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From a distance you can faintly see a thing of beauty, without knowing exactly what it is.  As I got a little closer, my heart began to pound with excitement from the sheer outline of the car.  And finally standing toe to toe staring down at the third-generation 2025 Aston Martin Vanquish, it hits me; I have met the car of my dreams.  It is love at first sight.  Aston Martin has always made some of the most beautiful cars in production, but unequivocally, this Vanquish is truly the most beautiful car on the planet. 

From the side view, you get a sense of elegant lines with modern styling.  From the front, the thought of being refined at a cocktail party quickly disappears and you feel the need to put on your Halestorm concert shirt to match the aggressive and almost intimidating grill.  Imagine this sneaking up in your rearview mirror, you will want to just step aside and not mess with the approaching hooligan. 

When you unlock the Vanquish, the door handles pop out as if it is giving you an invitation to climb aboard.  The doors open as they do on all Aston Martin coups, with a slight upward tilt, to avoid hitting curbs.  Clever design for something that sits just above ground level.

Inside the cabin is a tight, controlled and self-contained cockpit. The seat placement is sculptured around the steering wheel, sitting you low into the car as if you are being immersed, yet positioned perfectly to have a view of your surroundings.  The interior set up is very techy but functional and easy to access once you familiarize yourself with exactly what each button or knob controls.  You get your second sense of comfort when you grip the steering wheel. Wide enough to give you complete control but not overwhelmingly obtrusive.

Now for the best part, starting the engine and getting on the road.  There is nothing more exhilarating and eutrophic at the same time with anticipation of that growl and roar that is about to be unleashed through controlled chaos when you get ready to press the Start Engine button.  I do and it does not disappoint.  Pure ecstasy. 

There is truly no other sound on this Earth more satisfying than the snarling exhaust of an Aston Martin.

On the open road, the Vanquish is superb.  Super responsive steering, jetting in and out of traffic with ease and the acceleration is scary fast.  The force to the back of the head, hitting the headrest as you apply pressure to the gas pedal and hear those pistons fire and everything opens up as you are propelled into the future within seconds.  The other cars on the road even part ways making room for the elegant beast roaring by.

At times the vanquish can feel a bit aggressive, even angry like a caged wild animal.  Don’t get me wrong, this is an all-around true sportscar that can take you anywhere.  If you want it to wear a collared shirt and head to the country club, it definitely will but underneath, it will always be wearing that Halestorm concert shirt just waiting to be unleashed.

The biggest decision is what driving mode you are going to engage.  GT mode was quite relaxing and relatively smooth considering you are only 120mm (4.7in) from the ground.   Sport mode was my go-to and it was lights out and away we go from the moment I hit the throttle.  

Shifting from GT into Sport mode was instantaneous, and you could feel the suspension tighten and steering stiffening as if the car was getting lower to pavement.  The color on the dashboard changes, letting you know you are now in Sport mode, and you can hear the engine rev in excited anticipation of that burst of airflow once I place my foot on the pedal.  As soon as I press down, ever so slightly, the twelve-cylinder, 824 horsepower engine wants more and with the Vanquish being all wheel drive, all four tyres are ready to do their part.  Sport + mode is another story.  The dash turns angry red, and you better have a tight grasp on that steering wheel because there are no holds barred.  I was only in Sport + mode for a moment, and that was enough to feel the raw power, one I was not ready to tame today.

A work of art speaks louder than words and even in Walnut Creek California, where there are plenty of high-end sports cars rolling around, this Vanquish demands attention.  At every stop, I felt like a celebrity with the paparazzi taking pictures, although they were not taking pictures of me, it was the car.  Even driving down the motorway, passing other cars as if they were standing still, drivers and passengers alike had their phones out to get a keepsake of this modern marvel amongst us. 

Even though you can use this machine in GT mode and go to the cinema, I would much rather leave it in Sport mode and head to the Rock Show.

Chad Di Lillo