Charles Vanquish S Coupe
Discussion
Hi all, as a quick introduction I have just purchased a 2017 Vanquish S. Purchased from AM Bristol in December’25. The car has done just 18k miles, I will be adding to that - it won’t be a garage queen! Hope to do a Euro and Scotland road trip this year.
Finished in Stratus White with red accents on the exterior and interior.
I am new to Aston ownership, so a great way to start. I have just come from a Lotus Exige 420, a car I had for 4 years/18k miles/30+ track days. I wanted a more road based car so here we go!
Initial impressions after 400 miles:
1) So much theatre and character. What an engine! It’s great at feeling special at normal speeds which is very important.
2) It drives a lot better than I expected. The steering feel is really great. Far more positive front end than I expected. Firmer than I thought it would be but not uncomfortable at all. I went into the test drive saying if this felt too GT like I would explore a vantage V12 S - never needed to I was so impressed.
3) It is deceptively large. The cabin doesn’t feel too wide, which is giving a slightly false sense of security as the car is big on lanes. Definitely more of a A/B road car than country lane car. Need more miles in it to feel at home.
Everything else will have to wait until spring.
Over winter will have the gearbox oil/filter changed alongside the differential fluids. Will also lanoguard the rear subframe, has more surface rust than I expected so will keep on top of that. It also needs to go back to Aston Martin for some niggles to be resolved, Bristol AM are being great with sorting this.
I am based in Cheshire - hope to get out in the Peaks & North Wales once the salty season is over. Hope to meet others too next year.
Photos attached
Finished in Stratus White with red accents on the exterior and interior.
I am new to Aston ownership, so a great way to start. I have just come from a Lotus Exige 420, a car I had for 4 years/18k miles/30+ track days. I wanted a more road based car so here we go!
Initial impressions after 400 miles:
1) So much theatre and character. What an engine! It’s great at feeling special at normal speeds which is very important.
2) It drives a lot better than I expected. The steering feel is really great. Far more positive front end than I expected. Firmer than I thought it would be but not uncomfortable at all. I went into the test drive saying if this felt too GT like I would explore a vantage V12 S - never needed to I was so impressed.
3) It is deceptively large. The cabin doesn’t feel too wide, which is giving a slightly false sense of security as the car is big on lanes. Definitely more of a A/B road car than country lane car. Need more miles in it to feel at home.
Everything else will have to wait until spring.
Over winter will have the gearbox oil/filter changed alongside the differential fluids. Will also lanoguard the rear subframe, has more surface rust than I expected so will keep on top of that. It also needs to go back to Aston Martin for some niggles to be resolved, Bristol AM are being great with sorting this.
I am based in Cheshire - hope to get out in the Peaks & North Wales once the salty season is over. Hope to meet others too next year.
Photos attached
Great choice and no bias at all....
Had mine over to Europe and it was perfect for the job. In fact I'm doing a bigger euro trip in it this year, decent sized boot, comfy, quiet-ish at cruising and 28 to 31 mpg over a steady distance.
Mine has been on track and few times too and surprisingly capable once dampers are stiffened up in track mode. That said its not a lightweight track tool but can give plenty fun kicking the back out. Mpg drops a tad here though
prob a lap and half of a typical track per gallon of super.
Pretty robust cars as well with not a lot to worry about.
Had mine over to Europe and it was perfect for the job. In fact I'm doing a bigger euro trip in it this year, decent sized boot, comfy, quiet-ish at cruising and 28 to 31 mpg over a steady distance.
Mine has been on track and few times too and surprisingly capable once dampers are stiffened up in track mode. That said its not a lightweight track tool but can give plenty fun kicking the back out. Mpg drops a tad here though
prob a lap and half of a typical track per gallon of super. Pretty robust cars as well with not a lot to worry about.
Very nice 
I am also really surprised at the mpg the car gets on a cruise, makes it better for long journeys for sure.
