Aston Martin's new super grand tourer, the Vanquish represents the best of design and engineering by the company, which is clearly represented in the profile shot above.

The Vanquish features the next generation VH architecture and an upgraded 6.0-litre V12 powertrain mated to the Touchtronic 2, six-speed paddle-operated automatic gearbox. The V12's output of 565bhp and 620Nm of torque is Aston Martin's most powerful powertrain yet, besides the limited edition One-77 supercar. It finishes the century sprint in 4.1 seconds and has a top speed of 294km/h, despite being more environmentally friendly.

Well, the performance figures trails behind Italian competitions like Pagani, Lamborghini or Ferrari, but Aston Martin's were always meant to be the best GT's and extremely comfortable and stylish cruisers rather than performance figures.

The Vanquish continues Aston's practise of producing some of the most beautiful sports cars in the world with an elegant waist, striking side strakes and LED rear light blades inspired by the One-77 supercar. A highlight is the new Aero Duct on the rear boot lid, which provides downforce when travelling at high speeds.

Each body panel of the car is constructed from carbon fibre which has improved torsional rigidity by more than 25%. The cabin has been newly designed to offer more space and the 368 litres of boot space is 60% larger than the DBS. The Vanquish is designed and hand-built at Aston Martin's global headquarters at Gaydon, Warwickshire, U.K. The new Vanquish is available either as a 2+2 or as a strict 2-seater.

Aston Martin CEO, Dr Ulrich Bez comments, "Bearing the same name as the iconic original Vanquish that did so much to cement Aston Martin's reputation as a maker of great GT cars in the modern era, I believe the car unveiled today once again puts this great British brand at the top of its class. The Aston Martin range is stronger now than at any time in our 99-year history. The new Vanquish represents the perfect way to signal the beginning of our centenary celebrations next year."

The flagship Aston Matin GT is priced from £189,995 (S$378, 672) with first deliveries to begin in the UK and Continental Europe late in 2012.