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Aston Martin V12 Vanquish |
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The Aston Martin V12 Vanquish, designed in 1995 by Ian Callum, is a grand tourer manufactured by Aston Martin since 2001. It rose to fame after being featured as the official James Bond car in Die Another Day, the twentieth James Bond film. In the film, the Vanquish has the usual Bond film embellishments, including active camouflage which rendered the vehicle virtually invisible, giving it the nickname "the Vanish".
Engine
The Vanquish is powered by a 5.9 L (5935 cc) 48-valve 60° V12 engine, which produces 343 kW (460 hp) and 542 N·m (400 ft·lbf) of torque. It is controlled by a fly-by-wire throttle and a 6 speed 'paddle shift' or semi-automatic transmission. A special V12 Vanquish S debuted at the 2004 Paris Auto Show with the power upped to 388 kW (520 hp) and 577 N·m (426 ft·lbf).
The Vanquish's V12 engine shares some components and design elements with the 3.0 L Duratec 30 V6 from parent-company Ford. It even shares the same bore and stroke dimensions. For this reason, many people incorrectly dismiss the Aston Martin V12 as merely "two Duratecs linked together."
The V12 engine in the Vanquish was designed at Ford Research in the USA. Cosworth Technologies was originally contracted to manufacture the engine, but had no involvement with the design. Previous articles which correctly recount this engine's development have appeared in Automotive Industries magazine.
It is correct that the AM V12 shares components with the 3.0L 'Duratec' V-6 engine used in the Ford Taurus, but it is not possible to simply put two V6's together to make a V12. The bank offset for a V12 is equal to one rod bearing width, whereas the bank offset for a 60-degree V6 is significantly longer than one rod bearing width, thus it is necessary to design a V12 as a totally new engine.
Specifications
The Vanquish has 355 mm (14 in) drilled and ventilated disc brakes with ABS. It also has traction control. Its wheels are 19 in (483 mm) and it weighs 1835 kg (4045 lb).
The Vanquish S features larger 378 mm (15 in) front and 330 mm (13 in) rear brake rotors.
Dimensions:
* Coefficient of drag: 0.32
* Front track: 1524 mm (60 in)
* Rear track: 1529 mm (60 in)
Performance
Model Power 0-100 km/h
(0-62 mph) Top Speed
Vanquish 343 kW (460 hp) at 6,800 rpm 5.0 s 190 mph (306 km/h)
Vanquish S 388 kW (520 hp) at 7000 rpm 4.8 s 200 mph (322 km/h)
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