How did you find the brakes on track? Heard the rumours of them getting chewed quite quickly there…? They are what seem like the main major item should they ever need replacing
I am also really surprised at the mpg the car gets on a cruise, makes it better for long journeys for sure.How did you find the brakes on track? Heard the rumours of them getting chewed quite quickly there…? They are what seem like the main major item should they ever need replacing
They get massively hot on track much more than any steels I've ever had but I don't think it hammered them in any way.
Brakes, i do find after a prolonged road / normal use they can look a bit tired but go some where quiet and give them some grief and they not only look better but their performance comes back a bit.
Last 4 years
Changed the handbrake caliper bolts because they looked rusty and rubbish
Had a coolant flush, just for safety before 1st euro trip
Changed air and cabin filters again just preemptive.
3 standard services by main dealer (next is due March or April)
Replace a bonnet release cable on one side as was stretched
Under warranty both front window regulators replaced but only 1 was iffy, they just swapped both anyway. Also they replaced an engine seal that was showing a sign of weeping under warranty which was prob over kill but I wasn't paying so hey ho.
So this year another std service, I will def need 2 rear tyres and I MUST squeeze myself into the back to check the date on my battery as I don't know if its original from 2017 or not.
Be very aware of your front splitter, they do bottom out. I also punctured mine on an errant cobble stone and it cost £6500 for a fitted replacement and yes the bottom of the new one only lasted about 2000 miles before getting scraped underneath again.
Given the running/ normal maintenance costs of other premium marques the Aston has been relatively painless for which I'm very happy about
Brakes, i do find after a prolonged road / normal use they can look a bit tired but go some where quiet and give them some grief and they not only look better but their performance comes back a bit.
Last 4 years
Changed the handbrake caliper bolts because they looked rusty and rubbish
Had a coolant flush, just for safety before 1st euro trip
Changed air and cabin filters again just preemptive.
3 standard services by main dealer (next is due March or April)
Replace a bonnet release cable on one side as was stretched
Under warranty both front window regulators replaced but only 1 was iffy, they just swapped both anyway. Also they replaced an engine seal that was showing a sign of weeping under warranty which was prob over kill but I wasn't paying so hey ho.
So this year another std service, I will def need 2 rear tyres and I MUST squeeze myself into the back to check the date on my battery as I don't know if its original from 2017 or not.
Be very aware of your front splitter, they do bottom out. I also punctured mine on an errant cobble stone and it cost £6500 for a fitted replacement and yes the bottom of the new one only lasted about 2000 miles before getting scraped underneath again.
Given the running/ normal maintenance costs of other premium marques the Aston has been relatively painless for which I'm very happy about
Nice looking car.
Just one tip: get some gaffer tape over the emergency boot release handle (the one inside the boot). It can get snagged on luggage, partially pulled, and disable other ways of unlocking/opening the boot… as I discovered on a hot summer’s day when I’d been out to buy ice cream.
Just one tip: get some gaffer tape over the emergency boot release handle (the one inside the boot). It can get snagged on luggage, partially pulled, and disable other ways of unlocking/opening the boot… as I discovered on a hot summer’s day when I’d been out to buy ice cream.
Very nice Charles. Welcome to the forum. I guess I must be getting old as Vanquish S is probably the only AM I would consider changing mine for. I think they look superb and at current prices they offer pretty good value too. Not sure if it’s the case with the brakes on Vanquish S too but historically track work with CCBs has generally been discouraged. I know there have been reports of fried brakes on DBS and V12 Vantage, albeit a while ago, and as we all know replacement brakes are not exactly cheap. Apart from that and the well documented issues with the low front end/splitter I can’t think of any other downsides at all. Pretty much peak AML imho. Very well done sir.
BRM.
BRM.
Congratulations on the purchase. I see you are in Cheshire. I'm also Cheshire based (Northwich) so may see you about :-)
Would love to hear your ownership views on the Vanquish. I'm currently running an Jaguar XJR and keep thinking about changing to a Vanquish. An Aston is an itch that is getting increasingly 'itchy'! My elderly mother loves the Jag but wont go near the Porsche as she says she'd never get out of it.
