2014 Aston Martin Vanquish

Burying the late, great DBS and resuscitating the Vanquish name is no small task for Aston Martin. Armed with a nearly $300,000 asking price, the new 2014 Vanquish demands equal doses of sexy-yet-discreet styling and forward thinking hardware to uphold its desirability in the current exotic car landscape.

Introducing the 2014 Aston Martin Vanquish

Does the new flagship succeed in stoking the embers of desire? A recent drive on rambling English roads offered some insight into the Vanquish's ability to stoke our champagne-fueled dreams.

Inspired by Seventy-Seven Bespoke Hypercars, Inside and Out

Trickle down styling usually works in the realm of four-wheeled exotica, and Aston Martin's new Vanquish exhibits some of the tight radius curves and hunkered down poise inherited from its ultra-rare predecessor, the One-77. But the new $279,995 flagship also gains a thorough mechanical reworking that helps answer to detractors who claim the British brand is all show and no go: while an extruded aluminum tub remains at its core, the Vanquish adds carbon weave structures to the nose and tail for further weight savings and 25 percent more torsional rigidity, as well as carbon fiber skin all around. Official avoirdupois has yet to be announced, but the Vanquish's curb weight is estimated in the region of 3,750 lbs, nearly 100 lbs less than its DBS predecessor.

2014 aston martin vanquish Sx-Z

2014 Aston Martin Vanquish FD Opt

Introducing the 2014 Aston Martin Vanquish

2014 Aston Martin Vanquish

The new 5.9 liter V-12 sits lower and lighter, churning more power (565 hp, 457 lb-ft compared to the old mill's 510 hp) while claiming greater fuel efficiency, thanks in part to the incorporation of variable valve timing. Connecting the powerplant to the 6-speed automated manual rear transaxle is a carbon fiber prop shaft surrounded by an alloy torque tube. Aston claims that 60 mph arrives in 4.1 seconds, and that the Vanquish tops out at 183 mph.

Inside the cabin, a new interior treatment reveals One-77-inspired stitch patterns and details like a haptic touch surface on the center stack. The cockpit has been expanded for less of a cocooning effect, while the "boot" offers 60 percent more space.