Aston Martin last night heralded the arrival of Vanquish, its new V12 flagship sports car set to redefine driving dynamism for a new generation of drivers.
Amidst the starlit backdrop of the Venice International Film Festival, Aston Martin unveiled its highly anticipated, new Vanquish with a stunning reveal moment on the waters of the Venetian Lagoon. An intimate audience spanning the worlds of cinema, the arts, fashion and business gathered at the Marina Militare for the grand premiere and headline music performances from Grammy-nominated musician Masego, multi-award-winning Italian jazz performer Walter Ricci and international DJ James Righton.
Stars of cinema in attendance included five Academy Award winning actors. George Clooney, alongside wife Amal, joined Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Douglas, Kevin Costner and Adrien Brody. In the year that Aston Martin celebrates the 60th anniversary of its iconic association with the James Bond films, other talent present included Bond actor Daniel Craig, alongside fellow British stars, Joe Alwyn and Michael Ward.
They were joined by celebrated personalities from the worlds of entertainment, the arts and culture, including Australian actor and filmmaker Joel Edgerton, American actresses Haley Bennett and Cailee Spaeny, and BAFTA award-winning director Joe Wright.
The world of fashion was represented by three-time Academy Award winning costume designer Sandy Powell, and models Bianca Brandolini and Poppy Delevingne.
The evening began with a cocktail reception lining the canal whilst guests enjoyed an array of famous film scores with traditional Venetian Bellinis. Guests were treated to a three-course culinary experience by restaurant Dolada, which holds the longest standing Michelin Star in Italy, with cuisine responsibly sourced by Chef Riccardo De Prà in the surrounding areas of his Pieve d’Alpago restaurant.
With history dating back to in 1104, the Arsenale di Venezia provided a fitting location for Aston Martin’s brand, sitting at the intersection of storied hand manufacturing, culture and art. The Arsenale is considered by historians as one of the earliest large-scale industrial enterprises, accommodating 2,000 workers a day during the Middle Ages, each contributing by hand to the fleets of La Serenissima. The Arsenale was at the forefront of shipbuilding innovation, noted for its early use of assembly-line production techniques. Today, as well as being an operational base for the Italian Navy, it proudly embodies culture as host venue of the acclaimed Venice Biennale international art exhibition, which celebrates its 60th edition in 2024.
An automotive piece of art, Vanquish completes Aston Martin’s portfolio of next generation of front-engine sports cars, capping one of the most intensive periods of product development in the company’s rich 111-year history. It follows on from the successful launches of DB12 in May 2023 – revealed on the eve of the amfAR Gala Cannes – and Vantage in February 2024, launched on the same day as Aston Martin’s 2024 Formula One® car, at the home of British motorsport, Silverstone.
Revealed by Aston Martin Aramco Formula One® Team drivers Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso just 24 hours after the chequered flag at the Italian Grand Prix, the Vanquish launch further solidifies Aston Martin’s connectivity between road and track, and the brand’s ambition to be the leading force in high performance.
Lawrence Stroll, Executive Chairman of Aston Martin, said: “The arrival of Vanquish is a seminal moment for Aston Martin, completing the newest and strongest portfolio in our segment and reinforcing our ultra-luxury positioning.
“This launch toasts the renaissance of our iconic brand and the unique combination of timeless design, craft mastery and engineering innovation which defines our new generation of sportscars. Our flagship product, Vanquish embodies our commitment to both ultra-luxury and high performance, bringing Aston Martin to a new generation of drivers.”
Delivered with scarcity, Vanquish will be Aston Martin’s highest performance sports car in its core product line-up, and its most exclusive, with production limited to no greater than 1,000 examples per year. Unique in this portfolio, Vanquish is the sole model to feature a bespoke, Aston Martin developed 12-cylinder engine. Revived for the first time since 2018, this will be the third Aston Martin generation to be christened with the famous Vanquish nameplate. The original V12 edition launched in 2001 has played a prominent on-screen role in cinema, driven by James Bond in the 2002 film Die Another Day and making appearances in other films of the 2000s such as Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and The Italian Job. Now it steals the spotlight once again.