My road trip mate also used to have a DB7 and converys great memories of road trips. We do 2-3 European trips each year and the Jag soaks these up but is less nimble in the mountains. The 911 is fantastic in the mountains but more tiresome on the schlep to get there. A GT would fit the bill I think.
On the subframe front. Jaguars are built the same and suffer the same. I've de-rusted mine and treated with Bilthamber. I can thoroughly recommend the Dynax. I was less convinced by the Lanoguard.
Si
Would love to hear your ownership views on the Vanquish. I'm currently running an Jaguar XJR and keep thinking about changing to a Vanquish. An Aston is an itch that is getting increasingly 'itchy'! My elderly mother loves the Jag but wont go near the Porsche as she says she'd never get out of it.
My road trip mate also used to have a DB7 and converys great memories of road trips. We do 2-3 European trips each year and the Jag soaks these up but is less nimble in the mountains. The 911 is fantastic in the mountains but more tiresome on the schlep to get there. A GT would fit the bill I think.
On the subframe front. Jaguars are built the same and suffer the same. I've de-rusted mine and treated with Bilthamber. I can thoroughly recommend the Dynax. I was less convinced by the Lanoguard.
Si
53x11 said:
Congratulations on the purchase. I see you are in Cheshire. I'm also Cheshire based (Northwich) so may see you about :-)
Would love to hear your ownership views on the Vanquish. I'm currently running an Jaguar XJR and keep thinking about changing to a Vanquish. An Aston is an itch that is getting increasingly 'itchy'! My elderly mother loves the Jag but wont go near the Porsche as she says she'd never get out of it.
My road trip mate also used to have a DB7 and converys great memories of road trips. We do 2-3 European trips each year and the Jag soaks these up but is less nimble in the mountains. The 911 is fantastic in the mountains but more tiresome on the schlep to get there. A GT would fit the bill I think.
On the subframe front. Jaguars are built the same and suffer the same. I've de-rusted mine and treated with Bilthamber. I can thoroughly recommend the Dynax. I was less convinced by the Lanoguard.
Si
Thanks Si and very nice XJR, they do sound brilliant. Close by myself - just moved to Alderley Edge from London last year so close by. Great having the Peaks and North Wales on either side, feel quite spoiled up here! Happy to take you out in it in the spring time if you ever fancy. Just reach out then Would love to hear your ownership views on the Vanquish. I'm currently running an Jaguar XJR and keep thinking about changing to a Vanquish. An Aston is an itch that is getting increasingly 'itchy'! My elderly mother loves the Jag but wont go near the Porsche as she says she'd never get out of it.
My road trip mate also used to have a DB7 and converys great memories of road trips. We do 2-3 European trips each year and the Jag soaks these up but is less nimble in the mountains. The 911 is fantastic in the mountains but more tiresome on the schlep to get there. A GT would fit the bill I think.
On the subframe front. Jaguars are built the same and suffer the same. I've de-rusted mine and treated with Bilthamber. I can thoroughly recommend the Dynax. I was less convinced by the Lanoguard.
Si
EVR said:
PSA: If any of you guys are travelling Europe close to Cannes in France, let me know as I always gladly meet with new Aston owners and generally petrol (or should I say Piston) heads.
I'm based about 20 minutes from Cannes - let me know if you're in the area and we can meet for coffee and a chat...CM96 said:
Thanks Si and very nice XJR, they do sound brilliant. Close by myself - just moved to Alderley Edge from London last year so close by. Great having the Peaks and North Wales on either side, feel quite spoiled up here! Happy to take you out in it in the spring time if you ever fancy. Just reach out then
Thanks Charles. I will take you up on that offer. I'm in Alderley Edge most weekends (bicycle rather than car) so will keep my eye out.Did you specifically want a Vanquish S or was it the spec of yours that drew you to it? I've read/watched quite a few reviews and some say the 8sp gearbox is better than the previous 6.
