User:750h+/current

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This page is about the 2001–2007 Vanquish. For a complete overview of all generations, see Aston Martin Vanquish.
Aston Martin Vanquish
A photo of a dark green 2002 Vanquish, parked in a parking lot.
Overview
ManufacturerAston Martin Lagonda Limited
Production
  • March 2001 – July 2007
  • 2,589 examples
AssemblyUnited Kingdom: Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire
DesignerIan Callum (1998)
Body and chassis
ClassGrand tourer
Body style
LayoutFront-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Powertrain
Engine5.9 L Aston Martin V12
Transmission6-speed automated manual
6-speed manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase2,690 mm (105.9 in)[1]
Length4,665 mm (183.7 in)[1]
Width1,923 mm (75.7 in)[2]
Height1,318 mm (51.9 in)[1]
Kerb weight
  • 1,835 kg (4,045 lb) (Vanquish)[3][4]
  • 1,875 kg (4,134 lb) (Vanquish S)[5]
Chronology
PredecessorAston Martin Virage
SuccessorAston Martin DBS

The Aston Martin Vanquish is a grand touring car produced between 2001 and 2007 by the British automaker Aston Martin. Replacing the Virage produced between 1989 and 2000, the Vanquish is known for its cinematic appearances.

At the North American International Auto Show in 1998, Aston Martin revealed the "Project Vantage"; initially, Aston Martin planned for it to remain a concept car, but its nature inspired the Aston Martin executives, and the company began developing a production version in March 1998. The designer of the Vanquish was Ian Callum, who also worked on the DB7, which largely inspired the design of the former. The official production version of the Vanquish debuted at the Geneva International Motor Show in February 2001, and manufacture of the car began in March of the same year at its facility in Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire. The vehicle uses aluminium extensively throughout its construction and is often considered the forerunner of the vertical/horizontal platform.

A facelift was implemented in 2004, which involved improvements to its power output, revisions to its design, and improved aerodynamic efficiency, as well as a name change to "Vanquish S". The car appeared in the 2002 film Die Another Day for which it received widespread public interest and earned the number three spot on the "Best Film Cars Ever" list. The Vanquish also appeared in the 2003 film The Italian Job and has appeared in at least four video games. Aston Martin discontinued the Vanquish in 2007 after a six-year production run during which 2,589 examples were produced; its replacement was the DBS. The Vanquish nameplate was resurrected in 2012, based on the DB9's chassis and platform.

Development[edit]

The conception of the Vanquish dates back to a meeting in early 1997 between Jacques Nasser, chief executive officer (CEO) of Ford Motor Company; Bob Dover, CEO and chairman of Aston Martin; and senior executives at Jaguar Cars. Nasser proposed the idea of a concept car, to which the executives responded that they did not want one; but when the same proposition was presented to Dover, he expressed interest in the concept.[6]

What nobody actually knew outside Astons was that the Project Vantage was actually the prototype for the Vanquish. We knew that if we got a lot of support at the Detroit Show that we could build a car, which we obviously went on to do.

—Bob Dover[7]

Nasser wanted the design of the Project Vantage completed in time for the January 1998 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). This required selecting a design by October and completely finishing the project by mid-December. Dover quickly implemented plans and processes to ensure the concept car was finished within the given timeframe; one of the initial steps was to search for a designer.[6] Aston Martin, lacking a design department of its own, commissioned a design from the Kidlington-based racing team Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR), whose chief designer, Ian Callum, styled the DB7.[8][9][10] Callum completed the design of Project Vantage in approximately twelve weeks.[11]

The Project Vantage involved engineers and designers from Aston Martin, Ford Advanced Vehicle Technology, Magneti Marelli, AP Racing, Cosworth Racing and ITT. Aston Martin, Jim Clarke, and Ford Advanced Vehicle Technology developed the engine, with Magneti Marelli manufacturing the paddle shift transmission. AP Racing produced the braking system. The Project Vantage used several advanced technologies in constructing the body structure and chassis. The body shell was constructed of aluminium honeycomb, while the extruded aluminium chassis sections and roof pillar were reinforced with carbon fibre. These materials resulted in a weight saving of fifty per cent and a torsional rigidity increase of one hundred per cent.[12]

Aston Martin debuted the Project Vantage at the North American International Auto Show in January 1998.[13][14][15] The vehicle remained a one-off concept car, but its nature inspired the Aston Martin executives and plans were implemented to put the car into series production.[7] After the motor show, Dover and his team began assembling the financial plan for the production version of the Project Vantage.[16][7] The development of the production version of the Vanquish began in March 1998. Ian Minards, whom Jaguar appointed as lead designer for the XJ8 project, was the chief programme manager. He stated that, during development, the codename of the Vanquish was "Project Bolton" before it received its "AMV08" designation.[17] Dover stepped down as Aston Martin CEO in mid-2000 and was replaced by Ulrich Bez in July of that year.[18][19][20]

