Mystery Aston Martin Vanquish test car aims to pump up the volume
Aston's new flagship GT is being used to assess a new exhaust system at the Nürburgring
Aston Martin recently entered the hypercar market with the Valhalla and Valkyrie, but don't think the British company has turned its attention away from big grand tourers. This Aston Martin Vanquish test car we've spotted proves the GT models are still getting attention.
Caught testing at the Nürburgring, this prototype isn't actually a new variant of the company's flagship GT, instead it's being used to hone a new exhaust system inspired by the one on the Valhalla.
The exterior changes on the prototype model include some minor visual tweaks like a new lower lip splitter at the front and an extended rear lip spoiler, while the rear diffuser has been removed too. The test car also sits on 21-inch forged wheels covering the Vanquish’s standard-fit carbon-ceramic brakes. Don't expect any of those tweaks to be brought to a future Vanquish model, however.
It's the rear that really grabs our attention, because at first glance the Vanquish's quad-tip exhausts are all present and accounted for – but if you look at the boot, there’s a mesh hiding what looks like two additional (or more likely, replacement) exhaust tips. The positioning is odd, because it means these two exhausts would run straight through the boot space and given the Vanquish's brief as a continent-crushing GT car with plenty of space for weekend luggage, we don't expect this design will feature on a future production model.
2026 is a busy year for Aston Martin. Alongside the aforementioned mid-engined hypercars, a more potent DB12 S has launched, while there’s also a hot-rod Vantage that's been spotted testing which could bring back the AMR badge.
Whatever Aston has in store for this new exhaust layout, the standard Vanquish is already a potent thing. It comes with a 5.2-litre twin-turbocharged V12 engine, producing 823bhp and 1,000Nm of torque – a significant increase on the 715bhp and torque of up to 900Nm found in its DBS Superleggera predecessor. It’s also 5bhp and 322Nm more than you’d find in the Aston’s closest rival, the V12-engined Ferrari 12Cilindri – although it’s worth pointing out the latter doesn’t rely on turbocharging for its monstrous power.
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