100-631: The Aston Martin Vanquish is a grand tourer introduced by British luxury automobile manufacturer Aston Martin in 2001 as a successor to the Aston Martin Virage (1993) . The Aston Martin V12 Vanquish, designed by Ian Callum and unveiled at the 2001 Geneva Motor Show , was produced from 2001 to 2007 as the flagship of the marque. A concept car, known as "Project Vantage" and the first Aston Martin design wholly designed by Callum,
200-694: A pilota da corsa at the 1949 Mille Miglia . The A6 1500 was the first road going production car to be offered by the Maserati factory, featuring a tubular chassis with independent front suspension and coil springs , the 1500 cc six-cylinder being derived from the Maserati brothers pre-war voiturette racing engines. The body of the A6 1500 was an elegant two-door fast-back coupé body, also by Pinin Farina. Enzo Ferrari , whose Scuderia Ferrari had been
300-695: A "much abused and confused term") are typically more "crude" compared to "sophisticated Grand Touring machinery". However, the popularity of using GT for marketing purposes has meant that it has become a "much misused term, eventually signifying no more than a slightly tuned version of a family car with trendy wheels and a go-faster stripe on the side". Historically, most GTs have been front-engined with rear-wheel drive , offering more cabin space than mid-mounted engine layouts. Softer suspensions, greater storage, and more luxurious appointments add to their appeal. The GT abbreviation—and variations thereof—are often used as model names. However, some cars with GT in
400-617: A 100 mph car. Lancia chose the Gran Turismo name for its new model and the suggestion could only have come from Vittorio Jano himself, for had he not been responsible for the original 1750 Alfa Romeo of the same name back in 1929? Four semi-ufficiali works B20 GTs, together with a number of privateer entrants, were sent to the Mille Miglia in April 1951, where the factory Bracco / Maglioli car finished second overall, behind only
500-572: A 6C Alfa Romeo and Maserati in 1948, along with the Fiat 1100 S coupé with its rear accommodation for children. The original Aurelia had been under-powered and, in 1951, the V6 was enlarged to 1991 cc, which was also extended to the coupé, though in 75 rather than 70 bhp form as the B20 was developed as a sporting model in its own right. In addition the B20 had a shorter wheelbase and a higher rear axle ratio, making it
600-463: A Ferrari sports racer of twice the engine capacity. Lancia Aurelias swept the GT 2.0 Liter division. In June 1951, Bracco was partnered with the "father of GT racing" himself, Johnny Lurani , to race a B20 GT at Le Mans, where they were victorious in the 2.0 liter sportscar division, placing a very creditable 12th overall. A 1–2 finish at the famous Coppa d'Oro delle Dolomiti, among other victories including
700-548: A GT car", was winner of the Vetture Chiuse category at the 1931 Mille Miglia. An improved and supercharged version, the 6C 1750 GTC Gran Turismo Compressore , won the Vetture a Guida Interna category of the 1932 Mille Miglia. The Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 was designed by Vittorio Jano, who would later be instrumental in the design of the 1951 Lancia Aurelia B20 GT. From the basic Fiat 508 Balilla touring chassis came
800-488: A choice of leather upholstery with metallic details – the latter was an intentional move away from the wood trim seen in the DB7. As Aston Martin's flagship car for the era, the V12 Vanquish was designed to deliver new performance benchmarks for the company. In addition to delivering impressive figures including an acceleration of 0–60 mph (97 km/h) in under 5 seconds and a top speed exceeding 190 mph (306 km/h),
900-710: A cloaking device rendering the car invisible. The V12 Vanquish is the only Aston Martin car loaded with gadgets in the Pierce Brosnan James Bond era as the franchise's deal with BMW expired following The World Is Not Enough . It is also the last gadget loaded modern day Aston Martin car to appear in the James Bond franchise until the Aston Martin DB10 which appeared in Spectre , though it wasn't loaded with much gadgets. Because of this,
1000-650: A coupé body style. The naturally aspirated 60° DOHC 4 valves per cylinder V12 engine with a bore and stroke of 89 mm × 79.5 mm (3.50 in × 3.13 in) produced at least 466 PS (343 kW; 460 hp) at 6,500 rpm and 400 lb⋅ft (542 N⋅m) of torque at 5,000 rpm. It is controlled by a drive-by-wire throttle and driven by a 6-speed automated manual transmission . The Vanquish model debuted with 355 mm (14.0 inches) drilled and ventilated disc brakes with four-piston calipers, ABS , with electronic brake distribution . The interior featured full instrumentation, advanced electronics, and
1100-425: A full carbon fibre body, triple-skin lightweight fabric roof, 50% larger boot than its predecessor and the third generation Brembo 398 mm × 36 mm (front) and 360 mm × 32 mm (rear) Carbon Ceramic Matrix (CCM) brake discs with six-piston front and four-piston rear brake callipers. The Vanquish Volante is 13% torsionally stiffer than the outgoing DBS Volante. On 16 November 2016, Aston Martin announced
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#17327823073321200-502: A new twin-turbo 5.2-litre V12 , completely re-engineered from that which debuted in the DB11 in 2016 with a new block, new heads, new intakes, new exhaust ports, and new turbos, making 835 PS (614 kW; 824 hp) and 1,001 N⋅m (738 lb⋅ft) of torque. The car uses the same platform as the DB12 and Vantage , but with a longer wheelbase. At 1,774 kg (3,911 lb), it
