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Aston Martin improves Vanquish and Rapide S for 2015

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Author: | Updated: 06 Aug 2014 12:39

Aston Martin has announced a host of updates for the 2015 versions of the Vanquish grand tourer and the Rapide S four-door, four-seat sports car.

The British brand is promising improved performance and emissions, as well as a more responsive drive thanks to a series of mechanical modifications, which see both cars shave half a second from their 0-60mph times and their top speeds rise above the 200mph mark.

Aston Martin Vanquish Tungsten Silver

Of all the modifications, the most significant must be the new Touchtronic III eight-speed automatic gearboxes fitted to both cars. Developed with the German transmission specialists, ZF, the ‘box’s new gearing and final drive ratios have not only pushed the top speeds up to the 200mph mark, but also improved environmental credentials. The CO2 figures for both cars have fallen by an average of ten per cent, with the Rapide S hitting 300g/km and the Vanquish dropping just below that, at 298g/km. Fuel economy has also improved, with extra-urban efficiency up to 31mpg for both cars.

Changing the gear ratios has also reduced back pressure in the exhaust system, so peak power has increased by three brake horsepower in the Vanquish, which now has 568bhp, and by two brake horsepower in the Rapide S, which produces 552bhp. Maximum torque has improved by 10%, too, bringing the two cars up to 630Nm.

Aston Martin Rapide S Seastorm

In addition, the whole gearbox is three per cent lighter than its predecessor, and shift speed has been improved, while better gearbox efficiency allows more power and torque to be transmitted through the gearbox more of the time. All this means performance is improved dramatically. The Rapide’s 0-60mph time has been cut from 4.7 to 4.2 seconds while the Vanquish’s time for the same sprint falls from 4.1 to 3.6 seconds, making the 2015 Vanquish the fastest-accelerating car in Aston Martin’s 101-year history.

To bring the handling in line with the performance, Aston Martin has revised the chassis with a new stability control system and an updated power steering control unit, which makes the steering sharper and more precise, while stiffer dampers improve the grip characteristics.

To cope with the extra power, the brakes have been uprated with re-tuned brake boosters and the Rapide S has even been given larger front brakes.

Aston Martin Vanquish Volante Divine Red

From the outside, the 2015 range is set apart by subtle styling enhancements. The new ten-spoke alloy wheels are available in a number of finishes for either car, and there’s a new paint option for the two models: Diavolo Red.

On the inside, the cars are offered with new leather options including Dark Knight, a blue-black colour scheme, and the statement-making Fandango Pink.

Ian Minards, the product development director at Aston Martin, commented: “We have a long and successful technical partnership with ZF and so it was a natural step for us to adapt and integrate their world class 8HP transmission. This has been a detailed piece of work involving careful consideration of many technical parameters including gear ratios, software integration and shifting strategies.  This has delivered a significant step change in both vehicle performance and economy whilst preserving the unique Aston Martin V12 driving experience.”

The 2015 cars will be introduced this quarter, with more details on pricing and options available in due course.

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