Jaeger-LeCoultre

a nice shiny new Aston Martin Vanquish arrived on the drive today! Pics to follow. Guess I should wear the A-II

Simon

post pix asap!

meanwhile i´ll start guessing about the color: greyish?

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Love that badge:



The front looks aggressive:



Must remember the back is 18 inches wider than the front!:



One of the most beautiful cars ever made IMHO:



The A-II feels right at home:



So does my wife:



I think she likes her birthday present:



More to follow.

Simon

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Hi,

You must be the most generous husband on earth!Anyway,congratulation on the new AM,that's my dream car too.

Very goegeous indeed!I am very sure,your lovely wife will love her gift!

belated birrthday wishes to your wife.

thanks for sharing,do share with me the experince of driving/handling it.

thanks!

Greetings,

BHK9

This post was following on from an earlier one in which I talked about the AM driving day at Millbrook and subsequently deciding to hire an AM DB9 for my wife to drive around for her birthday.

Well, the DB9 had a problem so I got the Vanquish instead, which is the car in the pictures. She only has it for three days and her birthday is tomorrow.

So, I may have misled you with this post and, as I said, not that generous.

Simon

Amazing!

Happy Birthday to your lovely wife!

yes, these are the standard wheels.  There are two upgrade options, a 19-spoke and a sports wheel.

Simon

The A-II wants a drive:



A shame it doesn't have the red brake calipers:



I think she likes it:



Simon

Hi Simon,

Nice Vanquish indeed, particularly beautiful in grey shades (that's probably the only Aston I don't like in green)!

Don't enjoy it too fast!

Cheers

Dje

ps: I'm waiting for the report: 48 hours with an Aston Martin!

some impressions of driving it below.

Simon

background? carnut, like myself?

vanquish is a nice one, but from the whole AM lineup i´d pick the DBS or probably even more likely the V8.

nick

 

it is indeed a Boxter

Simon

g



So does she!!!



I wish we could keep it :-(

Simon

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My dream car is here!
But the Taxman too!LOL
Isn'it your wife Birthday, if I remeber well?
Wish her a Happy Birthday for me!
This car...WOW!
I'm just shivering, looking at it!

It is a great car but my dream AM is the DB9 (nicer looking, more brake horsepower per ton, paddle shift automatic 6 speed gearbox rather than the paddle shift manual box in the Vanquish).

It was indeed my wife's birthday treat and she asks me to thank you for your birthday wishes.  She also suggests that you sell your watch collection, buy the Vanquish and then let her borrow it

Simon

Well, what can I say other than driving the AM Vanquish is a fantastic experience.  For anyone here who has not had the chance, here are some impressions.

STARTING THE CAR

Do not choose a Vanquish as a getaway car!  There is a starting procedure to go through that means you stand a very good chance of getting caught before leaving the scene of the crime.  Here's how to start a Vanquish:

a) Insert key into the ignition and turn so that panel lights come on

b) Press foot on brake pedal and hold it down

c) Pull both paddles towards you to put the gearbox into neutral

d) Once these have been done the red 'Engine Start' button lights up

e) Press and hold the 'Engine Start' button and she comes to life

The sound of the V12 starting is absolutely beautiful.  The car growls and automatically blips the throttle as the engine catches and the sound from the twin exhausts is glorious.  You would never tire of hearing that sound!

DRIVING THE CAR

Even though the car is big (just under two feet wider at the back than the front) it is tremendously easy to drive around town.  You can very quickly get up the gears and 5th engages at 40mph and 6th at 50mph.  Once there the torque is sufficient to make driving around town comfortable.  Unlike the suspension.  It is hard, very hard and you feel every bump and imperfection in the road.  When you slow down the gears drop automatically so you don't really need to use the downshift paddle.  When you come to a complete stop the gearbox will be back in 1st gear and then you just pull away and use the upshift paddle as before.

The steering provides feedback of everything that is goiing under the wheels.  It is very susceptible to tramlining, and any small bump or change in camber will pull the steering in that direction.  My wife and I both found that it can be draining to drive for long distances as you really need to concentrate 100% of the time.  This is not a car to get complacent with.  I had one occasion where I came off a roundabout and onto a long dual carriageway and decided to floor the throttle, but because the car was not absolutely straight the back twitched out of line and the stability control kicked in.  The Vanquish is definitely a car that needs to be understood or else you can get into a whole heap of trouble very quickly.

In the wet, we really needed to drive smoothly and with respect for the car.  There is so much power through the rear wheels that it can lose traction even under moderate acceleration, so smooth and easy is the order of the day.  You can stil go fast but a heavy foot on the gas will mean the back will start twitching and it will lose traction, even in a straight line.

One thing we both noticed is that people like Aston Martin cars.  We had so many people give a thumbs up as we drove past, a police car stopped to ask us about the car, people smiled as they looked at it.  It really is a car that people have respect for and, even though we only hired the Vanquish, every person we met was interested to look at it, look inside and ask what it was like to drive.

MY WIFE'S VIEW

My wife told me last night that the past three days had been some of the best she could remember and she had had a birthday to remember.  She was genuinely upset when the time came for the car to go back.  I wanted her to have these three days as she has been through a lot over the past few years and it meant the world to me to see her smile so much and to have such a carefree few days.  I would have paid ten times what I did just for that.

MY VIEW

Well, if I could have any car in the world, I knew already that an Aston Martin would be high on the list but now it is at the top.  Maybe not the Vanquish as it is a beast and a demanding car to drive.  The DB9 would be the one.  Maybe a dream, and maybe it will never happen, but one never knows what life will bring.

Simon

 

 

 

Hi,

Amazing experience that you share with us.

I saw a black DB9 yesterday and it would be enough for me too (in a light green though).

DB7 are not bad at all either and they seem to become nearly affordable in UK. Living in UK is definitely the best to get an AM. You have the choice, the price, and the people to service it. What are you waiting for? 

Light green with parchment hide (no piping please)!

Let us know.

Cheers

Dje