A mid-life refresh is usually known as a facelift because of the subtle visual changes most carmakers apply, but for the updated Aston Martin Vanquish, we find exactly the opposite because the British carmaker has kept the big changes under the car's skin.
This ultra-luxury automobile sits at the top of the British marque's rarified lineup serving as the ultimate grand touring automobile, its flagship grand tourer.
Up close and Personal
While there are no sheet metal changes, Aston Martin has introduced new paint colours and new wheel designs, but it's not that the Vanquish is in need of a styling update anyway.
One glance at the car and you know it means business. Its bodywork is simply beautiful from every angle and even a green-eyed monster will probably find it lust-worthy.
The grand tourer remains one of the most stunning examples of exotic machinery with its sensuous curves and a face that demands respect.
The interior is the same Aston Martin luxury one comes to expect - rich and opulent. Luxurious leather, solid metal trim, and high-quality plastic make up the materials array while the flowing one-piece centre console houses the main controls that are integrated into the pop-up central screen.
The Vanquish can also be specified as either the standard 2+0 configuration like our test car or a 2+2 formation with two small seats in the back, which are better suited for pint-sized adults or children.
The Drive
The 6.0-litre V12 under the bonnet may be the same block as before but it is now bolstered by the latest Bosch engine management system and a handful of other changes, including reduced exhaust back pressure. As a result, the car gains three additional ponies and 10Nm more torque.
It still sounds fantastic, with a musical exhaust note that will send shivers down your spine every time you prod the accelerator. Thanks to that noise, the desire to explore every single horsepower on offer is overwhelming.
Further enhancing the car's performance and efficiency is a brand new eight-speed Touchtronic III automatic transmission that replaces a six-speeder found in the pre-facelift model and is probably the biggest alteration for 2015.
It utterly changes the car's character, making it livelier in sporty driving, smoother around town, and overall more pleasant and engaging to pilot, whether you're driving in automatic mode or operating the paddle shifters manually.
With a newly invigorated engine and cutting-edge transmission, the Vanquish can now call itself the fastest series production Aston Martin ever, with a top speed of 323km/h and a century sprint time of just 3.8 seconds (0.3 seconds faster than before).
The 6.0-litre V12 under the bonnet may be the same block as before but it is now bolstered by the latest Bosch engine management system and a handful of other changes, including reduced exhaust back pressure. As a result, the car gains three additional ponies and 10Nm more torque.
It still sounds fantastic, with a musical exhaust note that will send shivers down your spine every time you prod the accelerator. Thanks to that noise, the desire to explore every single horsepower on offer is overwhelming.
Further enhancing the car's performance and efficiency is a brand new eight-speed Touchtronic III automatic transmission that replaces a six-speeder found in the pre-facelift model and is probably the biggest alteration for 2015.
It utterly changes the car's character, making it livelier in sporty driving, smoother around town, and overall more pleasant and engaging to pilot, whether you're driving in automatic mode or operating the paddle shifters manually.
With a newly invigorated engine and cutting-edge transmission, the Vanquish can now call itself the fastest series production Aston Martin ever, with a top speed of 323km/h and a century sprint time of just 3.8 seconds (0.3 seconds faster than before).
The Vanquish remains to be a compelling cruiser too. There's a bit of wind noise and some roar from the huge tyres, but the comfortable seats ensure you can step out of the car feeling surprisingly fresh after a few hours behind the wheel. And that's despite the stiff suspension setup.
Compared with last year's model, the dampers on the Vanquish are stiffer by 15 percent at the front and 35 percent at the rear, but even in the Adaptive Damping Sport mode, you can happily take on bumpy roads without too much fuss.
And thanks to a revised profile for the steering power assist in the car's ECU, the wheel is a touch crisper than before, beautifully weighted, properly accurate and imbued with the feel and feedback required when asking a big grand tourer to dance to your tune.
Conclusion
With marked improvements such as a new gearbox and other important equipment changes, the updated Aston Martin Vanquish continues to offer a world-class super-luxury grand touring experience.
How refreshing.
