Aston Martin’s original Vanquish was a brilliant GT but always had room for improvement. Now those improvements are here in the form of the Callum Vanquish 25 -
Callum has taken a nose-to-tail approach with his aesthetic changes. Some you notice immediately, such as the brake cooling ducts set in the cheeks of the front bumpers and the new LED headlights, while the billet machined grille and ‘abstract tartan’ design mesh in the bonnet vents are things you spot as you spend more time with the car.
What you appreciate very quickly is that this isn’t a half-hearted revamp. The new headlamp and tail light units, for example, are ferociously expensive – circa £500k – to have manufactured in such small volumes. It’s items such as this that are indicative of the lengths Callum and R-Reforged have gone to. It’s the same story inside, which is where I’ll concede the original Vanquish has really begun to date. In place of the silver-painted centre stack there’s an all-new carbonfibre section, which is bordered by a huge wraparound metal frame, machined in one piece from billet. The instruments and detachable clock are made by English watchmaker Bremont and add another layer of quality and bespoke detailing. There’s also Apple CarPlay and a up-to-date hi-fi system. Another considerable commitment was made in redesigning the front seats to help sit the driver lower in the car. Together with a steering wheel spacer it transforms the Vanquish’s driving position from too high to just right. You get the sense if it had been realistic to swap the steering wheel Ian Callum would have done so, as the original has never been a thing of beauty, what with the large airbag boss and overly fat and awkwardly shaped rim. But this hasn’t stopped R‑Reforged putting the wheel on a five-axis milling machine and reducing the diameter of the metal rim, before retrimming it. It’s another small but important improvement.Speaking to Callum co-founder and engineering lead Adam Donfrancesco, beyond the styling alterations led by Ian, the primary objective was to enhance the connection between car and driver, and for the overall uplift in performance and handling to mirror that projected by the design changes. As he explains, the desire was meaningful and measured improvement, not a complete reinvention: ‘We took a holistic view of the project, identifying the things we liked about the original car and the things we’d like to improve or evolve. The thing we never wanted to lose sight of is that it’s a GT car. We didn’t want to corrupt it by turning it into something hard and unforgiving. Broadly speaking we wanted to give the car more performance, but more importantly we wanted to give it a greater sense of feel and connection.’ We’re here to drive Development Prototype #03, which features the latest iteration chassis tune, engine electronics and interior trim. With another development prototype also in the workshops there’s clearly an underlying foundation to Callum and R-Reforged’s approach, much as you’d find at a major car manufacturer. That’s no coincidence, for in addition to Callum’s career at Aston Martin and
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Replica Aston Martin DB5 raises big money for UK charities at auction | AutoblogA handful of James Bond-related Aston Martins and memorabilia raised millions of pounds for various charities in the UK.
Read more »
Breaking: Geely acquires 7.6% stake in Aston Martin | AutocarBreaking: GeelyAutoGlobal has acquired a 7.6% stake in astonmartin, completing a £645m funding round
Read more »
Geely acquires stake in Aston MartinAston Martin's £654m fund raise is now complete, with a little help from China...
Read more »
Geely Acquires 7.6% Stake In Aston Martin Lagonda | CarscoopsFollowing the investment deal, Geely Holding will explore potential opportunities for collaborating with Aston Martin
Read more »
Red Bull and Aston Martin Reportedly Breached 2021 F1 Cost CapRed Bull and Aston Martin reportedly breached 2021 F1 cost cap.
Read more »
China's Geely buys stake in Aston Martin as luxury brand prepares to electrifyChinese automaker Geely has purchased 7.6% of Aston Martin Lagonda's shares during a fundraising round aimed at raising cash for future investments.
Read more »