Aston Martin V-12 Vanquish S

Aston Martin V-12 Vanquish S - Aston's only challenge at the time would come from the Ferrari 550 Maranello. As it turned out, Aston's 5.9-liter V-12 engine produced 460 horsepower, which didn't quite match the Ferrari's output of 479. And the Vanquish weighed in above the Ferrari. Nonetheless, when they met in a C/D comparison test in November 2001, the result was tantalizingly close, with the Maranello emerging victorious by just a two-point margin.

While its flagship was being overtaken by these developments, Aston complicated the issue further by introducing the DB9 coupe, using the V-12 engine with only 16 fewer horses, and a chassis that's also made of aluminum, albeit by a simpler process. It was of similar size to the Vanquish, but better-looking and better-finished, and it cost some $70,000 less, too.

It is time, then, to redress the balance and give the Vanquish a chance to live up to its name. It has now been given an increase in horsepower to 520 and a suite of modifications that give it a more aggressive edge. The reworked model is called the V-12 Vanquish S and, at $255,000, is about 20 grand more than the original (which remains available).

Starting the Vanquish is still a nice piece of theater: Switch on the ignition, wait for the check lights to clear, press the brake, select neutral by pulling on both steering-wheel paddles, then press the central starter button, and—whuummff! The deep thrumming exhaust note, which returns beyond 4000 rpm, is wonderfully exciting. The electrohydraulic gearshift—basically, the same as Ferrari's—changes down smartly, blipping the throttle automatically, but upshifts can feel hesitant. The S is clearly more eager in the midrange and goes very fast indeed on a wide open road but, oddly, feels less fierce than the original Vanquish.

By today's standards, control efforts—steering, throttle, brake—are heavy. Aston has dispensed with the awful part-plastic steering wheel of early Vanquishes—and generally tidied up the cabin. The sport seats with deep shoulder wings are excellent, and the matching hand-stitched leather trim now extends across what had been a painted-aluminum fascia centerpiece. The rest of the surroundings are a mixture of neat (cast aluminum handles and door pulls) and unworthy (switches from owner Ford, with ill-matched plastic surrounds). The next generation of Astons, exemplified by the DB9, does these things better.

The manufacturer describes this car as the fastest-ever Aston Martin. We used to describe the Vanquish as the fastest and most expensive car in the Ford firmament, but now there is the Ford GT. So the Aston Martin V-12 Vanquish S is just the most expensive.