Aston conquer market with stunning new Vanquish - Mirror.co.uk

Aston cheered us all up this week with its ­stunning new Vanquish. The £190,000 British-built carbon fibre flagship will hit UK roads next year and be good for 60 in four seconds and a ­flat-out max of 183.

It's radical, with an aluminium chassis and carbon outer panels, but still a gentle ­evolution of the Aston Martin brand that always ­radiates polite power. And it's not just old tech in a party frock.

There's a ­re-engineered 6.0-litre V12 which hikes power up to 565bhp, a ZF six-speed auto that changes gear 30??per cent ­faster, sharper speed-sensitive steering and carbon ­ceramic brakes.

And unlike Astons of old, the dash is much more ­organised, with clearer dials, ­ergodynamic layout and more ­cabin room.

If you've got the wedge, Aston claims the choice of interior colours and materials is almost infinite. Buyers can spend many happy hours in the bespoke trim centre ­deciding which colour hand-stitching or what shape quilting they want for the leather.

And that's the part of the Aston experience that owners will love the most. They won't worry about technical prowess, just enjoy membership of the world's ultimate ­one-upmanship club. Aston ­Martin still ranks as the most desirable car brand on the planet and despite an ageing model range

they're a lottery winner's favourite. OK, £190k may sound a big shout, but the Vanquish is likely to be just as fine a long-term asset as every Aston before it. If back in 1964 you'd been shrewd enough to lay out five grand for a DB5, and kept it carefully fed and watered for 48??years, you'd now be ­looking at a car worth more than £250,000. Show me another ­investment that can give you a 5,000 per cent return and half a century of pure, unalloyed pleasure.