1300-419: A new raised boot lid with a larger integrated spoiler incorporating the third high-level brake light (in the rear window on the original Vanquish), a Vanquish S badge on the boot lid (the original Vanquish had no rear model designation), and the addition of a small front splitter. One result of these changes was a reduction in the drag coefficient (drag coefficient of C d =0.32 (from C d =0.33 of
1400-678: A position similar to the Bugatti 57SC of 1939. In 1962 the GTO Ferrari coupés had a remarkable season of successes in G.T. racing and have become the standard by which any competition coupé is measured, and by steady development [the Ferrari 250GT] has become one of the world's greatest cars. 1953 saw the first serious attempt to series produce the Ferrari motor car, two models of the Type 250 Europa being produced. The cars were an evolution of
1500-611: A six-speed GM-sourced torque converter automatic, or a six-speed manual conversion already offered by Aston Martin Works. The production of the V12 Vanquish ended on 19 July 2007, coinciding with the closing of the company's Newport Pagnell factory after 49 years of operation. Despite ongoing enthusiasm for the original V12 Vanquish and V12 Vanquish S, the hand made nature of their construction limited production to levels commensurate with earlier cars assembled at Newport Pagnell. The second-generation Gaydon-built "Vanquish" (the "V12" part of
1600-423: A team of prototype cars of extremely advanced and interesting design. By 1954 these had undergone sufficient development to be placed on the market as the "300SL" , one of the costliest and most desirable cars of our time. The conventional chassis has been abandoned in favor of a complex structure of welded tubes , although the coil spring suspension is retained, and exceptionally large brakes are fitted, inboard at
1700-534: A tweaked version of Aston Martin's familiar grille and headlight design and a more pronounced bulge in the bonnet – with One-77-inspired flourishes saved for the sides and the rear, the side vents run almost to the door handles (shared with the One-77), new rear light design shared with the One-77, and a 5.9-litre V12 engine that has a power output of 558 PS (410 kW; 550 hp). Aston Martin later announced that
1800-510: A unique and bespoke bonded aluminium composite chassis with a carbon fibre backbone developed in partnership with Lotus , an advanced independent suspension, and a more highly tuned version of the naturally aspirated 5,935 cc (5.9 L; 362.2 cu in) Aston Martin V12 engine that had debuted in the DB7 two years earlier. It was available in 2+0 and 2+2 seating configurations and came only in
1900-458: Is 89 kg (196 lb) heavier than the DB12. The third-generation Vanquish accelerates from 0–100 km/h (0–62 mph) in 3.2 seconds, and has a top speed of 214 mph (344 km/h). The third-generation Vanquish will be limited to under 1,000 units each year, with the first deliveries scheduled to begin toward the end of 2024. The proposed third generation concept car was unveiled at
2000-759: Is a near- calque from the Italian language phrase gran turismo , which became popular in the English language in the 1950s, evolving from fast touring cars and streamlined closed sports cars during the 1930s. The grand touring car concept originated in Europe in the early 1950s, especially with the 1951 introduction of the Lancia Aurelia B20 GT , and features notable luminaries of Italian automotive history such as Vittorio Jano , Enzo Ferrari and Johnny Lurani . Motorsports became important in
2100-415: Is a right-hand drive, two-seat, open-top roadster initially shown by Zagato at the 2004 International Geneva Motor Show as a prototype and based on the V12 Vanquish. It was then displayed by Zagato at the 2004 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance where an American collector acquired the prototype. The car had to be flown back to Italy as it was only on temporary import papers before being properly imported to
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#17327823073322200-563: Is a type of car that is designed for high speed and long-distance driving with performance and luxury. The most common format is a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive two-door coupé with either a two-seat or a 2+2 arrangement. Grand tourers are often the coupé derivative of luxury saloons or sedans. Some models, such as the Ferrari 250 GT , Jaguar E-Type , and Aston Martin DB5 , are considered classic examples of gran turismo cars. The term
2300-451: Is recognized as the first Ferrari gran turismo . After that race, the national governing body of Italian motorsport, CSAI ( Commissione Sportiva Automobilistica Italiana), officially introduced a new class, called Gran Turismo Internazionale , for cars with production over thirty units per year, thereby ruling out Ferrari's hand-built berlinettas . Ferrari's response for the new Italian Gran Turismo Internazionale championship in 1951
2400-399: The 159 and 166 models, including the 1949 Ferrari 166 Inter , a road-going berlinetta coupé with coachwork by Carrozzeria Touring and other coachbuilders. The Ferrari 166 'Inter' S coupé model won the 1949 Coppa Inter-Europa motor race. Regulations stipulated body form and dimensions but did not at this time specify a minimum production quantity. The car was driven by Bruno Sterzi, and
2500-408: The 2004 Paris Motor Show , with a number of subtle styling revisions. The engine displacement remained at 5,935 cc (5.9 L; 362.2 cu in), but advertised power increased from the conservative 466 PS (343 kW; 460 hp) claimed for the original car to a more realistic 527 PS (388 kW; 520 hp). Visual changes included new wheels, a slightly different nose shape,
