aston's Italian rivals have iterated on for more than half a century.
0:00 / 0:00
Forget Ferrari for a second. This Aston's real good, and not only in the way you think it would be.
Rolling Work of Art
With the 2025 Aston Martin Vanquish, beauty is everywhere you look. The best part about the Vanquish's design is that there isn't a best part. Every angle reveals a new visual delight, and you don't need to be a design nerd to appreciate it.
The proportions are perfect, from the short front overhangs to the way the roofline is low but not too low. It's so much more, though, like the stunning rear treatment. Or the surfacing of the doors. Take a close look at the carefully sculpted hood, and you'll see six holes in each of two hood vents, one for each of the 12 cylinders.
Whether viewed on a phone screen or in person, the 2025 Aston Martin Vanquish is one of the most beautiful cars ever designed.
824 HP and 12 Cylinders at the Track
Although the 2025 Vanquish is the latest in a long line of exotic GT cars, there's nothing nostalgic about its powertrain. A 5.2-liter twin-turbo V-12 producing 824 hp at 6,500 rpm and 738 lb-ft of torque at 2,500 rpm makes every trip a special occasion.
Bursting from 0 to 60 mph in only 3.3 seconds should catch most lead-footed Teslas by surprise. The quarter mile is done in 11.2 seconds at an excellent 132.5 mph. On the track, the car just keeps pulling and pulling until you run out of dragstrip.
Surprising no one, however, this isn't a stoplight drag-racer. You have to be in it for the experience. So as much as Aston may have been pleased to learn its baby has 6 hp more than the new Ferrari 12 Cilindri, you don't have to look far to find cars that match its impressive straight-line performance. And we don't mean electric cars like the MotorTrend-record-setting Porsche Taycan Turbo GT Weissach.
Try the Audi RS 7 Performance, which beats the Aston to 60 (3.0 seconds) and matches its trap speed in the quarter mile (11.2 seconds at 123.7 mph). Then there's the new Bentley Continental GT Speed, a plug-in hybrid that hits 60 in 2.8 seconds and rips onto a 10.8-second quarter mile at 130.7 mph. These really are exciting times to be a car enthusiast.
'Way Better Than I Expected'
The biggest surprise was when we ran the Vanquish through our figure-eight course, which evaluates braking, cornering, and acceleration as well as the transitions in between. The Aston finished the course in 23.3 seconds at 0.94 g (average), more than a second quicker than that Bentley. Just listen to associate road test editor Erick Ayapana: 'Way better than I expected. Turn-in is so fast and crisp. I expected this to be front heavy, but this is a very balanced car.'
On and off the track, we found the Aston is at its best with delicate steering and pedal inputs. Finesse the car, and it will deliver world-class performance and rotate the tail out if that's what you're after. At the same time, it never feels as small as Aston's own Vantage. Some cars hide their weight remarkably well, but that's not the case for the 4,334-pound Vanquish. The V-12 GT car weighs 456 pounds more than the eight-cylinder Vantage, another Aston with just about perfect 50/50 weight distribution front to rear.
The Vanquish is a thrill to drive, but on tight switchbacks it feels as wide as a Range Rover Sport with its mirrors folded in. Because it is.
Vanquish as a GT Car
For an occasional-use exotic, it seems like you couldn't ask for much more than a design for the ages, a solid driving experience, and a classy interior with fine attention to detail. But we will.
No car that costs $560,700 should make its owner feel uncomfortable on a sunny day. The optional glass roof lacks a simple roller shade or an electrochromic dimming function, the kind you find on some glass-roofed cars these days. Aston tells us the tinted glass shields occupants from UV-A and -B rays and is tinted to allow 6 percent light transmission. That works most of the time, but we'd like more control when the weather is especially hot and sunny.
The other feature every Vanquish needs is a nose-lift system. Imagine pulling up to the raised entrance of a busy hotel valet. While everyone gawks at your Aston Martin, the car's low front end loudly scrapes on the pavement. That wouldn't happen in a Corvette or a 911. In those cars, the feature is even connected to the navigation system so you can mark frequently visited locations, and the car knows exactly where to lift.
Finally, we wouldn't argue with an even more comfortable Comfort drive mode to have the option of occasionally selecting a cushier ride.
V-8 or V-12? Yes.
