JEDDAH – The 2013 Aston Martin Vanquish, the result of a century of technological expertise combined with the best of British refinement and craftsmanship, has become the new benchmark in the world of the Grand Touring cars. Launched in Jeddah at a special press preview as part of the three-day Jeddah EXCS Luxury Car Show that ends today (Thursday), the attending press corps acclaimed the 2013 Vanquish as “the star of the show”. “The 2013 Vanquish technology comes from the unique Aston Martin One-77 which pushed automobile technology to new boundaries,” said Ali Alireza, Managing Director of Haji Husein Alireza & Co. Ltd., at the launch of the car. “With their characteristic panache and superb technological skills, the engineers and craftsmen at Aston Martin's Gaydon atelier have delivered on their promise of a world- leader in sports-touring cars. The new Vanquish is the star to follow and the benchmark to match.” Brand General Manager Mark Pocock said “bearing the same name as the iconic original Vanquish that did so much to cement Aston Martin's reputation as a maker of great GT cars in the modern era, I really believe the car we unveiled today again rightfully returns this great British brand to the top of its class.” Such is the reputation of Aston Martin and the news of the new Vanquish spread among enthusiasts from earlier launches, Pocock said. “We are delighted to have received a considerable number of forward orders, despite none of our clients having even seen the car yet.” Deliveries of the car are expected to begin in late 2013. The 2013 Vanquish retains the sophisticated understatement of design that characterizes the marque.
The changes are subtle but incorporate what was once leading edge technology into Aston Martin's standard engineering programme. The design of the 2013 Vanquish represents the latest development in Aston Martin's iconic visual language. Styling cues such as the elegant new waist, elongated side strakes and LED rear light blades are derived from the One-77 supercar. Closer inspection reveals details such as the subtle new Aero Duct on the rear boot lid. This elegantly devised passive engineering feature is no simple design embellishment; it counteracts rear-end lift when travelling at speed and is a triumph of both design and technical improvement. Invisible advances include the body panels on the 2013 Vanquish, which are made from carbon-fibre composite. Its extremely high strength-to-weight ratio allows a more sensuous silhouette, a marked decrease in mass and a remarkable increase in torsional rigidity of 25 percent. A less exotic but very practical improvements include a newly designed and significantly more spacious cabin and a luggage compartment that, at 368 litres, is more than 60 percent larger than that of the DBS and sufficient for even the most ambitious grand tourist. – SG
