BILSTEIN technology for a sports car masterpiece: Aston Martin relies on DampTronic X in its new Vanquish
Epic performance and luxurious refinement: With the new Vanquish, Aston Martin has developed a beautiful and ultra-modern GT with a powerful V12 engine. To ensure the perfect balance between comfort and performance, Aston Martin relies on innovative DampTronic X suspension technology from BILSTEIN.
As the new halo car in Aston Martin’s range, the Vanquish sends a clear message of unrivalled sports car performance capabilities combined with breathtaking aesthetics.
Modern masterpiece
A dramatic design language with a long hood, dynamic roofline, powerful haunches and ruthlessly abrupt rear end with integrated spoiler: the design of the new Aston Martin Vanquish combines classic GT proportions with modern elegance.
In keeping with tradition, a powerful V12 engine is used in the Vanquish. The extensively revised 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 unit mobilises a massive 1,000 Nm of torque and delivers an impressive 835 hp, which accelerates the sports car up to 344 km/h.
“It really is an extraordinary engine”, says Simon Newton, Director of Vehicle Performance at Aston Martin. “This sense of boundless propulsion had to be matched by an equal level of control and finesse; something we have achieved by further exploring the tremendous scope of the new BILSTEIN DampTronic X adaptive dampers, e-diff and latest generation electronics.”
High performance chassis for a powerful engine
The result is a high-performance chassis that enables an unprecedented dynamic range between the long-distance comfort of a GT on the one hand and the precision and performance of a super sports car on the other.
It is the BILSTEIN DampTronic X technology in particular that contributes to this unprecedented combination – and which already impressed the British sports car manufacturer in 2020 during driving tests on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Aston Martin was particularly impressed by the surprisingly fast lap times. The decision was therefore made to use the technology in all upcoming sports cars. These included the Valhalla hypercar and the new Vanquish.
The decision to use BILSTEIN’s innovative suspension technology is also the logical and seamless continuation of the decades-long collaboration between Aston Martin and BILSTEIN, as Thomas Grassmann emphasizes. “There is an exceptionally good relationship between the two companies, characterised by mutual and friendly respect,” reveals the account manager from OE sales at BILSTEIN.
Exceptionally high damping dynamics
The heart of the technology is an extremely fast-adjusting pressure adjustment valve that enables exceptionally high damping dynamics: the BILSTEIN DampTronic X shock absorbers adjust the damping forces to the damping requirement determined by the central control unit in just a few milliseconds. The control concept calculates and adjusts the best damping force several hundred times per second based on sensor data such as wheel and body movement, driving speed or the change in steering angle, depending on the driving situation and wheel selectivity.
In this way, it is possible to resolve the classic conflict between maximum comfort, which requires low damping forces, and maximum performance, which requires high damping forces.
Together with the electronic differential, which can be locked in 135 milliseconds, the Vanquish offers one of the fastest adaptive suspensions ever. Thanks to the quick response times of the dampers, the “GT” driving dynamics mode remains comfortable while at the same time enabling remarkably agile and precise handling. In the “Sport” and “Sport+” modes, the full potential of the suspension unfolds: here the Vanquish shows its most dynamic side, with an even more direct response and firmer body control. “The low weight of the DampTronic X shock absorbers, which is achieved by the concept with internal valve and aluminum tubes, also reduces the unsprung masses,” adds Thomas Grassmann. Equipped in this way, the Vanquish turns every corner into an experience.
Simon Newton draws a clear summary: “The resulting blend of dynamic precision, epic performance and luxurious refinement is uniquely special, with a bandwidth that sets a new standard for the marque’s halo model and is worthy of the Vanquish name.”
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