Awaken the V-12 engine, and its sound immediately communicates power and exclusivity. Very few V-12 engines remain in production, and this one propels the Vanquish to become the most powerful front-engine Aston in history, as well as the fastest with its 214-mph top speed.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of all during our time with the Vanquish was how we started daydreaming about a Lexus LC500. What makes an engine sound like beautiful music is subjective, just like actual music. And for me, the naturally aspirated V-8 of the Lexus LC500 is a treasure. The Aston's V-12 is mighty, but it's also turbocharged. The Ferrari 12 Cilindri manages its 800-plus-horsepower experience with no turbos. That translates to an even more stirring aural performance. As we said, it's subjective, and we'll gladly drive them all through our favorite tunnels anytime.
A Worthy Flagship
The best cars deliver a natural high during your first experience with them. What happens next is the real test of automotive goodness. Do you still see its value after realizing that every car has flaws?
In the case of the 2025 Aston Martin Vanquish, the answer is a resounding yes. This classic GT car has a few drawbacks, but its true beauty is in the way it simultaneously looks good and inspires you on the road. We hope Aston won't get complacent with this flagship car, as reputations aren't solidified overnight. But the hard work is done, and what a gorgeous way to honor the classic tradition of gas-powered 12-cylinder front-engine GTs.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Texas enacts robotaxi rules on the eve of Tesla's Austin rollout
AUSTIN - Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, has signed legislation requiring a permit to operate self-driving vehicles just before Tesla's planned launch of a robotaxi trial on Sunday, June 22 in Austin, according to the governor's website. The law does not take effect until Sept. 1, but the governor's approval of it on Friday sends a strong signal that state officials from both parties want the driverless-vehicle industry to proceed cautiously. A group of Democratic state lawmakers earlier this week asked Tesla to delay its planned robotaxi trial because of the legislation. Neither Tesla nor the governor's office immediately responded to requests for comment. The law marks a reversal from the state's previous anti-regulation stance on autonomous vehicles. A 2017 Texas law specifically prohibited cities from regulating self-driving cars. In recent days, Tesla has sent invites to a select group of Tesla online influencers for a small and carefully monitored robotaxi trial, which the company has said would include 10 or 20 Model Y vehicles operated in a limited zone of Austin. The governor's signature on the law puts the automaker in the position of choosing whether to proceed with a rollout it might have to terminate before Sept. 1. The law requires autonomous-vehicle operators to get approval from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles before operating on public streets without a human driver. It also gives state authorities the power to revoke permits if they deem a driverless vehicle "endangers the public" and requires firms to provide information on how police and first responders can deal with their driverless vehicles in emergency situations. Musk pledges safe robotaxi rollout The planned Tesla robotaxi launch, which the company warned might be delayed, comes after more than a decade of CEO Elon Musk's unfulfilled promises to deliver self-driving Teslas. Most of Tesla's sky-high stock value now rests on its ability to deliver robotaxis and humanoid robots, according to many industry analysts. Tesla is by far the world's most valuable automaker. Musk has said Tesla would be "super paranoid" about safety for the Austin rollout. The company planned to operate only in areas it considered the safest and to have "safety monitors" riding in the front passenger seat. It is not clear how much control the monitors would have over the vehicles in an emergency situation. The service in Austin will have other restrictions as well. Tesla plans to avoid bad weather, difficult intersections, and will not carry anyone below the age of 18. Musk has said he is ready to delay the start for safety reasons, if needed. The planned launch has generated buzz among Tesla fans. "Wow. We are going to ride in driverless Teslas in just a few days. On public roads," posted Omar Qazi, an user with 635,200 followers who writes often about Tesla using the handle @WholeMarsBlog and received an invite. Commercializing autonomous vehicles has been risky and expensive. GM's Cruise was shut down after a fatal accident and regulators are closely watching Tesla and its rivals, Alphabet's Waymo, which runs a paid robotaxi service in several U.S. cities, and Amazon's Zoox. Tesla is also bucking the young industry's standard practice of relying on multiple technologies to read the road, using only cameras. That, says Musk, will be safe and much less expensive than lidar and radar systems added by rivals.
Business Insider
3 hours ago
- Business Insider
Tesla's robotaxi plans to 'launch' for a limited number of users in Austin. Here's what we know.