2600-522: The 2019 Geneva Motor Show . It features a rear mid-engine layout , aluminium bonded chassis and a new 3.0-litre V6 engine that can develop over 700 PS (515 kW; 690 hp). The production car would have been on the same market segment as the Ferrari F8 Tributo and McLaren 720S . The mid-engined Vanquish was originally planned to enter production in 2023, but was eventually cancelled. Grand tourer A grand tourer ( GT )
2700-431: The 250 GTO . A full Testa Rossa engine was employed (albeit with black crinkle-finish engine covers) with six twin-choke Webers. Power was up to 300 b.h.p. at 7,400 r.p.m. and with a lightweight 2000 lb body and chassis: the car was an immediate winner. Remarkable as it might be on the circuit, it is also a remarkable machine on the road. One American Ferrarist, who owned and raced many G.T. Ferraris, commented that
2800-455: The Fiat -based 1100 cc four-cylinder Cisitalia was no match on the race track for Ferrari's new hand-built 2000 cc V12 , and Ferrari dominated, taking the first three places. An 1100 cc class was hurriedly created, but not in time to save Cisitalia's business fortunes—the company's bankrupt owner Piero Dusio had already decamped to Argentina. The Cisitalia 202 SC gained considerable fame for
2900-714: The Fiat 8V "Otto Vu" was unveiled at the Geneva Salon in March 1952 to international acclaim. Although not raced by the factory, the Otto Vu was raced by a number of private owners. Vincenzo Auricchio and Piero Bozzinio raced to fifth in the gran turismo category of the 1952 Mille Miglia, and Ovidio Capelli placed third in the GT 2000 cc class at the Coppa della Toscana in June, with a special race-spec lightweight Zagato coupe;
3000-541: The Vanquish 25 . It is a restoration package for the first generation Vanquish to "make the Vanquish the Grand Tourer for the 2020s". Only 25 cars will be made by British company R-Reforged. The 5.9-litre V12 has been tuned to now make an advertised 588 PS (432 kW; 580 hp) a 60-horsepower increase over a Vanquish S. The car can be had with the original six-speed, single-clutch Speedshift automated manual,
3100-618: The first two Bond films that starred Daniel Craig had an Aston Martin DBS which wasn't loaded with gadgets, though the one that appeared in Casino Royale had a compartment that carried Bond's pistol and a defibrillator. The car also appears in the video games namely Project Gotham Racing , Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 , James Bond 007: Nightfire , and James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing . In its appearance in Nightfire ,
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3200-453: The post-war era especially, have since become valuable cars among wealthy collectors. Within ten years, grand touring cars found success penetrating the new American personal luxury car market. The terms grand tourer , gran turismo , grande routière , and GT are among the most misused terms in motoring. The grand touring designation generally "means motoring at speed, in style, safety, and comfort". "Purists define gran turismo as
3300-515: The 1950s, driving a Zagato-bodied Fiat 8V, Elio emerged as the consummate gentleman racer in Italian GT championship events. Zagato, his father's firm, provided the lithe, lightweight aluminium bodies for many of the Lancias, Alfa Romeos, Abarths and Maseratis that dominated these meetings. Elio won 82 races out of the 150 he entered, and won four of the five championships he entered. Working with
3400-614: The 1955-1965 Chrysler 300 . Despite this, the United States, enjoying early post-war economic expansion , became the largest market for European grand-touring cars, supplying transportation for movie stars, celebrities and the jet set ; notably the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (imported by Max Hoffman ), the Jaguar XK120 , and the Ferrari berlinettas (imported by Luigi Chinetti ). Classic grand-touring cars from
3500-631: The 1960 Aston Martin DB4 GT Jet also built by Bertone. The car was originally shown in silver in 2004 and in gold in 2013 again at the International Geneva Motor Show at the reveal of the Aston Martin Rapide Bertone Jet 2+2 . Designed by Giuliano Biasio. In September 2019, Ian Callum Design (the company started by Ian Callum, the designer of the first generation Vanquish) publicly revealed
3600-459: The 2002 film Die Another Day . In 2004, a mildly updated version of the first-generation model named "V12 Vanquish S" was introduced featuring a more highly tuned engine and more track-oriented ride and handling. The V12 Vanquish was indirectly replaced by the DBS after 2007. The second-generation "Vanquish" was introduced in 2012, this time based on Aston Martin's existing VH platform – similar to
3700-596: The 250 chassis was employed for improved handling and road-holding in corners, and top speed was up to 157 m.p.h. In 1957 Gendebien finished third overall in the Mille Miglia, and won the "index of performance". Alfonso de Portago won the Tour de France and GT races at Montlhéry and Castelfusano in a lightweight Carrozzeria Scaglietti 250 GT. Gendebien became a gran turismo specialist in 250 GTs when he wasn't driving sports racing Ferrari Testa Rossas ("Red Heads" for their red engine covers), achieving success in both
3800-602: The 6 Ore di Pescara, rounded out an astonishing debut racing season for this ground-breaking car, winning its division in the Italian GT Championship for Umberto Castiglioni in 1951 . Lancia B20 GTs would go on to win the over 2.0 liter Italian GT Championship in 1953, 1954 and 1955 with the B20-2500 . A surprise to the international press, who were not expecting a gran turismo berlinetta from Italy's largest manufacturer of everyday standard touring models,
3900-476: The April 1951 Coppa Inter-Europa, driven by Luigi Villoresi, and in June (chassis no. 0092E) was first in the gran turismo category at the Coppa della Toscana driven by Milanese Ferrari concessionaire and proprietor of Scuderia Guastalla, Franco Cornacchia. The 212 Export continued to serve Ferrari well in the Sports and GT categories until replaced by the 225 S, and although it would later be overshadowed by
4000-456: The CSAI were raced with the original chassis and engine layout as specified in the factory catalog and available for customers to buy; engines could be tuned and bored out, but the bodywork had to conform to regulations. The CSAI were concerned that FIA (known as AIACR at the time) ' Annexe C ' Sports cars were becoming little more than thinly-disguised two-seat Grand Prix racers, far removed from
4100-476: The DB9 and other VH platform Aston Martin automobiles, the engine is front-mounted with the transmission in the rear for better weight distribution. The Vanquish has 51/49 front/rear weight distribution, and a kerb weight of 1,739 kg (3,834 lb). It uses a fully catalysed stainless steel exhaust system with active bypass valves. The 2012–2014 cars use an updated ZF Touchtronic II six-speed automatic gearbox, which
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4200-405: The G.T.O. is an even more pleasant car on the road! He maintains that it is most tractable and overheating in traffic congestions is no problem. In its short lifetime the 250GTO has established an enviable record. It is also one of the most sought after competition cars as evidenced by recent European suggestions that "black market" G.T.O.s bring higher prices than new ones. The demand is greater than
4300-526: The GT category overall at this event was won by Franco Cornacchia's Ferrari 212 Export (refer above). Capelli and the 8V Zagato topped this accomplishment by winning the GT category of the Pescara 12 Hours in August, ahead of two Lancias. The new Fiat 8V garnered sufficient competition points over the season to become the national two-liter GT Champion (a feat it repeated every year until 1959). Elio Zagato ,
4400-602: The Giro Sicilia and Tour de France. In 1958, sports racing Testa Rossas swept the Manufacturer's Championship , and in 1959 the T.R. engine was adapted to the 250 GT. The spark plugs were relocated and each cylinder now had a separate intake port . Larger Weber twin-choke carburetors were employed in a triple configuration (sports racing T.R.s employed six) and some special customer cars had three four-choke Webers (one choke per cylinder). Dry-sump lubrication
4500-553: The Mille Miglia was an epoch-making event, which told a wonderful story. The Mille Miglia created our cars and the Italian car industry. The Mille Miglia permitted the birth of GT, or grand touring cars, which are now sold all over the world. The Mille Miglia proved that by racing over open roads for 1,000 miles, there were great technical lessons to be learned by the petrol and oil companies and by brake, clutch, transmission, electrical and lighting component manufacturers, fully justifying
4600-487: The SIATA and Fiat aerodynamic gran turismo -style Berlinetta Mille Miglias of 1933 and 1935. Siata was a Turin, Italy-based Fiat tuner, typical of a popular class of Italian artisan manufacturers of small gran turismo , sports and racing cars—usually Fiat based—that came to be known in the 1970s as Etceterini , such as Nardi , Abarth , Ermini and, in 1946, Cisitalia . The Fiat and SIATA berlinettas , influenced by
4700-616: The US by a Massachusetts Aston Martin dealer as a "show and display" car. The car was offered at a Bonhams auction in Carmel in August 2015 at the Quail Lodge and Golf Club with an estimated price of US$ 700,000–850,000. The car had been driven 13,000 miles. The car's VIN is SCFAC13391B50PP19. The Vanquish Bertone Jet 2 is a 2-door shooting brake shown by Bertone also at the 2004 International Geneva Motor Show . The car gets its name from
4800-425: The Vanquish S called the Vanquish S Volante in 2017. For the 2018 model year they also made a special and very limited edition of 12 Volante versions which was all hand made by the Q division with unique wheels and a special paint and options and badged it as TB12. This would be the last of the naturally aspired Aston Martin engines. On 2 September 2024, Aston Martin unveiled the third-generation Vanquish, powered by
4900-528: The Vanquish represents both the end of an era as the last model assembled at Newport Pagnell, and the beginning of another with its forward-looking engineering and performance. Its appearance in the 2002 James Bond film Die Another Day earned the V12 Vanquish the number three spot on the list of Best Film Cars Ever, behind the Minis from The Italian Job , and the DB5 from Goldfinger and Thunderball . In
5000-654: The Vanquish). The Vanquish S front and rear track measured 1,524 mm (60.0 in) and 1,529 mm (60.2 in), respectively. A change in gear ratio enabled the S to reach a top speed of 322 km/h (200 mph). The V12 Vanquish S also incorporated the features of the optional Sports Dynamic Package (available for the Vanquish for the 2004 model year), which included stiffer suspension, revised steering, and larger brakes – 378 mm (14.9 in) front discs with six-piston calipers and 330 mm (13.0 in) rear discs with four-piston calipers. The V12 Vanquish S
5100-478: The car is equipped with missiles, a smokescreen device, and could also transform into a submarine equipped with torpedoes. The V12 Vanquish was recognized, along with the DB4 GT Zagato , as one of the ten most beautiful cars of all time. The V12 Vanquish also appears in the 2003 Italian Job remake , where it is driven by Steve Frazelli, the film's main antagonist. The Aston Martin V12 Vanquish S debuted at
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#17327823073325200-458: The cars ordinary motorists could purchase from the manufacturers' catalogs. Road %26 Track Road & Track (stylized as R&T ) is an American automotive enthusiast magazine first published 1947. It is owned by Hearst Magazines and is published six times per year. The editorial offices are located in New York, New York . Road & Track (often abbreviated R&T )
5300-657: The chief stylist Ercole Spada , Zagato produced some of the most beautiful GT designs of the era; spare and muscular cars such as the Aston Martin DB4GTZ , the Alfa Romeo Junior TZ and SZ , and the Lancia Flaminia Sport . These were minimalist shapes bereft of superfluous trim that introduced phrases such as "double bubble" roof to the car body design language: twin shallow domes, devised by Elio, to give extra head room and strengthen
5400-436: The coachbuilder's son, was successful in competition with the Otto Vu in 1954 and 1955, attracting further customer interest and leading Zagato to eventually develop two different GT racing versions. Upon his passing in 2009, Elio Zagato was described as a leading figure of Italian GT racing and design: Elio Zagato, who has died aged 88, was one of the leading figures of Italian Gran Turismo (GT) racing and car-body design. In
5500-429: The concept would be put into production as the all-new Vanquish . The Vanquish used an upgraded version of Aston Martin's 5.9-litre V12 engine with a power output of 573 PS (421 kW; 565 hp) at 6,750 rpm and torque of 620 N⋅m (457 lb⋅ft) at 5,500 rpm. The Vanquish can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.1 seconds, and has a top speed of 295 km/h (183 mph). Like
5600-597: The editorial offices in Michigan were closing, and that publication was moving to New York, New York , at the Hearst Tower . His LinkedIn profile lists February 2019 as his final date at Road & Track . Travis Okulski, Road & Track's website director at the time, took on the editor-in-chief role from the May 2019 issue onwards. Car and Driver and Road & Track are sister publications at Hearst and share
5700-442: The enjoyment, excitement and comfort of open-road touring." According to Sam Dawson, news editor of Classic Cars , "the ideal is of a car with the ability to cross a continent at speed and in comfort yet provide driving thrills when demanded" and it should exhibit the following: Grand tourers emphasize comfort and handling over straight-out high performance or ascetic , spartan accommodations. In comparison, sports cars (also
5800-575: The evolution of the grand touring concept, and grand touring entries are important in endurance sports-car racing . The grand touring definition implies material differences in performance, speed, comfort, and amenities between elite cars and those of ordinary motorists. In the post-war United States, manufacturers were less inclined to adopt the "ethos of the GT car", preferring to build cars "suited to their long, straight, smooth roads and labor-saving lifestyles " with wide availability of powerful straight-six and V8 engines in all price-ranges like
5900-460: The fastest category of sports car racing from 1994 to 2001. The inclusion of "grand tourer", " gran turismo ", "GT" or similar in the model name does not necessarily mean that the car is a grand tourer since several manufacturers have used the terms for the marketing of cars that are not grand tourers. Grand touring car design evolved from vintage and pre-World War II fast touring cars and streamlined closed sports cars . Italy developed
6000-433: The first gran turismo cars. The small, light-weight, and aerodynamic coupés , named the " Berlinetta ", originated in the 1930s. A contemporary French concept, known as " grande routière ", emphasized style, elegance, luxury, and gentlemanly transcontinental touring; the grande routières were often larger cars than the Italian gran turismos . Italian designers saw that compared to traditional open two-seat sports car ,
6100-552: The first of the lightweight grand touring coupés, driven by Gendebien , battled with the Mercedes 300SL of Metternich and Einsendel to come in fifth overall and first in G.T. over 2,000 c.c. The G.T. Ferrari had arrived! Motor Sport , March 1963. After its 1956 debut, the 250 GT "went from strength to strength". Powered by the Colombo 250 engine, output was up to 240 b.h.p. at 7,000 r.p.m. A short-wheelbase (SWB) version of
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#17327823073326200-415: The first-generation V12 Vanquish was generally very well received by the motoring press. Road tests included near-universal praise for its powertrain, chassis, advanced engineering, and design. The V12 Vanquish was described without caveat as "The ultimate Grand Tourer" by Road & Track magazine. Car and Driver described the V12 Vanquish as "worthy of the marque's heritage and a serious alternative to
6300-545: The increase in weight and frontal area of an enclosed cabin for the driver and mechanic could be offset by the benefits of streamlining to reduce drag . Independent carrozzeria ( coachbuilders ) provided light and flexible fabric coachwork for powerful short-wheelbase fast-touring chassis by manufacturers such as Alfa Romeo . Later, Carrozzeria Touring of Milan pioneered sophisticated superleggera (super light-weight) aluminum bodywork, allowing for even more aerodynamic forms. The additional comfort of an enclosed cabin
