Aston Martin Vanquish 25: what we know about Ian Callum’s first solo project

Automotive design legend Ian Callum has unveiled the first vehicle to come from his new solo project since leaving Jaguar in June.

Callum, who penned the I-Pace EV and F-Type sports car during his two-decade stint at Jaguar, founded his own design and engineering consultancy firm in the summer. The first project to come from the new Callum studio will be a batch of reworked versions of Aston Martin’s first-generation Vanquish grand tourers.

The limited-edition Vanquish 25 is based on the original Vanquish, built between 2001 and 2007. However, the Callum version boasts a number of technical and design tweaks to bring the near 20-year-old model up to scratch.

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Such projects can attract unwanted attention from the manufacturer of the donor car. For instance, Ferrari refused to sell parts and spares to film director James Glickenhaus, who commissioned Italian design firm Pininfarina to build a 1960s-inspired racing car based on a Ferrari 430 in 2006.

Aston Martin, however, is in favour of the project, given that Callum designed the original Vanquish when Ford owned the British marque and Jaguar. Vice-president Marek Reichman told Car magazine: “I like that the Callum team’s first project is based on the original V12 Vanquish designed by Ian.

“Aston Martin Lagonda is very proud of the cars created during Ian’s time and they are an important part in both our heritage and evolution,” he said.

When will it come out?

Callum has already started taking orders, with deliveries due to get under way before the end of 2019, says Auto Express. Only 25 examples will be made, so they’ll be something of a rarity on Britain’s roads.

How much does it cost?

Specially designed supercars don’t come cheap - and the Vanquish 25 is no exception.

Prices start at £550,000, which includes the cost of sourcing an original Vanquish for Callum’s team to fettle with, according to Autocar.

Design and interior

The Vanquish 25’s overall design doesn’t stray too far from the original car, though there are several design cues that are distinctly Callum. For example, the orange highlights on the exhaust tips, brake calipers and throughout the cabin serve as a nod to the early Jaguar F-Type models.

The most notable changes are the LED head and tail-lights, giving the car a more modern twist without changing the profile of the original model. The grille is also similar to the standard car, though it’s slightly larger on the Vanquish 25 and is flanked by a pair of carbon fibre brake ducts.

Moving further back, the Vanquish 25 gets carbon fibre skirts that run along the bottom of the doors, along with a vast carbon fibre diffuser that houses the orange-tipped dual exhausts.

The cabin has also been reworked, swapping the standard car’s ageing trim with a look that’s similar to that of the more recent Vanquish models. New sports seats upholstered by Scottish leather specialist Bridge of Weir, plus new dials and switches, gives the grand tourer’s interior a new lease of life.

Engine and performance

Pop open the bonnet and you’ll find the same 5.9-litre, naturally aspirated V12 engine as the original Vanquish. However, Top Gear notes that a new exhaust and a new carbon fibre induction system have boosted the engine’s output from 520bhp to 580bhp.

There’s no word on performance figures just yet, but Callum has confirmed that the brakes have been upgraded to carbon ceramic discs in a bid to improve the original car’s relatively poor braking ability.