Aston Martin Vanquish Vision concept stars in Geneva
Aston Martin’s new supercar to challenge McLaren and Ferrari on their home turf with new aluminium supercar
The product offensive from Aston Martin is already well underway, but it’s this third and most distant model that is likely to make the biggest bang when it hits showrooms in 2022. The Vanquish Vision Concept, as revealed at the 2019 Geneva motor show, foresees not only the return of the Vanquish nomenclature to the Aston Martin range, but it attached to a series-production mid-engined supercar rival to the Ferrari F8 Tributo and McLaren 720S.
This new mid-engined supercar will be powered by the same twin-turbo V6 that will be found in the incoming AM-RB 003, but with a lower emphasis on hybrid elements, reducing cost and complexity. In a major departure for these new mid-engined models, the Vanquish will be made from a bonded aluminium chassis, in much the same vein as its current DB and Vantage lines. Aside from the cost implications of mass-producing a carbonfibre chassis, the switch to aluminium for this model should also yield benefits in cabin space and interior refinement.
> Geneva motor show 2019: latest news
Judging by the exterior design, the new Vanquish will also tone down the Valkyrie’s racing car aesthetic to something more akin to Aston Martin’s usual smooth, sophisticated design language. Obvious carry-over components like the ground-hugging grille and splitter remain from its more serious mid-engined counterparts, but the open void-like bodywork and open tail make way for more familiar Aston Martin design cues and shapes such as a traditional ducktail rear spoiler.
Active and aggressive aerodynamics will also play less of a role here too, while the all-new chassis will also dramatically change the cabin and technical layout as compared to the carbonfibre AM-RB 003.
Further technical details will be revealed as the car continues its way through development, before finally reaching production in 2022. As the climax of Aston Martin’s ambitious three-year plan, this type of series-production supercar will not only help to define Aston Martin as it grows into a highly profitable luxury and sports car manufacturer, but might also put Aston Martin into the same superstar category as Ferrari, Porsche and McLaren – a far cry from its position only ten years ago. Long may it continue.