6400-570: The internationally famous 250 GT , the 212 Export was an important model in the successful line of Colombo-engined V12 GT cars that made Ferrari legendary. 1951 was the stunning debut of Lancia's Aurelia B20 GT. Lancia had begun production in 1950 of their technically advanced Aurelia saloon; the design had been overseen by Vittorio Jano. At the 1951 Turin Motor Show , the Pinin Farina-bodied gran turismo B20 coupé version
6500-470: The magazine in 2011. In June 2012, Larry Webster assumed the role of editor-in-chief, and DeLorenzo became an adviser to the publication. Additionally, the magazine moved its operations from Newport Beach, California , to Ann Arbor, Michigan . In February 2016, Webster resigned as editor-in-chief and Kim Wolfkill was announced as his replacement. In the March/April 2019 issue, Wolfkill announced that
6600-405: The model name are not actually grand touring cars. Among the many variations of GT are: Several past and present motor racing series have used "GT" in their name. These include: There have also been several classes of racing cars called GT. The Group GT3 regulations for modified road cars have been used for various racing series worldwide since 2006. The Group GT1 regulations were used for
6700-438: The movie, James Bond receives this car from Q for his mission to Iceland to see Gustav Graves' presentation of Icarus after being reinstated by M and would eventually use the car once more to chase Zao and rescue Jinx. The vehicle is equipped with a variety of gadgets which include machine guns and missiles on the grille, tire spikes for snow use, an ejector seat that enables the car to go back up, target seeking shotguns, as well as
6800-644: The name was dropped for this generation of cars) started life as the Project AM310 Concept and was unveiled at the 2012 Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este held on the shores of Lake Como, Italy. The concept car was based on the latest generation of the VH platform that had debuted in the DB9 , and then evolved into the V8 and V12 Vantage, DBS, Virage V12, and Rapide. It was internally known as project VH310. It included
6900-510: The new Vanquish S model. The Vanquish S features the AM29 V12 engine, with power increased to 603 PS (444 kW; 595 hp), and a new aerodynamic package. The Vanquish S can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.5 seconds with a top speed of 201 mph (324 km/h). The car's deliveries started in December 2016. Aston Martin also unveiled a convertible version of
7000-459: The old adage that motor racing improves the breed. The Mille Miglia is still celebrated today as one of the world's premier historic racing events. A closed sports coupé almost prevailed at Le Mans in 1938, when a carrozzeria touring-bodied Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B , driven by Raymond Sommer and Clemente Biondetti , led the famous 24-hour race from the third lap until early Sunday afternoon, retiring only due to engine problems. Johnny Lurani
7100-551: The one that underpinned the DB9 . Designed by Marek Reichman and made in the Gaydon facility, the VH platform Vanquish was designed to fill the shoes of the discontinued DBS. In 2017, a "Vanquish S" with a more powerful engine and improved aerodynamics was launched. The second-generation Gaydon Vanquish was succeeded by the DBS Superleggera in 2018. In September 2024, Aston Martin announced the third-generation Vanquish as
7200-615: The outstanding design of its Pinin Farina coachwork , and is credited with greatly influencing the style of subsequent berlinetta or fastback gran turismo coupés. A Cisitalia 202 "GT" is exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City . The Maserati A6 1500 won the 1500 cc class at the 1949 Coppa-Europa. It was driven by Franco Bordoni , former fighter ace of the Regia Aeronautica who had debuted as
7300-836: The premium, 180-page enthusiast magazine on stands today. The Smoking Tire's Matt Farah and best-selling author A.J. Baime ( Go Like Hell , The Accidental President ) joined as Editors-at-Large. In January 2024, former Executive Editor Dan Pund was confirmed as Road & Track's new Editor-in-Chief. Road & Track focuses on new production cars, vintage cars, and race cars with drive reviews, road trips, and comparison tests. Former race car drivers have often contributed material, including Paul Frère , Sam Posey , and Formula One champion Phil Hill . Other notable contributors include McLaren F1 designer Gordon Murray , car executive Bob Lutz , Henry N. Manney III , Peter Egan , Jason Cammisa , and Matt Farah. Like many auto magazines, Road & Track currently publishes an annual "car of
7400-467: The previous models, available with either the Colombo or Lampredi versions of the 250 V12 engine, coil spring front suspension, an improved sports gearbox (four speeds) with Porsche synchromesh , large drum brakes and luxurious outfitting. A few appeared in motorsports but did not initially threaten the international Mercedes-Benz 300 SL and Porsche 356 competition. In the Mille Miglia of 1956
7500-605: The racing division of Alfa Romeo from 1929 until 1938, parted ways from Alfa Romeo in 1939: Enzo Ferrari's first car (itself an Etceterini) the Fiat-based Auto Avio Costruzioni 815 racing sports car , debuted at the 1940 Mille Miglia. Two were produced. The first car constructed in Ferrari's name, the V12 125 S , also a racing sports car, debuted in 1947 at the Piacenza racing circuit. Again, only two were produced, but they rapidly evolved into
