 |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |
2004 Aston Martin Vanquish Roadster news, pictures, and information | ||
| Tweet | ||
Aston Martin Vanquish Roadster
The latest creation resulting from the marque's historic alliance with Zagato, is a decidedly original interpretation of a classic.Up front, the Vanquish Roadster retains the face of the coupe now associated with James Bond, but to the rear, this car is entirely new: it has a round light cluster and a tapered tail.
Designed to adapt to season, the Vanquish Roadster introduces a functional modular cover system. In winter, a hardtop becomes an integral part of the car. On warmer days, this hardtop is replaced by transparent hardened glass and a soft cover. Developed by Zagato's engineers, this soft cover is easily and simply mounted and, when not in use, is held in the luggage compartment. The hardened glass, with its curvy 'double bubble' form, emphasizes the relationship between the sold and void.
The interior trim is exclusive in its design and seaming. A luggage compartment immediately behind the seats can also be seen through the glass cover.
Zagato and Aston Martin: a strong alliance that goes back to the 60s wîth the legendary DB4 GTZ, continued in the 80s wîth the Vantage and Volante, and is now firmer than ever in the new millennium wîth the DB7 Zagato and American Roadster 1.
These are the cult cars of collectors and enthusiasts, always prime examples of the 'instant classic'.
At this year's Geneva Motor Show, Zagato is presenting the Roadster version of the Aston Martin Vanquish, partly leaving unchanged the original project. For the first time, this Milan workshop is not giving an entirely new look to the production model, but is offering an interesting variation of the Vanquish, introducing innovative, futuristic touches of style.
While the Aston Martin DB7 Zagato and AR1 were initially presented to customers in the form of a limited edition, immediately sold out, the Vanquish Roadster is a 'provocation' proposed by Zagato wîth the backing of Aston Martin itself.
Close cooperation between Nori Harada, Zagato's Automotive Chief Designer, and Peter Hutchinson, Design Manager at Aston Martin, has resulted in this new car introducing elements that are a sharp break wîth the Roadster §egmènt.
A decidedly original interpretation that combines the totally unique design of the rear wîth the introduction of a functional modular cover system.
A hard top for winter, developed to not appear as an add-on but as an integral part that also takes in the rear. On warmer days of the year, its place is taken by a transparent hardened glass and an easily used soft cover.
Developed by Zagato's engineers, this soft top is easily and simply mounted and, when not in use, is held in the luggage compartment without taking up much space.
The car has a round rear light cluster, a tapered tail to best feature the wheelbox and a completely new rear bumper. The hardened glass, wîth its curvy ‘double bubble' form, emphasises how unique and valued is this proposal, balancing in a different, almost extravagant way, the relationship between the solid and void.
Special care has been applied to the interior trim, made exclusive by the design and type of seaming introduced.
A luggage compartment immediately behind the seats can also be seen through the glass cover.
At the front, the Vanquish Roadster proposal retains the design of the coupe version famous for being James Bond's most recent car.Source - Zagato / Aston Martin
These are the cult cars of collectors and enthusiasts, always prime examples of the 'instant classic'.
At this year's Geneva Motor Show, Zagato is presenting the Roadster version of the Aston Martin Vanquish, partly leaving unchanged the original project. For the first time, this Milan workshop is not giving an entirely new look to the production model, but is offering an interesting variation of the Vanquish, introducing innovative, futuristic touches of style.
While the Aston Martin DB7 Zagato and AR1 were initially presented to customers in the form of a limited edition, immediately sold out, the Vanquish Roadster is a 'provocation' proposed by Zagato wîth the backing of Aston Martin itself.Close cooperation between Nori Harada, Zagato's Automotive Chief Designer, and Peter Hutchinson, Design Manager at Aston Martin, has resulted in this new car introducing elements that are a sharp break wîth the Roadster §egmènt.
A decidedly original interpretation that combines the totally unique design of the rear wîth the introduction of a functional modular cover system.
A hard top for winter, developed to not appear as an add-on but as an integral part that also takes in the rear. On warmer days of the year, its place is taken by a transparent hardened glass and an easily used soft cover.
Developed by Zagato's engineers, this soft top is easily and simply mounted and, when not in use, is held in the luggage compartment without taking up much space.
The car has a round rear light cluster, a tapered tail to best feature the wheelbox and a completely new rear bumper. The hardened glass, wîth its curvy ‘double bubble' form, emphasises how unique and valued is this proposal, balancing in a different, almost extravagant way, the relationship between the solid and void.
