The current Vanquish keeps Aston Martin's twin-turbocharged 5.2-liter V12 alive and unhybridized, sending 824 hp and 738 lb-ft to the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic.It covers 0 to 60 mph in around 3.2 seconds and tops out at 214 mph, though at 4,211 pounds it feels its weight through corners.Pricing starts at $434,000 with destination and reached $552,600 as tested, against $464,000 for a Ferrari 12Cilindri and $604,000 for a Lamborghini Revuelto. The V12 is not, contrary to popular belief, ancient Aston Martin gospel. The early DB cars ran inline-sixes and V8s, and it took until the late 1990s, under Ford's stewardship, for Gaydon to start dropping 12-cylinder engines into everything within reach. The DB7 got one. The old Vanquish got one. Even the Rapide got one. Then came downsizing, and a lineup reinvention led by the DBX, and a very real fear that Aston would quietly walk away from twelve cylinders altogether. It did not. It went the other way instead, returning with a V12 that is more powerful than before and entirely free of hybrid assistance, which in 2026 counts as an act of defiance. Frighteningly Quick, Ludicrously Pretty, Priced Like a House The engine is the reason this car exists. That twin-turbocharged 5.2-liter V12 sends 824 hp and 738 lb-ft to the rear wheels through a fast-shifting eight-speed automatic, and it is loud, enormous and occasionally quite frightening. A Boost Reserve system manages throttle opening and wastegates to keep both turbos spinning at all times, which produces a genuinely delectable noise. The claimed 0 to 60 mph time is around 3.2 seconds, and it feels quicker than that. Given enough road and sufficient legal latitude, it will reach 214 mph. Dynamically, it does not quite match the way it looks, though that was always an impossible standard. The steering is nicely weighted, the handling crisp, the ride firm without being punishing. But at 4,211 pounds it carries visible mass through corners, and it thumps hard over speed bumps and broken surfaces. Sharing its platform with the DB12, the Vanquish stretches its wheelbase by 3.1 inches, and that extra length flatters the long hood and short rear overhang enormously. Few cars on sale are this beautiful. Inside, it is all premium leather, high-end metalwork and 16-way adjustable buckets that balance comfort against support properly. A 10.3-inch central touchscreen pairs with a digital cluster, mercifully surrounded by real knobs and dials. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, and this is among the first Astons with CarPlay Ultra, which is superb when it behaves and occasionally clunky when it does not. The one fair criticism is that the cabin is not dramatically different from a DB12 or Vantage, which stings slightly given the price gap. Ah yes, the price. Base is $434,000 with destination. Add $85,000 in options and a $31,600 import tax and you arrive at $552,600 as tested. Sobering, until you note the Ferrari 12Cilindri starts at $464,000 and the Revuelto at $604,000. What the Aston offers that neither quite does is occasion. That is worth celebrating.
