With Aston Martin saying goodbye to the current-generation Vanquish - it even prepared a final “Ultimate” edition of the model - work on the next-gen model is speeding up to the point that we’re already seeing prototypes of the upcoming Vanquish out and about on the streets. We also know that it’s slated to carry as much as 700 horsepower on tap and, if Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer is to be believed, the next-gen Vanquish is going to be potent enough to make the Prancing Horse restless.

Oh, yes. Palmer is throwing the gauntlet at Ferrari, specifically at the 812 Superfast. It’s been well-documented that Aston Martin has set out a plan to become more aggressive with developing pure performance cars. We’ve already seen hints of it with the development of the Vulcan supercar and the Valkyrie hypercar. Now, it’s also taking shape with some of the marquee’s long-standing models. The new DB11 got the ball rolling in that regard and it’s no surprise that the next-gen Vanquish will use the same template, including a modified version of the DB11’s platform. Likewise, the Vanquish’s 5.3-liter turbocharged V-12 unit will be derived from the DB11 and will be tuned to produce power levels that could rival the Ferrari 812 Superfast. It’s an ambitious goal to set, especially when Ferrari is brought up in the discussion. But, it’s a new era over at Aston Martin. Those days of the marque sticking to its grand tourer roots are long gone. Now it’s taking aim at just about anybody it deems a competitor with little regard for the consequences. It’s a refreshing sight to see, and one that I wish happened much earlier.

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Big words, big dreams

At this point, Aston Martin has yet to give us any concrete details about the next-gen Vanquish beyond claims that it's “bloody good” and is being “developed to compete with the Ferrari 812 Special.” Those are the exact words of Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer, so he fits the bill of a person who knows every spec of information regarding the next-gen Vanquish.

Palmer even added that the “majority of product investment for the supercar is finished and, at this point, the next step is preparing the manufacturing process of the car." A big part of that preparation, according to Palmer, involves making different prototypes, and on that end, the British automaker is making more than it’s used to so when production of the car begins, the company will be ready to go without any hitches or delays. Clearly, a lot of time and effort are being put into ensuring that the next-gen Vanquish lives up to the hype. It already has a considerable amount of it considering what we’ve already heard and read about the development process of the car.

One thing I do know is that Palmer knows what he’s doing when he mentions the next-gen Vanquish in the same sentence as the Ferrari 812 Superfast. The latter, after all, is regarded as Maranello’s latest masterpiece. Beyond the fact that it has the looks of a proper Ferrari, it also boasts an undeniable Prancing Horse lineage, none more important than its 6.5-liter V-12 engine that produces 789 horsepower 530 pound-feet of torque.

On the surface, it seems ridiculous to think of the next-generation Vanquish as being in the same league as the 812 Superfast. But, this is the world we live in now, and it’s a testament to Aston Martin’s newfound approach that we’re even discussing it in the first place. Here’s to hoping then that all the filibustering coming out of Gaydon amounts to something that lives up to all the hype. It would be a shame if Aston Martin keeps talking up the next-generation Vanquish and then the car ultimately fails to live up to expectations.

Personally, I’m not too worried about that because if recent form holds, Aston Martin’s claims regarding its new performance car already have a strong foundation to stand on. Then again, we’ll know soon enough if that’s going to be the case when the next-gen Vanquish makes its debut in 2019.

References

Aston Martin Vanquish

Read our full review on the 2019 Aston Martin Vanquish.

Read more Aston Martin news.