As well as being light, strong and flexible in its application, the latest generation VH architecture is also extremely stiff. The new Vanquish is, in fact, 25% torsionally stiffer than the outgoing DBS making it highly resistant to flex and allowing for responsive and predictable handling.
This rigid and stiff structure also provides an ideal foundation from which the suspension can control the vehicle effectively, further highlighting the importance of the body structure and the effect it has on the dynamic performance of the car.
Aston Martin’s engineering teams have worked particularly hard to minimise the weight outside the wheelbase of the new car to reduce yaw inertia. As a result, carbon fibre has been used extensively in the rear structure and the weight of the aluminium front structure has been reduced significantly.
The front chassis structure is a full 13% lighter than that of the DBS – a direct result of using hollow cast aluminium rather than solid cast aluminium. It has also been redesigned to allow for a lowering of the engine. Now 19 mm lower within the body, the repositioned engine improves both the Vanquish’s agility and its handling.
The car’s front-mid mounted engine and rear-mid mounted transaxle ensuring a near perfect weight distribution: 85% of the car’s weight is positioned within its wheelbase.
To take full advantage of its precise and rigid new architecture, the Vanquish employs a battery of sophisticated technologies including, for the first time on an Aston Martin, a motorsport-derived Launch Control system. This works to deliver the optimum take-off from a standing start – balancing throttle, gearbox and various traction aids to deliver a perfect ‘launch’.
Once on the move, the Vanquish boasts a plethora of dynamic aids including Dynamic Stability Control and Positive Torque Control to help harness its fearsome potential and deliver a rewarding, controlled, refined Grand Tourer experience.
The latest iteration of Aston Martin’s Adaptive Damping System (ADS) allows the driver to switch between three distinct damping modes: Normal, Sport and Track, delivering instant adjustment of the car’s ride and handling characteristics.
The ADS automatically alters the suspension settings to ensure the driver has high levels of control at all times, with the ability to respond quickly to different driving conditions. The different damping modes available help significantly broaden the Vanquish’s character, adapting its set-up to suit the driver’s mood and requirements. Thus it can be a cruising GT car in Normal mode with the capacity to morph into an assertive sports car in Sport and Track modes.
The damper settings are determined by an electronic control unit which takes sensor readings from the car’s systems, including throttle position, brake position, steering wheel rotation and vehicle speed. This data establishes the prevailing driving conditions and the demands the driver is making on the car.
The Vanquish is fitted with new generation Pirelli P-Zero tyres that have been developed especially for the car, along with new 20-inch lightweight alloy wheels.
The car’s braking system features third generation Brembo Carbon Ceramic Matrix (CCM) brakes to deliver shorter stopping distances with resistance to fade in even the most demanding driving conditions. CCM brakes are also lighter than a conventional system, reducing the weight of the car overall and, in particular, the unsprung weight and rotational masses, further enhancing the performance of the suspension.
The front brakes use 398 mm x 36 mm CCM brake discs with larger front brake pads and six-piston brake callipers from the One-77, while the rear brakes use 360 mm x 32 mm CCM brake discs with a four-piston calliper.