I've also got the 8sp in the Jag and it is a fantastic Auto, so much so that I rarely put it in manual. Did have a play on the alps passes but had the feeling the computer would still be better than me.
The 6sp is considerably cheaper and was wondering if it would be more akin to a 6sp manual with regards to ratios. The cruise MPG of the 8sp is amazing though.
Si
Great, definitely will see you about then!
Funnily enough, it was a last minute diversion to a Aston at all. I had been looking at 991.2 GT3 s or even a Spyder RS, however I didn t see myself doing as many track days as before. Track insurance also became a lot harder to get the last few years, and drastically more expensive if you could (first year of Lotus in 2021 each TD was c£200, rising to c£6/700 when I sold it earlier this year) so that made getting either of those a bit redundant. I then looked at 992.1 GTS s with bucket seats but it didn t excite me too much.
Walking past Wilmslow AM, seeing some amazing Aston s was what then made me look at these. I wanted one with the lower tax rate whichever car it was, so had to be Apr 17 or newer. Admittedly the man maths is somewhat flawed here, a car which is £20/30k less probably outweighs an extra £600 a year - but still, it feels good!
As to this car, it had been around a while having initially been on SOR before the dealer bought it and was attractively priced vs others. Perhaps White isn’t the most popular colour, but one I like so no issues there. Service history was very comprehensive, it had Car Play (it s a bit clunky to use but good to have) and I loved the chopped carbon on the inside along with the stitching. I thought S version looks great with the twin exhausts, and they sound epic so another reason for one.
I wanted to purchase from AM so the warranty is one that is more likely to be worth having (on this, AM Bristol picked it up today in a truck to take it back to sort some niggles - that s very impressive of them and certainly leaves a great impression. After all, when a car hasn t been used much in the last two years, issues may not appear in the showroom so I have no issue with these occurring). Looking online prior to purchase, AM Bristol had a great reputation so happy to have gone with them - Luke who I dealt with from there was great too. Made it a v nice experience.
In reality, for most road driving I imagine there wouldn t be a night and day difference vs a non S, probably just every little thing turned up a notch which does compound - I could be wrong having never driven one of course.
Funnily enough, it was a last minute diversion to a Aston at all. I had been looking at 991.2 GT3 s or even a Spyder RS, however I didn t see myself doing as many track days as before. Track insurance also became a lot harder to get the last few years, and drastically more expensive if you could (first year of Lotus in 2021 each TD was c£200, rising to c£6/700 when I sold it earlier this year) so that made getting either of those a bit redundant. I then looked at 992.1 GTS s with bucket seats but it didn t excite me too much.
Walking past Wilmslow AM, seeing some amazing Aston s was what then made me look at these. I wanted one with the lower tax rate whichever car it was, so had to be Apr 17 or newer. Admittedly the man maths is somewhat flawed here, a car which is £20/30k less probably outweighs an extra £600 a year - but still, it feels good!
As to this car, it had been around a while having initially been on SOR before the dealer bought it and was attractively priced vs others. Perhaps White isn’t the most popular colour, but one I like so no issues there. Service history was very comprehensive, it had Car Play (it s a bit clunky to use but good to have) and I loved the chopped carbon on the inside along with the stitching. I thought S version looks great with the twin exhausts, and they sound epic so another reason for one.
I wanted to purchase from AM so the warranty is one that is more likely to be worth having (on this, AM Bristol picked it up today in a truck to take it back to sort some niggles - that s very impressive of them and certainly leaves a great impression. After all, when a car hasn t been used much in the last two years, issues may not appear in the showroom so I have no issue with these occurring). Looking online prior to purchase, AM Bristol had a great reputation so happy to have gone with them - Luke who I dealt with from there was great too. Made it a v nice experience.
In reality, for most road driving I imagine there wouldn t be a night and day difference vs a non S, probably just every little thing turned up a notch which does compound - I could be wrong having never driven one of course.
Edited by CM96 on Tuesday 6th January 21:16
Gassing Station | Aston Martin | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff