2025 Aston Martin Vanquish review: Quick drive

If we are to rejoice in all that is noteworthy about sports cars and their like in 2025, then the Aston Martin Vanquish might sum those reasons up nicely in one glorious, grand touring package.

This is a stunning GT in the truest sense of the genre, but it’s also an ode to bespoke design, customisation and personalisation – at a cost, of course – but more on that in a minute.

I neglected to ascertain that specific pricing detail before I collected the Aston at the dealership not too far from Sydney Airport. In hindsight, that might have been a good thing, as I immediately threaded its lengthy, low-slung snout into the lottery that is Sydney peak-hour traffic. When the starting price has a seven at the front of it and registers six digits, it might be better you don’t know.

Whether you’re on the move, stationary, or gliding past a broad glass shopfront, the Vanquish demands attention. Yours and others'. Almost everyone you pass takes a second look, gives you a thumbs up, or simply stares in amazement. Kids point and demand their parents take a look. Teenagers on bikes double back to ride alongside and take a second look. Even drivers of expensive cars notice the big Aston on the street.

This car has presence on every level, and while it doesn’t elicit the same response as a Ferrari or Lamborghini might, it rarely goes anywhere incognito.

The bonnet that seems a kilometre long, the low roof line, and the buttressed rear end combine to deliver elegant, classy lines that impress from any angle. Perhaps more suited to the granite-clad driveway of an impossibly expensive hotel than the grey brutalism of Sydney’s thoughtless office expanse, the catwalk-ready Vanquish is a stunner on any street in any company. And that’s just as it should be.

This segment, which harks back to the glory days of sports car manufacturing, has always been as much about form as it is function. Beauty is more than skin deep, though, and in the case of the Vanquish, the raw appeal extends to the nuclear power station lurking beneath the bonnet.

Thumb the starter button and the V12 explodes into life. If you live in a tight-knit communal area with underground parking, your neighbours won’t like a super-early start. There’s no doubt even at warmup idle that something very serious lurks beneath the shapely, largely carbon-fibre skin. As it settles into its regular idle, though, with the exhaust closed, it’s quiet and almost refined. Almost…

Befitting the brand’s range-topping grand tourer positioning, the Vanquish houses one of the great engines – and one we might not be able to rejoice in for too much longer. The V12 displaces a formidable 5.2 litres, and, with the assistance of twin turbos, thunders out 614kW and 1000Nm. That’s just north of 820hp in the old money – mountainous power whichever measuring stick you use.

The Vanquish, as big and comfortable as it is, uses those prodigious outputs to fire from 0–100km/h in just 3.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 345km/h. It’s stratospheric stuff, and it feels like it wants – demands – to be let off its leash wherever possible.

I used an average 18.5 litres per 100 kilometres on test, and while that might seem thirsty, who cares when burning fuel looks this good? Certainly not the target buyer. None of that matters, though, as I wend my way back to the Drive office at an average speed of 32km/h, while trying to avoid potholes, speed humps and tight turns demanding you to dance with the devil and not kerb the beautiful wheels. This is the stuff of GT nightmares.

However, the Vanquish eats up the cut-and-thrust of the daily drudgery with ease. It’s comfortable, visibility is adequate, it doesn’t feel as big as it is, the ride is comfortable, and it’s as docile as you could hope for in the dumbed-down regular driving mode.

When the rain squall hits on day two, there’s nothing intimidating about driving the Aston in the worst of it. This GT really can be driven like any regular car if you need or want to, the eight-speed auto going about its work quietly and smoothly no matter how hard you’re leaning on it.

It’s when you have the chance to open the taps, though, that the ferocious V12 comes into its own. Thundering off buildings and walls, it makes its presence known and felt. The symphony matched by the vibration through the chassis reminds those inside the cabin exactly what is being concocted beneath the bonnet. Every drive in the Vanquish is an event, which is exactly what this price point demands.

And on that note, the starting price is already in the nosebleeds – $737,000 before options and on-road costs. Add the optional equipment our tester has – details in a minute – and you’ve stepped perilously close to the magical million – $940,250. Factor in luxury car tax and on-road costs, and you’ve sailed past 1.2 million bucks. Like I said, exclusivity doesn’t come cheap.

Those options include bronze brake calipers, the extended exterior pack, titanium exhaust (a must-have), special Oberon Black paint, a gloss black grille, lower pinstripe, heavy-pile floor mats, dark chrome jewellery pack, contrast welt and stitching, heated steering wheel, upper black pack, custom ‘Inspire’ interior trim, interior carbon fibre and metal finishes and satin black multi-spoke wheels.

What’s most enticing about this end of the market is the reality that no two Vanquish examples will look identical, given the broad array of options, not to mention the 65 different exterior colours you could choose from. And just in case you’re wondering, it looks fantastic in every one of them.

The interior’s sumptuous finishing and attention to detail ensures the two occupants are housed in ultimate luxury. That’s due in part to the long wheelbase, the lack of rear seats, and the lengthy nose that allows room for the V12 to be pushed as far back as possible to deliver optimal balance. The 248 litres in the boot is enough for the kind of luggage a couple will take on a weekend away.

While it’s a crime not to get the Aston out of town, onto some open country roads and into that relaxed cruise that is the domain of the grand tourer, the way in which it deals with regular driving duties is impressive for a car of its ilk. The ride quality in GT modes is excellent, and while persistent rain scuppers our plans for more enthusiastic testing, it does allow us to revel in how easy the Aston is to live with.

The 2025 Aston Martin Vanquish is a spectacular car in every measurable sense. It’s a spectacular GT car, with spectacular power, poise, driving ability and even comfort. It’s also spectacularly priced and not for the faint of heart. It’s also beautiful, exclusive, and brilliant in terms of what we’d expect a GT to be.

Sadly, the concept appears otherwise to be dying a slow death – remember the days when there wasn’t an Aston Martin SUV? We should rejoice, though, while this platform, with this engine and this performance still exists. If only to remind us of just how great the greatest cars can be. And the Vanquish is nothing if not great.

Trent Nikolic has been road testing and writing about cars for almost 20 years. He started at CarAdvice/Drive in 2014 and has been a motoring editor at the NRMA, Overlander 4WD Magazine, Hot4s and Auto Salon Magazine.

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