The V12 Vanquish rose to fame after being featured as the official James Bond car in Die Another Day, the twentieth James Bond film.
In the film, the Vanquish has the usual Bond film embellishments, including adaptive camouflage which rendered the vehicle virtually invisible. It subsequently appeared in the 2002 video game Nightfire (can be driven in the console version only), as well as 2004’s Everything or Nothing.
In the film Die Another Day, after having his license to kill reinstated by M, Bond is equipped with his new car – the Aston Martin V12 Vanquish (playfully nicknamed the “Vanish”). The car was equipped with all the usual Bond refinements including its most notorious feature: a cloaking device, which allowed it to become practically invisible at the push of a button. The car would go on to be heavily featured in the movie, especially during the Iceland segments, where the car is involved in an elaborate chase sequence with a Jaguar XKR driven by the villain’s henchman Zao.
Whilst the standard car came with rear wheel drive and a massive 5.9-litre V12, the Vanquish used for filming was equipped with four-wheel drive and a Ford-sourced 300bhp V8 in order to increase traction on the ice.
Aston Martin V12 Vanquish Overview
The Aston Martin V12 Vanquish is a grand tourer that was introduced in 2001 as a successor to the aging Virage range. Featuring a maximum speed in excess of 190 mph and a 6.0-liter V12 engine developing more than 450 horsepower, the vehicle was unveiled at the 2001 Geneva Motor Show and was produced from 2001 to 2005. The V12 Vanquish was replaced by the DBS in 2007, with the Vanquish name being revived in 2012 for the successor to the DBS.
The V12 Vanquish was available as either a 2+2 or 2 seat coupe. The distinctive radiator grille and lower air intake are flanked by driving lamps and turn indicators. Both the front wings and hood panels incorporate a series of finely detailed compound curves which sweep back to intersect dramatically with the main cabin form. The rear fenders also flare out from the bodyside, extending back to a wide rear deck that supports the upper cabin, reminiscent of the DB5. The main body structure of the V12 Vanquish including the floor and the front and rear bulkheads are formed from extruded aluminum sections bonded and riveted around the central transmission tunnel which is constructed entirely from carbon fiber. Single piece composite inner body side sections with carbon fibre windscreen pillars are also bonded to the central structure to create a high strength safety cell. The Vanquish is powered by a 5.9 L (5935 cc) 48-valve 60° V12 engine, which produces 343 kW (460 hp) and 542 N·m (400 ft·lbf) of torque. It is controlled by a fly-by-wire throttle and a 6-speed ‘paddle shift’ or semi-automatic transmission and will accelerate to 60 mph in under 4.5 seconds and 100 mph in under 10 seconds.
Following the release of Die Another Day, the V12 Vanquish would appear in the 2002 video-game Nightfire. In the console version of Nightfire, players got a chance to race through the streets of Paris, through Austrian villages and plunge into the depths of the South Pacific.
Also in the 2004 video-game Everything or Nothing, 007 would use the V12 Vanquish. In this game, the players would drive it in the streets of New Orleans, equipped with missiles, machine guns, an electromagnet, and an acid slick.
Pingback: Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Shooting Brake | Welcome to the 007 World!