Hot on the heels of the upcoming V8 Vantage, the Vanquish will feature in Aston's model blitz as a harder, faster V12 model
Aston Martin engineers are busy testing the next Vanquish, which will be the brand's hardest and fastest series grand tourer model, with intentions for it to reach showrooms this September,
The British model is delving away from its luxury-focused forebears to become a rival for proper performance models such as the Ferrari 812 Superfast. It has been tested on the Nürburgring and more recently back on public roads in the UK.
The new V12 model, due to go on sale in September, will step clear of traditional luxury rivals such as the Bentley Continental GT and towards sharper performance models like Ferrari's 789bhp 812.
Company boss Andy Palmer recently stated his intentions for this harder Vanquish to Autocar alongside confirmation that a convertible version, the Vanquish Volante, will follow.
Both versions of the next-generation grand tourer will adopt the turbocharged 5.2-litre V12 engine used by the DB11 but are set to produce considerably more than the 600bhp offered by that car. The current Vanquish S uses a 6.0-litre V12 unit with 595bhp.
Palmer told Autocar that development of the car, seen testing in the above pictures, is almost complete. He described the new Vanquish as "bloody good".
He added: "The majority of product investment [for Vanquish] is finished. What's left is preparation of manufacturing the car rather than preparation of the car itself.
"We are making more prototypes to make sure we've got production ready to go."
Aston Martin engineers had been using a DB11 mule to test the next Vanquish's underpinnings for several months but, since the start of October, tests have taken place with a car wearing new bodywork. This includes a lip spoiler, suggesting the final car's bodywork will generate significantly more downforce than the DB11.
The Vanquish will use its own version of the DB11's structure, which also underpins the latest Vantage - itself revealed only late last year.
Due to its harder focus, the Vanquish's underpinnings will be the most aggressive, as illustrated by the spotted development cars at the 'Ring, which clearly sit lower and corner with less body roll than the DB11.
Palmer has previously emphasised the progress made with the new structure, telling Autocar that the cars it is spawning will help the brand shed "perceptions of old technology, old platforms and the question of whether we can survive as an independent manufacturer".
As part of its product offensive, Aston Martin will also launch the DBX SUV in 2019, to be built at Aston Martin's new factory in St Athan, Wales. In addition, there will be two Lagonda models; likely a saloon in 2020, followed by an SUV in 2022.
Aston Martin plans to launch a mid-engined rival to the Ferrari 488 GTB and McLaren 720S in 2021. The car has been signed off for production and will use an all-new powertrain.
The new cars will sit beneath the brand's halo model, the Valkyrie hypercar.
Related stories
Aston Martin Vanquish review
Ferrari 812 Superfast review
Aston Martin Vantage review