Due to the more advanced technology incorporated into the car, the Vanquish required more extensive pre-production testing than usual. The development costs were rumoured to be much greater than the initial budget, but Aston Martin stated at the Vanquish's launch that fifty prototypes had been produced. These cars were tested worldwide, including hot-weather testing in Australia and cold-weather testing in Canada; temperatures were as cold as −40 °C (−40 °F) and as hot as 81 °C (178 °F).[21][22] The Aston Martin engineers collaborated with Lotus Engineering and Ford to increase engine efficiency and output with the help of the suspension expert Richard Parry-Jones.[21] The prototypes collectively amassed over 1,500,000 miles (2,400,000 km).[23]

The production version of the Vanquish was revealed to groups of potential customers and designated media representatives in October 2000.[24] Its official debut took place at the February 2001 Geneva Motor Show;[25][26][27] the official series manufacture of the Vanquish began in March 2001 at the facility in Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire.[28][29][30] At launch, Aston Martin planned to produce between 200 and 300 examples annually.[31][32][33]

Design and construction[edit]

A rear-three quarters view of a very dark blue Vanquish outdoor, with some Porsches parked in the background.
2003 Aston Martin V12 Vanquish

The construction of the Vanquish employed techniques derived from the aerospace industry to produce a strong and rigid platform without compromising cost considerations.[34] Its body structure is composed mainly of aluminium, composite materials and carbon fibre.[35][36][37] Pre-cut aluminium extrusions are riveted and bonded around the car's carbon fibre backbone at a factory in Worcester, England.[38][34]

Citations[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "2005 Aston Martin V12 Vanquish". The Baltimore Sun.
  2. ^ "2006 new vehicle preview: Aston Martin V12 Vanquish S coupe". The Daily Herald.
  3. ^ "Vanquish that impulse to share the wealth". Edmonton Journal.
  4. ^ "Bond – James Bond – and his Aston Martin wheels". The Gazette.
  5. ^ Phillips 2012, p. 160.
  6. ^ a b Dowsey 2007, p. 200.
  7. ^ a b c Dowsey 2007, p. 250.
  8. ^ Taylor 2024, pp. 60–62.
  9. ^ "The pleasure of driving the new Aston Martin DB7 convertible is almost too much to bear". The Sunday Telegraph.
  10. ^ Lamm, John (December 1994). "Aston Martin DB7". Road & Track. Vol. 46, no. 4. p. 132. ISSN 0035-7189.
  11. ^ Dowsey 2007, p. 202.
  12. ^ Dowsey 2007, p. 203.
  13. ^ "Start shouting!". The Daily Telegraph.
  14. ^ "Advantage, Aston". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  15. ^ "Importer seeks exclusive dealers for Aston Martin". The Age.
  16. ^ Waddington, Glen (January 2022). "Stirred, but not shaken". Octane. No. 223. pp. 56–66. ISSN 1740-0023.
  17. ^ Dowsey 2007, p. 252.
  18. ^ "New drivers for Land Rover". The Age.
  19. ^ Dowsey 2007, p. 231.
  20. ^ Enright, Andy (September 2020). "Aston Martin V12 Vanquish". Wheels. pp. 22–25. ISSN 0043-4779.
  21. ^ a b Taylor 2024, pp. 94–95.
  22. ^ "2003 Aston Martin V12 Vanquish". Palm Beach Daily News.
  23. ^ "Savile Row suit, Ford underpinnings". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  24. ^ Taylor 2024, p. 102.
  25. ^ "Aston-Martin raises flagship". Chicago Tribune.
  26. ^ "Wealth bomber". The Daily Telegraph.
  27. ^ "2001 Geneva". Autoweek. Vol. 51, no. 12. 12 March 2001. p. 20. ISSN 0192-9674.
  28. ^ Dawe, Jason (7 August 2005). "Aston Martin Vanquish". The Times. Archived from the original on 25 April 2024.
  29. ^ "Squatter, shorter, wider, and wilder". The Independent.
  30. ^ "Aston Martin offers velocity for $228,000". Lansing State Journal.
  31. ^ "Spring sees new models in showrooms". The Daily Chronicle.
  32. ^ Wernle, Bradford (14 August 2000). "Aston to build 3rd plant, delays V12 Vanquish". Automotive News. Archived from the original on 25 April 2024.
  33. ^ Wilson, Kevin A; Magee, Charlie (30 October 2000). "Heroic Ambitions". Autoweek. Vol. 50, no. 45. p. 16. ISSN 0192-9674.
  34. ^ a b Taylor 2024, pp. 72–75.
  35. ^ "Edgy Aston has supercars in its sights". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  36. ^ "The Aston Martin V12 Vanquish". ATZautotechnology. 1 (4): 26–29. 2001. doi:10.1007/BF03246615. ISSN 1616-8216.
  37. ^ Marsh, George (2014). "Composites and metals – a marriage of convenience?". Journal of Reinforced Plastics and Composites. 58 (2): 38–42. doi:10.1016/S0034-3617(14)70108-0.
  38. ^ "Aston attack: Vanquish leads supercar assualt". The Age.

Print sources[edit]

Newspapers[edit]

Books[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:750h%2B/current&oldid=1225306092"