7600-417: The rear. The engine is sharply inclined to the near-side in the interests of a low bonnet-line, and with Bosch fuel injection produces 240 b.h.p. at 6,000 r.p.m. Claimed maximum speed is in excess of 160 m.p.h. and although the car is by no means small, dry weight has been kept to 23 cwt . The depth of the multi-tubular frame prevents the use of conventional side-hinged doors and these cars are fitted with
7700-508: The roof-hinged "gull-wing" doors which characterize an exceedingly handsome and practical car. An open touring version is available. In competition the "300SL" has become a powerful contender, and abetted by the success of the Grand Prix cars [and " 300 SLR "] has captured a substantial portion of the export market." The 250GT Ferrari must surely represent the ultimate in modern high-speed sporting travel, or GT competition, and holds today
7800-409: The roof. For lightness, Zagato pioneered the use of Perspex and of aerodynamics, with trademark forms such as the split or stub tail. Indeed, Elio would take prototypes out on the autostrada covered in wool tufts in order to test air flow over the body. The 8V Otto Vu earned its name courtesy of its high-performance V8 engine (Ford having already trademarked "V8"). The German automotive industry
7900-625: The same advertising, sales, marketing, and circulation departments. However, their editorial operations are distinct and they have separate publishers. This arrangement exists since 1985, when CBS acquired Ziff Davis ' consumer magazines and among them, Car and Driver . In August 2020, the magazine transitioned to a large-format bi-monthly that emphasized elegant design and deeply-reported features. Incoming Editor-in-Chief Mike Guy, who had previously launched The Drive for Time Inc., hired Executive Editor Daniel Pund and Creative Director Nathan Schroeder, and together they refashioned Road & Track as
8000-453: The successful Alfa Romeo 6C GT/GTC coupés , competed in the Mille Miglia endurance race and were significant among Weymann and Superleggera enclosed sporting cars appearing in the 1930s. They featured tuned Fiat engine and chassis, and bespoke carrozzeria , in common with the landmark post-war Cisitalia 202 SC , and are among the first small-displacement gran turismos . The first recognised motor race specifically for gran turismo cars
8100-711: The successor of the DBS Superleggera. The Aston Martin V12 Vanquish was styled by Ian Callum and drew inspiration from the DB4 GT Zagato , projecting a more aggressive presence than Callum's DB7 Vantage . The production car closely resembled the Project Vantage Concept which debuted with a V12 engine at the North American International Auto Show in January 1998. Underneath, the V12 Vanquish car featured
8200-504: The supply. In November 2016, it was reported that a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO was being offered for public sale—normally brokers negotiate deals between extremely wealthy collectors "behind closed doors". GTOs had previously been auctioned in 1990 and 2014. The 2017 sale was expected to reach US$ 56,000,000.00, the particular GTO concerned (the second of just thirty-six ever made) thus set to become the world's most expensive car. The Italian Mille Miglia thousand-mile race, held from 1927 to 1957,
8300-481: The top Ferrari." The V12 Vanquish series would become the last all-new model to be made in Aston Martin's Newport Pagnell facility. While the traditional craft techniques had evolved somewhat from those used to make the previous generation of cars, primarily in the panel shaping, there was still a great deal of work done by hand in assembly and finishing as each car was very time-consuming to manufacture. As such,
8400-503: The year" test, dubbed the Road & Track Performance Car of the Year. The test's most recent winner is the 2020 Hyundai Veloster N. Road & Track contributed to the 1992 video game , Grand Prix Unlimited , developed by Accolade for MS-DOS. The magazine also contributed to the 1994 video game, The Need for Speed , to help the designers match vehicle behavior and sounds to that of
8500-609: Was 170 bhp from the 2600cc Gioacchino Colombo-designed 'short-block' V12 engine , evolved from the earlier Ferrari 166 (2000cc) and 195 (2300cc). All versions came with the standard Ferrari five-speed non-synchromesh gearbox and hydraulic drum brakes. All 1951 Ferraris shared a double tube frame chassis design evolved from the 166. Double-wishbone front suspension with transverse leaf spring , and live rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs and radius rods were employed. The Ferrari 212 Export (212 MM) gran turismo berlinetta (chassis No. 0070M) debuted in first-place overall at
8600-567: Was beneficial for the Mille Miglia road race held in Italy's often wintry north. The first car to be named " gran turismo " was the 1929 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Turismo , a sporting dual-purpose road/race chassis and engine specification that was available with a wide variety of body styles or carrozzeria . The influential Weymann fabric-bodied berlinetta version by Carrozzeria Touring, "an early example of what we generally perceive to be
8700-491: Was built to display the company's vision for a future sports car that could represent Aston Martin's aspirations after the discontinuation of the Virage-based Vantage. The concept car evolved directly into the V12 Vanquish, and featured an advanced carbon fibre and alloy structure, Aston Martin's most powerful V12 engine, and host of new technologies. A specially modified V12 Vanquish was driven by James Bond in