Special care has been applied to the interior trim, made exclusive by the design and type of seaming introduced.
A luggage compartment immediately behind the seats can also be seen through the glass cover.
At the front, the Vanquish Roadster proposal retains the design of the coupe version famous for being James Bond's most recent car.Source - Zagato / Aston Martin
Playing a huge role in returning Aston Martin, a classic British carmaker, to both financial success and technological sophistication, the Vanquish surely delivered. Like any proper Aston Martin, the Vanquish not only had drop-dead gorgeous styling, but also a certain spice with muscular fenders and a wide, squat stance. It is considered to be the most masculine of Aston's classic design. Loosely based on the Virage/V8 platform, the V12 Vanquish instead featured thoroughly modern technology.
Founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford, Aston Martin was originally called Bamford & Martin when the two had joined forces the previous year to sell cars made by Singer from premises in Callow Street, London. At this location they also serviced GWK and Calthorpe vehicles. Martin raced specials at Aston Hill near Aston Clinton and the two men chose to make their own cars.
The first car dubbed Aston Martin was created by Martin by fitting a four-cylinder Coventry-Simplex engine to the chassis of a 1908 Isotta-Fraschini. Martin and Bamford acquired premises at Henniker Place in Kensington and produced their first car in March 1915. Unfortunately production couldn't begin due to the outbreak of World War I. Martin had joined the Admiralty, and Bamford joined the Royal Army Service Corps. All machinery was sold to the Sopwith Aviation Company.
A grand tourer, the Aston Martin Vanquish was designed by Ian Callum and was manufactured by Aston Martin. Introduced in 2001 the Vanquish was Aston Martin's flagship vehicle. Appearing as the official James Bond car in the movie ‘Die Another Day' the Vanquish rose to worldwide recognition. In 2007 the Vanquish was taken out of production. The Aston Martin DBS V12 temporarily replaced it at the top of Aston's lineup, pending the 2010 replacement.
In the wake of a GT concept car, the Project Vantage concept car let to development of the Vanquish. The Vantage concept was introduced with a V-12 engine at the North American International Auto Show in January of 1998. In 2000 the production model was debuted and the series production began in 2001. It wasn't until 2005 that the car received any major updates when the Vanquish S model debuted at the 2004 Paris Auto Show. The S model came with more power, new wheels and slight styling revisions.
The Vanquish Ultimate Edition was introduced to celebrate the end of the Vanquish production run. Aston Martin announced that the final 40 cars built would have a new ‘Ultimate Black' exterior color, personalized sill plaques and upgraded interior. The Ultimate Edition was the first Vanquish available with a conventional stick-shift manual transmission. In July of 2007 production of the Aston Martin Vanquish was ended and coincided with the company's Newport Pagnell factory after 49 years of operation. The final car was the Vanquish S Ultimate Edition in black.
A high-performance coupe, the Aston Martin V12 was produced from 2002 until 2006. The original model was joined by the more powerful S Variant in 2005, and only the S model was available for the final year of production. The V12 Vanquish main body structure included aluminum sections bonded and riveted around a central carbon-fiber transmission tunnel. To keep the weight down Aston utilized carbon fiber A-pillars, all-aluminum suspension and aluminum body panels. Despite all of this, the Vanquish still weighed in at little more than 2 tons.
Designed at Ford Research in the U.S. was the V12 engine in the Vanquish. The Vanquish's V12 engine shares some of the components and design elements with the 3.0 L Duratec 30 V6. The engine even shares the same bore and stroke dimensions and for this reason many people incorrectly dismiss the V12 as just ‘two Duratecs linked together'. It is correct though that the AM V12 shares components with the ‘Duratec' engine design. The standard Vanquish's 6.0-liter V12 produced 460 hp and 400 lb/ft of torque.
The powertrain of the Vanquish was also quite innovative, with a high-performance 6.0-liter V12 engine that first made 460 hp, and later 520. To get that power to the rear wheels there was an automated-clutch, six-speed sequential-shift manual gearbox that utilized F1-style paddle shifters. The V12 Vanquish also came with 19-inch wheels with performance tires, power seats and a 10-speaker in-dash CD changer audio system. Also standard a navigation system, multi-level heated seats and Bluetooth connectivity on the 2006 V12 Vanquish S, as well as the Sports Dynamic suspension, steering and braking package.
