Car of the Year Awards 2026: Best sports car money no object
If a Porsche 911 is just too common and you’re in a position to buy whatever car you like, you’re not short on options from the likes of Ferrari. However, the car that most makes us want to win the lottery hails from closer to home. Yes, the Aston Martin Vanquish is as gloriously, addictively over the top as any supercar ever to grace a teenager’s bedroom wall.
This plutocratic projectile’s twin-turbo 5.2-litre V12 engine erupts with 824bhp and sounds suitably operatic. The 0-62mph dash takes a mere 3.3sec and 214mph is possible (where legal and appropriate).
Those are remarkable numbers, but what’s even more surreal is that they don’t make the Vanquish an intimidating car to drive. In fact, this sports car puts its power to the road in a very measured, deliberate way that makes it surprisingly easy to drive hard, aided by precise steering and tight body control.
All of this comes wrapped in the kind of craftsmanship that Swiss watchmakers would envy, as you’d expect of a car that costs well over £300k – two and a half times the price of the 911. Is it more than twice the car? Perhaps not, but the Vanquish is far more exclusive and even more thrilling.
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