Aston was spotted testing a Vanquish prototype at the ‘Ring. Sharper aero details hint at a more focused version of the GT. Its twin-turbo V12 could climb beyond the 850 hp mark. The Aston Martin Vanquish already sits at the top of Gaydon’s GT lineup, but fresh spy shots from the Nurburgring show a hotter version is on the way. A lightly camouflaged prototype was caught lapping the Green Hell wearing sharper aero and an unusual exhaust setup, all of which point to a Vanquish S following in the footsteps of the recently launched DB12 S. More: Aston Martin Cuts A Fifth Of Its Workforce, CEO Says Trump Was A Big Part Of The Problem Finished in matte black with green camo wrapping a more aggressive front splitter, the prototype carries over most of the standard Vanquish bodywork. The 21-inch Y-Spoke forged alloys are lifted from the smaller Vantage S, a parts-bin move Aston has used before to tune up its hotter variants without redesigning the entire wheel program. The rear end is even more intriguing. A large section of the tailgate has been swapped for mesh, and peeking through it are two oversized exhaust outlets sitting behind the standard Vanquish‘s quad tailpipes. Two more pipes have been mounted in the diffuser area, bringing the running total to eight. More: Aston Martin Built Two Convertibles So Stunning You’ll Forget Their Absurd Names The most plausible explanation is that the original quad tips are non-functional on this mule and the four extras are provisional development hardware, similar to a recent Vantage-based prototype. The production car will almost certainly land on a cleaner setup, likely paired with a redesigned rear bumper. Baldauf The car also carries an “Emissions Test Vehicle” sticker beneath the ducktail spoiler, plus a “Prototype Vehicle” marking along the side skirts. Aston Martin is not trying especially hard to hide what this is. Aston hasn’t officially confirmed the Vanquish S, but judging from the DB12 S the template is obvious. Expect more power, sharper chassis tuning, and a more aggressive bodykit. The standard Vanquish already makes 824 hp (614 kW / 835 PS) and 738 lb-ft (1,000 Nm) from its twin-turbo 5.2-liter V12, sent rearward through an eight-speed automatic, so an S could realistically push past 850 hp. With the current generation of the Vanquish having launched in September 2024, an S variant likely won’t surface until late 2026 or early 2027. When it does, it’ll square off against the front-engined Ferrari 12Cilindri and the mid-engined Lamborghini Revuelto. Baldauf
