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2015 Aston Martin Vanquish [UPDATE]

There's something really special about an Aston Martin Vanquish. It's not my favorite model in the British automaker's range – I'm more of a Vantage guy, if I'm being choosy. But every time I drive one, I feel like I'm piloting something fit for royalty, $300,000 price tag and all. It's stunning to look at, even in the rather drab shade of gray pictured here. It makes an absolutely killer noise, the free-breathing V12 firing from beneath the hood and out the back with a truly intoxicating sound. And from behind the wheel, it feels like a truly proper grand tourer. Well, almost. The one major hiccup with the Vanquish I drove last year was its six-speed automatic transmission. In a word, it was awful. Really jarring shifts, delayed manual control through the paddles, and really, just a hugely misaligned piece of an otherwise excellent puzzle. So I was happy to hear that for 2015, Aston Martin had fitted a new, ZF-sourced, eight-speed unit – you know, the transmission being used by automakers like BMW, Jaguar, Audi, and many more. I normally have zero issues with this silky gearbox. But in the Vanquish, it wasn't smooth sailing like I expected – it feels like it still needs some final calibrations. But that doesn't make this car any less special. Drive Notes I love this engine. The 5.9-liter, naturally aspirated V12 makes 569 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque, and it absolutely loves to rev. That's a good thing, since the siren song of the Vanquish's V12 is most pronounced at higher engine speeds. In fact, it's not really all that audible right from the get-go. You have to work it up past 2,500-3,000 rpm before this thing really starts to sing. But when it's turned up to 11, it's one of the best-sounding engines I've ever heard. That said, getting the Vanquish going is kind of an awkward process. There's a surprising momentary lack of power delivery right at throttle tip-in, and then the Vanquish suddenly jolts forward. It's alarming – I found myself raising an eyebrow and yelling "GO!," especially when trying to quickly merge into the traffic flow. But it'll go, when it's ready, and hitting 60 miles per hour takes just 3.6 seconds. The transmission is still an issue here. When left to its own devices, it doesn't have a problem finding the right gear for the occasion, but the actual shifts don't fire off with the smoothness and quickness that I've come to expect from this tranny in other models.

Listen to the Aston Martin Vulcan do what it was meant to

What happens when a world-class sports car manufacturer and racing team is permitted to design a vehicle from the ground up with no rules to follow? Something along the lines of the Aston Martin Vulcan, that's what. Built neither for the road nor for any racing series, the Vulcan is part of a new class of dedicated track cars. And as you can see from this latest video, it's all but completely unhinged. The Vulcan represents Gaydon's answer to the likes of the Ferrari FXX K and McLaren P1 GTR. It packs a 7.0-liter naturally aspirated V12 at the front of an aluminum chassis with carbon-fiber bodywork. It weighs less than 3,000 pounds, but packs 800 horsepower – without a hybrid system or turbo spool in sight. In short, it's takes the best from Aston's road cars and its race cars, amps them up to 11, and abides by none of the rules they need to. Apart from some preliminary teasers, a run up the hill at Goodwood, and a brief (but static) encounter with its Cold War, airborne namesake, this represents a rare opportunity to see – and most importantly hear – the Vulcan do what it's designed to do. With only 24 to be made and each priced at over $2 million, this may be the closest you'll ever get. So go full-screen and crank the speakers to enjoy the unbridled show.

Of course the Aston Martin AM37 speedboat is fast and beautiful

We told you last week about the new Porsche-designed 115-foot yacht. On a slightly smaller scale in terms of LOA — but on at least the same scale of opulence — is the Aston Martin AM37 speedboat that debuted this week at the Monaco Boat Show. The 37-footer (hence the name) has been in R&D for two years. Designed by Aston Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman working with with naval architect Mulder Design and Dutch shipbuilder Quitessence Yachts, it promises bespoke design with state-of-the-art marine technology. It's designed to carry six passengers and two crew members, and each interior is custom outfitted. Reichman used the same "golden ratio" employed in all kinds of art and architecture — and in the design of Aston Martin cars. A single piece of curved glass wraps around the cockpit, and the decks are natural teak. The boat on display in Monaco was outfitted with cream-colored leather. The electrically controlled cockpit cover can be deployed from the lucky owner's Apple Watch. Forbes magazine has more photos of that particular boat, and reports that Aston plans to build just 10 of these per year. The AM37 costs $1.6 million. So maybe you can get one to serve as a tender to your $16.7 million Porsche yacht. Related Video: