This is the second-generation Vanquish, the model that sat above the Vantage and DB ranges as Aston Martin's flagship. Its styling was drawn from the One-77, the limited-run car the company built to show what it could do without constraints. The first-generation Vanquish is the one most people picture, from Die Another Day in 2002.

The engine is a 6.0-liter naturally aspirated V12 on Aston's fourth-generation VH platform: 576 horsepower at 6,650 rpm, 630 Nm at 5,500 rpm, driving the rear wheels through a ZF eight-speed automatic. 0 to 100 km/h takes 3.8 seconds and the top speed is 324 km/h.

The bodywork is carbon-heavy and functional. A carbon fiber front diffuser feeds cool air to the engine bay while bonnet vents draw heat out, and at the rear the twin exhausts sit inside a large carbon diffuser between C-shaped LED lamps. The ducktail spoiler is sculpted into the tailgate rather than added to it. Carbon-ceramic brakes are fitted.

Inside are the details Aston Martin owners look for: the tachometer that runs counterclockwise, the glass key that slots into the center console to start the engine, gear selector buttons rather than a lever, and a manual handbrake beside the seat. Both front seats have three-position memory, and unusually for the class there are rear seats, which makes it a genuine car for long distances with company.