The inside of the V12 was finished quite lushly in the best leather hides and offered a nice variety of color options. The center control stack was revised in 2006 to match the current, newer batch of Aston Martin's. Earlier on the Vanquish had borrowed much of its switchgear from the Ford family parts supply. There was quite a substantial amount of room inside the Vanquish when compared to other exotic sports cars and the Vanquish was available with a choice of 2+2 or strictly two-seat interiors.
Only 300 hand-built V12 Vanquish models were produced each year and each model is fully customizable to the customer's requirements.By Jessica Donaldson
For more information and related vehicles, click hereFounded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford, Aston Martin was originally called Bamford & Martin when the two had joined forces the previous year to sell cars made by Singer from premises in Callow Street, London. At this location they also serviced GWK and Calthorpe vehicles. Martin raced specials at Aston Hill near Aston Clinton and the two men chose to make their own cars.
The first car dubbed Aston Martin was created by Martin by fitting a four-cylinder Coventry-Simplex engine to the chassis of a 1908 Isotta-Fraschini. Martin and Bamford acquired premises at Henniker Place in Kensington and produced their first car in March 1915. Unfortunately production couldn't begin due to the outbreak of World War I. Martin had joined the Admiralty, and Bamford joined the Royal Army Service Corps. All machinery was sold to the Sopwith Aviation Company.
A grand tourer, the Aston Martin Vanquish was designed by Ian Callum and was manufactured by Aston Martin. Introduced in 2001 the Vanquish was Aston Martin's flagship vehicle. Appearing as the official James Bond car in the movie ‘Die Another Day' the Vanquish rose to worldwide recognition. In 2007 the Vanquish was taken out of production. The Aston Martin DBS V12 temporarily replaced it at the top of Aston's lineup, pending the 2010 replacement.
In the wake of a GT concept car, the Project Vantage concept car let to development of the Vanquish. The Vantage concept was introduced with a V-12 engine at the North American International Auto Show in January of 1998. In 2000 the production model was debuted and the series production began in 2001. It wasn't until 2005 that the car received any major updates when the Vanquish S model debuted at the 2004 Paris Auto Show. The S model came with more power, new wheels and slight styling revisions.
The Vanquish Ultimate Edition was introduced to celebrate the end of the Vanquish production run. Aston Martin announced that the final 40 cars built would have a new ‘Ultimate Black' exterior color, personalized sill plaques and upgraded interior. The Ultimate Edition was the first Vanquish available with a conventional stick-shift manual transmission. In July of 2007 production of the Aston Martin Vanquish was ended and coincided with the company's Newport Pagnell factory after 49 years of operation. The final car was the Vanquish S Ultimate Edition in black.
A high-performance coupe, the Aston Martin V12 was produced from 2002 until 2006. The original model was joined by the more powerful S Variant in 2005, and only the S model was available for the final year of production. The V12 Vanquish main body structure included aluminum sections bonded and riveted around a central carbon-fiber transmission tunnel. To keep the weight down Aston utilized carbon fiber A-pillars, all-aluminum suspension and aluminum body panels. Despite all of this, the Vanquish still weighed in at little more than 2 tons.
Designed at Ford Research in the U.S. was the V12 engine in the Vanquish. The Vanquish's V12 engine shares some of the components and design elements with the 3.0 L Duratec 30 V6. The engine even shares the same bore and stroke dimensions and for this reason many people incorrectly dismiss the V12 as just ‘two Duratecs linked together'. It is correct though that the AM V12 shares components with the ‘Duratec' engine design. The standard Vanquish's 6.0-liter V12 produced 460 hp and 400 lb/ft of torque.
The powertrain of the Vanquish was also quite innovative, with a high-performance 6.0-liter V12 engine that first made 460 hp, and later 520. To get that power to the rear wheels there was an automated-clutch, six-speed sequential-shift manual gearbox that utilized F1-style paddle shifters. The V12 Vanquish also came with 19-inch wheels with performance tires, power seats and a 10-speaker in-dash CD changer audio system. Also standard a navigation system, multi-level heated seats and Bluetooth connectivity on the 2006 V12 Vanquish S, as well as the Sports Dynamic suspension, steering and braking package.
The inside of the V12 was finished quite lushly in the best leather hides and offered a nice variety of color options. The center control stack was revised in 2006 to match the current, newer batch of Aston Martin's. Earlier on the Vanquish had borrowed much of its switchgear from the Ford family parts supply. There was quite a substantial amount of room inside the Vanquish when compared to other exotic sports cars and the Vanquish was available with a choice of 2+2 or strictly two-seat interiors.
