2017 Aston Martin Vanquish S review

Daniel Craig will be a tough act to follow for the next actor playing Britain's famous fictional spy.

The blond Bond shook up the genre with chiselled looks and dry wit that shifted the iconic franchise from a sarcastic, campy and gadget-reliant romp to an altogether more serious proposition.

It's almost like the transformation of Aston Martin's flagship coupe.

The Aston Martin DB9 brought forth a new era for the brand in 2004, introducing a fresh aluminium architecture cloaked in masterful bodywork wrought by Henrik Fisker. Built at a new factory in Gaydon, England, variations of the theme followed in the smaller Vantage and larger four-door Rapide, as well as the more aggressive DB9-based DBS - the car of choice for Bond - and its successor, the 2012 Vanquish.

Like Craig, the DB9 era introduced a leaner yet more muscular character that won plenty of emotional and fiscal support for the brand. And like Craig's tenure as 007, that era is coming to an end.

Aston Martin has prepared a curtain call for its flagship coupe in the Vanquish S, a car that offers more power, composure and aggressive styling than its predecessors. It represents the zenith of the DB9's aluminium "VH" architecture, as well as that car's 6.0-litre, naturally aspirated V12. It's the ultimate evolution of the DB9. And it could be the ultimate Aston Martin.

The manufacturer had a crack at a reworked Vanquish in 2015, replacing the original car's six-speed automatic transmission with a new eight-speed auto while beefing up its underpinnings and adding tauter suspension to lift the car's dynamic appeal.

This Vanquish S goes further, replacing the standard Vanquish in Aston Martin's growing range. Additional features include an extra 20kW of power (taking the total to a mega 444kW), bare carbon fibre aerodynamic extensions to its lower bodywork that improve high-speed stability, a boisterous quad-tip exhaust system, recalibrated eight-speed automatic transmission and reworked suspension.

Aston Martin has not revealed Australian prices for the car, though it's likely to leave little change from $500,000, as its UK cousin costs an extra ?6955 ($11,400) over the standard Vanquish, a car that already costs $479,995 plus on-road costs in Australia.

That's before you dip into the rather tempting array of extras that reach beyond the usual array of carbon fibre trimmings, alternative wheels and special paint colours to include quilted leather interior elements in eye-catching "filograph" geometric patterns, sumptuous Bridge of Weir Caithness leather, new "chopped" carbon fibre matte decor and "shadow bronze" rotary controls that replaced the standard metal items. Vinyl graphic kits add additional sporting purpose by paying tribute to great Aston Martin racing cars or simply highlighting its eye-catching lines. Buyers looking for a truly individual car can request the services of the "Q by Aston Martin" personalisation scheme but whichever way you go, it's fair to say that the Vanquish S is an exquisitely presented car inside and out.

The workmanship is sublime, and the opportunities for customisation offer owners an opportunity to commission truly bespoke vehicles. Our test example struck a fine balance between lavish luxury and sporting intent, blending white-stitched black leather with lashings of carbon fibre inside and out. The cabin feels more like a Bentley than a Porsche or Ferrari, even if it is let down by a dated electronics package.

As the elder statesman of the Aston Martin range, the Vanquish makes do with a modest 6.5-inch central infotainment screen and mechanical driver's instrumentation with a basic LCD readout. All the functionality you could want is there - including a 1000 watt Bang & Olufsen stereo with Apple CarPlay connectivity - but it just doesn't feel as modern as the large screens and digital integration offered by Aston Martin's latest DB11, or any number of European rivals.

That said, no one is going to buy the Vanquish in pursuit of cutting-edge technology. They'll do so because it's arguably the best blend of the brand's heritage and performance, and (probably) the last chance to buy a full-sized Aston Martin coupe with a free-breathing V12 engine.

And that's reason enough.

The sound that erupts when you take hold of the brand's unique glass "emotion control unit" key and prod it into the dashboard is unforgettable, a deep-chested bark that somehow sounds sophisticated, complex and a little raw. It could only come from a 12-cylinder engine.

Aston Martin is one of just three companies which continue to offer naturally aspirated V12 powerplants, and it's in good company alongside Lamborghini (Aventador S) and Ferrari (F12 Berlinetta and GTC Lusso), even if the others will continue to make free-breathing V12 engines long after Aston Martin stops.

This upgraded version of Aston's AM29 V12 engine features a revised intake system with larger inlet manifolds that send more air to the engine than before, resulting in more power and a fuller induction note that will no doubt be welcomed by enthusiasts.

It's a glorious motor, with a smooth and linear throttle response that is core to the car's character. While it doesn't have the instantaneous thwack of torque offered by the latest Porsche or Ferrari turbo-motors - or the surging wave put forward by the DB11's twin-turbo V12 - the Vanquish's progressive delivery and 7000rpm power peak combine for an experience few cars can match.

The nearest relatives I've experienced are three-cylinder Triumph motorcycles that blend a barking induction howl with a decent bottom end that builds into something momentous - it feels more like that than the unhinged ferocity of a Lamborghini or Ferrari V12 at full chat.

Part of that character comes from the Vanquish's eight-speed automatic transmission, a device that makes use of a conventional torque converter in place of more aggressive hardware. We're not complaining as the ZF-sourced unit is more comfortable at low speed than rival units, and reprofiled software for 2017 elicits a more direct response to driver inputs, giving drivers a well-judged pat on the back during full-throttle upshifts

Aston's dearest car feels appropriately muscular on the road, whether you lug the engine in a high gear or reach for the end of its counter clockwise-swinging rev counter. The numbers back it up, with the brand claiming a 0-100km/h time of 3.5 seconds and a top speed in excess of 320km/h.

We weren't in a position to evaluate either of those claims, as our drive took place in the British winter, on greasy country roads slick with salt, dew and diesel grime.

It didn't help that the Ming Blue coupe was equipped with carbon ceramic brakes and 20-inch summer-spec Pirelli P-Zero tyres on zero-degree roads well outside their ideal temperature range.

But we can say that the Vanquish is beautifully balanced, with evenly distributed weight and a fun-loving rear-wheel-drive character that loves to hang its tail out, even when its stability control system is active.

The big coupe could have been too much car for the roads and conditions of our test route. Instead, it was impressive in trying conditions, thanks in no small part to the work of ex-Lotus handling guru Matt Becker, who helped retune the car with stiffer springs, revised shock absorbers and a beefier rear anti-roll bar to make it a more focused proposition.

While there's never any doubt it is a large, powerful and expensive car, the big Vanquish shrinks around you to the point where it feels more like a grown-up BMW M3 than an intimidating supercar. It rides impressively well on broken surfaces, keeping its composure at a pace and directed by steering that has improved in response and consistently, making the car a more willing companion on spirited drives.

Aston Martin calls it "a car of unprecedented ability", at least as far as its own models go.

They're not wrong.

The Vanquish S is a fitting farewell for the DB9's lineage, one that also offers plenty of hope for the future. While it doesn't feel quite as modern or polished as the new DB11, it has a more involving character than the brand's new grand tourer. It's a better action hero, a model that will be truly tough to follow.

2017 Aston Martin Vanquish S price and specifications

Price: TBC (approximately $500,000)

Engine: 6.0-litre V12 petrol

Power: 444kW at 7000rpm

Torque: 630Nm at 5500rpm

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive

Fuel use: 13.1L/100km

• For more information visit our Aston Martin showroom page