8800-412: Was central to the evolution of the gran turismo concept. The event was one of the most important on the Italian motor-sport calendar and could attract up to five million spectators. Winning drivers such as Tazio Nuvolari , Rudolf Caracciola , and Stirling Moss ; and manufacturers such as Alfa Romeo, BMW , Ferrari and Porsche would become household names. According to Enzo Ferrari: In my opinion,
8900-407: Was devastated by the second World War, but in the post-war period a small number of firms brought it to prominence again. The emergence of the classic Porsche 356 is covered in the accompanying sports car article. In 1957 author John Stanford wrote: "The post-war Mercedes sports cars are in a way even more remarkable than those of Porsche . The firm was particularly badly hit by the war and it
9000-409: Was employed, and the camshaft valve timing was only slightly less than the full-race Testa Rossas . G.T. power was up to 267 b.h.p. at 7,000 r.p.m. (240 b.h.p at 6,800 rpm for road versions). Experiments were conducted with Dunlop disc brakes, which were adopted in 1960, along with an even shorter wheelbase for competizione versions. In 1962, the definitive competition gran turismo was unveiled,
9100-458: Was founded by two friends, Wilfred H. Brehaut, Jr. and Joseph S. Fennessy, in 1947, in Hempstead , New York . Published only six times from 1947 to 1949, it struggled in its early years. By 1952, regular contributor and editor John R. Bond and his wife Elaine had become the owners of the magazine, which then grew until its sale to CBS Publications in 1972. The ampersand (&) in the title
9200-485: Was impressed by the dominant performance at the Mille Miglia in 1940, by a carrozzeria touring-bodied BMW 328 coupé, winning the event at over 100 mph average speed, driven by Fritz Huschke von Hanstein and Walter Bäumer : The BMW team included a splendid aerodynamic Berlinetta , wind tunnel designed by German specialists, that was extremely fast at 135 mph... I couldn't believe the speeds these BMWs were capable of. Italy's national governing body of motorsport
9300-417: Was introduced in 1955 by then Editor Terry Galanoy, who replaced the word "and" in the magazine's name because the words Road and Track were graphically too long for newsstand-effective recognition. In 1988, Hachette Filipacchi Media took ownership of the magazine. In October 2008, Matt DeLorenzo became editor-in-chief, succeeding Thos L. Bryant, who had been in place for 20 years. Hearst Magazines purchased
9400-426: Was several years before anything but a nominal production of cars could be undertaken. In 1951 appeared the "300" , a luxurious and fast touring car with a single-camshaft six-cylinder engine of 2996 c.c. and chassis derived from the pre-war cars with swing-axle rear suspension. The "300S" was a three-carburetor edition, but in 1952 great interest was aroused by the almost invincible performance in sports-car racing of
9500-456: Was sold for the 2005 model year alongside the original Vanquish, and 2006 onward as a stand-alone model. The 2007 model year V12 Vanquish was not sold in the United States. The end of the Vanquish's production run was celebrated with the Vanquish S Ultimate Edition . Aston Martin announced that the last 50 cars built would have a new 'Ultimate Black' exterior colour, upgraded interior, and personalised sill plaques. The Vanquish Zagato Roadster
9600-604: Was the Commissione Sportiva Automobilistica Italiana (CSAI). Count Giovanni Lurani Cernuschi (popularly known as Johnny Lurani) was a key commissioner. He was also a senior member of the world governing body, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Lurani was instrumental in designing the regulations for the Italian 1937 Turismo Nazionale championship, whereby production vehicles approved by
9700-472: Was the 1949 Coppa Inter-Europa held at Monza . It was initially hoped by Italian motor industry observers that the small and struggling Italian sports and racing car manufacturer, Cisitalia, would find in the 1949 Coppa Inter-Europa regulations (initially called Turismo Veloce or Fast Touring) a category for its Cisitalia Tipo 202 SC —the road-going production coupé version of Cisitalia's single-seat D46 racing car and two-seat 202 open sports car. However,
9800-424: Was the road/race Ferrari 212 . Twenty-seven short-wheelbase competition versions called Export, some with increasingly popular gran turismo -style berlinetta coupé coachwork, were produced for enthusiasts (Ferrari called the first example 212 MM ) while the road version was called Inter . The Ferrari 212 Export featured long-range fuel tanks, high compression pistons and triple Weber 32 DCF carburettors ; power
9900-406: Was then further replaced by an updated ZF Touchtronic III eight-speed automatic gearbox starting with the 2015 model year. It was the first Aston Martin model to be available with launch control. The combined space of cabin and a boot that, at 368 litres, is more than 60% larger than that of the DBS. In 2013, Aston Martin unveiled a convertible variant of the Vanquish, called Volante. The Volante has
10000-496: Was unveiled to an enthusiastic motoring public. Here, finally, according to historians Jonathan Wood and Sam Dawson, was a fully realized production GT car, representing the starting point of the definitive grand tourer: This outwardly conventional saloon bristled with innovation and ingenuity, in which the masterly hand of Vittorio Jano is apparent. In the B20 are elements of the Cistalia of 1947, coupés which Pinin undertook on
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