Only 300 hand-built V12 Vanquish models were produced each year and each model is fully customizable to the customer's requirements.By Jessica Donaldson
| BENTLEY BOUTIQUE UNVEILS NEW SPRING SEASON SELECTION | |
 | Debut of 'Breitling for Bentley' Light Body Midnight Carbon watch •Limited edition 'zai for Bentley' ski, poles and ski bag •Showcase for two new collections: 'Bentley for Men' fragrances and Mulsanne fitted luggage set (Crewe, 5 March 2013). The 2013 Bentley Boutique at the Geneva Motor Show showcases a selection of the company's new and exciting products, created with luxury and performance in mind in collaboration with partnership brands. 'Breitling for Bentley' Light Body...[Read more...] |
| ANTICIPATION BUILDS AS RARE CARS ARE CONSIGNED TO RM'S FLAGSHIP UK SALE | |
 | • RM Auctions' annual London sale returns to Battersea Evolution, 31st October, 2012 • Now in its sixth year, the London sale is one of Europe's consistently best performing collector car auctions • Upcoming auction features a magnificent collection of the world's finest motor cars, headlined by an ultra-rare, alloy-bodied 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing, a competition-bred 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB Scaglietti Berlinetta 'Tour de France', and a single-owner collection of 22 automobiles • A fr...[Read more...] |
| Historic Aston Martin DB3S Sports Racing Car Joins RM's Monterey Sale | |
 | A rare and spectacular 1955 Aston Martin DB3S Sports Racing Car, chassis DB3S/118, is the latest multi-million-dollar entry to join RM's highly anticipated Monterey sale, August 17–18 in California. Noteworthy for its outstanding provenance, rarity, and trendsetting Aston Martin design, the DB3S is widely considered one of the most attractive and elegantly designed sports racing cars of the post war period—a masterpiece of David Brown's vision, executed stunningly in aluminum from the charact...[Read more...] |
| America's Favorite Sports Cars to Pace Belle Isle Grand Prix | |
 | •Camaro and Corvette setting sales pace for their segments •Forza Motorsport 4 fans compile 63 million miles in Corvettes and Camaros America's favorite sports cars will lead the return of motorsports to Detroit this weekend, when the Camaro ZL1 paces the Chevrolet Grand-Am 200 at Belle Isle on Saturday, and the Corvette 427 Convertible paces the Chevrolet Indy Grand Prix on Sunday. Both are essentially unchanged production models. 'With Corvette and Camaro, Chevrolet has two of the mos...[Read more...] |
| The British Are Coming! | |
 | Rodeo Drive Concours Announces British Theme and Aston Martin As 2012 Featured Marque The Rodeo Drive Committee, in conjunction with the City of Beverly Hills, have announced the 2012 theme for the Rodeo Drive Concours d'Elegance – 'THE BRITISH ARE COMING!' Aston Martin will be this year's featured marque. Gearys Beverly Hills will be the presenting sponsor in celebration of their new Rolex store opening on Rodeo Drive in June 2012. The annual Father's Day tradition features a wide var...[Read more...] |
 2004
Aston Martin
models |
| Aston Martin DB9 |
| Aston Martin V12 Vanquish |
| Aston Martin Vanquish S | 2004 Aston Martin Concepts |
| Aston Martin Vanquish Bertone Jet 2 |
| Similar Automakers | |
| Bentley | Bugatti |
| Devon | Ferrari |
| GTA | Koenigsegg |
| Lamborghini | Lotus |
| Maserati | Maybach |
| McLaren | Porsche |
| Rolls-Royce | Spyker |
| Tesla | |
| Similarly Sized Vehicles from 2004 |
| Aston Martin DB9 |
| Aston Martin V12 Vanquish |
| Aston Martin Vanquish S |
| Audi A6 |
| Audi A8 |
| BMW 7-Series |
| BMW X5 |
| Buick Rainier |
| Buick Velite Concept |
| Cadillac Seville |
| Aston Martin: 2001-2010 |
| Similar Automakers |
| Other models by Aston Martin |
| Related Articles and Event Coverage |
| Gooding and Company - Scottsdale Auction |
| 2005 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance |
| 15/98 2 litre C-Type 2-Liter Type A Speed Model Aston V8 | Cygnet DB2 DB3 DB4 | DB5 DB6 DB7 DB9 | DBR1 DBR9 DBS Lagonda | Le Mans Mk II One-77 T-Type | Ulster V12 Vantage V12 Zagato V8 Vantage | Vanquish Virage |