Tesla's robotaxi service launch in Austin is expected Sunday, and some are already being spotted on the road. The anticipated launch comes years after several missed deadlines and an increasingly competitive — but shrinking — field. General Motors's Cruise recently bowed out of the race, but Alphabet's Waymo has continuously ramped up its service and is now providing 250,000 rides a week in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin, according to the company. There's also Amazon's Zoox, which makes its own purpose-built robotaxi, and other software-focused companies that hope to provide autonomous driving features to original equipment manufacturer vehicles. However, Elon Musk swears by Tesla's approach to autonomy. On June 10, Musk reshared a video of a driverless Tesla with " Robotaxi" written on the side in Cybertruck font, making a left turn in Austin. He called its design "beautifully simple." "These are unmodified Tesla cars coming straight from the factory, meaning that every Tesla coming out of our factories is capable of unsupervised self-driving," Musk said in another tweet. During the company's Q1 earnings call in April, Musk described Tesla's self-driving capabilities as a "generalized solution using artificial intelligence." The CEO has touted this approach before, which refers to Tesla's reliance on cameras, as opposed to a pricey hardware stack made up of sensors and cameras, and an AI that will use the visual input to drive the vehicle. This could allow for Tesla to scale autonomy quicker and at lower costs since, in theory, any Tesla model could be deployed as a robotaxi. "I predict there will be millions of Teslas operating autonomously — fully autonomously — in the second half of next year," Musk said during the call. Musk recently provided more details about the coming robotaxi launch. Here's what we now know about Tesla's robotaxi service — and some lingering questions. What will Tesla's planned robotaxi rollout look like? Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas, who recently visited Tesla's Palo Alto office, said that the robotaxi launch will take place on public roads and will be "invite only." Jonas also wrote that there will be "plenty of tele-ops to ensure safety levels." Teleoperators refer to remote workers who can take some control of the vehicle if the autonomous driver gets stuck. This strategy differs from Waymo and Zoox, which also have remote human workers to provide suggestions or information about a potential path forward if a driver gets stuck. BI previously reported that there had been discussion around using remote operators as safety drivers for the debut. How many robotaxis will be at the launch? It'll start small. Musk said in a May 20 interview with CNBC that Tesla will launch with around 10 robotaxis in the first week. The automaker will "then increase it to 20, 30, 40," Musk said. "It will probably be at 1,000 within a few months," Musk said. Tesla was careful to call the robotaxi service we'll see in June a "pilot" rollout in the automaker's first quarter earnings call, which hints at the limited scale of the initial launch. Musk has said he plans to expand the robotaxis to other cities, like San Francisco, following the Austin rollout, although he hasn't given an exact timeline on the expansion. "We just want to put our toe in the water, make sure everything is OK, then put a few more toes in the water, then put a foot in the water," Musk said during Tesla's fourth quarter earnings call in January. "With safety of the general public and those in the car as our top priority." By the end of 2026, Musk said there could be over 1 million self-driving Teslas in the country. "Once we make it work in a few cities, we can basically make it work in all cities in that legal jurisdiction," he said during a first-quarter earnings call. Which Tesla cars will be used for the robotaxi launch? The first set of Tesla robotaxis is expected to be Model Ys through a software update, according to Musk. The car spotted in Austin appears to be a refreshed Model Y with a robotaxi logo printed on its side. "With the software update, it will become autonomous," Musk said in the company's first quarter earnings call. "To be clear, the Model Ys that we're talking about being autonomous in Austin in June are the Model Ys we make currently. There's no change to it." It's unclear if the first batch of robotaxis will be managed directly by Tesla or if it will consist of privately owned Teslas through which owners will opt in to the service. The CEO also clarified that the Cybercab is a separate product. In October 2024, Tesla unveiled a purpose-built, two-door robotaxi with no steering wheel. "We've got a product called the Cybercab," he said during the first-quarter earnings call. "And then if any Tesla — which could be a (model) S, 3, X, or Y that is autonomous — is a robotic taxi or robotaxi. It's very confusing." What will the business model look like? Musk has compared the robotaxi business model to "some combination of Airbnb and Uber." Musk said during the CNBC interview that Tesla has "millions of cars that will be able to operate autonomously," and Tesla owners will have the opportunity to "earn money by adding their car to the fleet for autonomous use." "It's a combination of a Tesla-owned fleet and also enabling Tesla owners to be able to add or subtract their car to the fleet," Musk said. Musk added in the interview that Tesla owners could make more in allowing the car to be added to the self-driving fleet than the lease would cost. The Tesla CEO has previously said owners could earn about $30,000 a year from the service. "Just like Airbnb, you can rent out your spare bedroom or your house if you're not using it, and make money on it," Musk said. "And that's what we expect Tesla customers to be able to do." Tesla has yet to unveil the commercial version of its FSD Unsupervised software. The software will be used in the robotaxi fleet and doesn't need a driver behind the wheel like its personal vehicles. How can we order a Tesla robotaxi in June? Tesla teased its ride-hailing mobile app last year. A video of the app reveals a user requesting the service by pressing a black-and-white circle with the word "summon." Within a few seconds, the app shows a map of a car three minutes from the pickup location. The app also allows users to adjust the climate settings before it arrives. As of Sunday morning, several invited participants said they were still waiting for the app's release. So, when will we get the Cybercab? Tesla's Cybercab was unveiled at the "We, Robot" event last October. It's also a robotaxi, but it's a bit further out than the service launch date. Volume production of Cybercab is still on schedule for 2026, Lars Moravy, Tesla's vice president of vehicle engineering, said during the company's first quarter earnings call. Moravy said that the company is currently at the "B-sample validation" of the vehicle, which means Tesla is building the prototype of the car but using material that will be close to the final product. "Big builds" or the next stage of vehicle-building before volume production is coming at the end of the second quarter, Moravy said. Tesla anticipates that it will be able to pump out Cybercabs quickly at scale by using what the company calls its "unboxed" method of manufacturing. Traditional car manufacturers build cars on an assembly line. Tesla is betting on a new method where different parts of the car are simultaneously assembled and then later combined.
Newsweek
3 hours ago
- Newsweek
Mercedes Team Boss Stands by Lewis Hamilton - 'Don't Ever Write Him Off'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has voiced support for his former driver Lewis Hamilton, who joined Ferrari this year. The seven-time world champion's journey with the Maranello outfit hasn't been a smooth one on many fronts thus far, leading many to question if Hamilton still has the racing prowess. However, Wolff emphasized, saying, "Don't ever write Lewis Hamilton off." The 40-year-old driver's move to Ferrari after 12 successful years with Mercedes meant he not only had to adapt to a new car but also to a new team, new location, and new language. While one would expect a world champion like Hamilton to get up to speed in no time, the complexities of the current ground effect cars also add to his challenge, especially considering his struggles at Mercedes since 2022, when the new era began. Hamilton has reportedly had no role in the development of the current Ferrari SF-25, making the task of adapting to the car more challenging. He has yet to secure his first Grand Prix podium finish with the red team, though his sprint race win at Shanghai cannot be dismissed. Ferrari's British driver Lewis Hamilton rides a scooter in the paddock during previews ahead of the 2025 Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada, on June 12, 2025. Ferrari's British driver Lewis Hamilton rides a scooter in the paddock during previews ahead of the 2025 Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada, on June 12, who celebrated eight Constructors' Championships with Hamilton and shares a friendly relationship with him, revealed the factors that are likely affecting the Ferrari driver. Speaking on the Bloomberg Hot Pursuit podcast, Wolff explained how the start of the ground effect era in 2022 affected Hamilton and why he needs to be given more time to adapt to his new car and team. He said: "You don't unlearn driving that quickly. In 2021, he was great. Then the regulations changed, and it got a little more difficult, but he was still performing at a very high level. "Just by changing teams, suddenly you don't lose your skills. "Everybody needs a period of adaptation – different car, different DNA in how the vehicle drives, a new engineering team that you need to start working together. "Then you have to be involved in the continuous development of the car so it suits your driving style." Wolff highlighted the major cultural shift that had taken place for Hamilton and revealed a lesser-known pattern concerning him. He said: "It's an all-Italian team, and he's a British guy parachuted in there. And that takes time. "Also, we've seen a bit of a pattern that Lewis, at the beginning of the season, needs to find his mojo and the second half of the season has always been very strong. "So don't ever write Lewis Hamilton off."
