Manuel Nathan
Part of a set of R-Reforged version cars fully supported by Aston Martin, the Vanquish 25 will hit with more than 350 stylings, material, and design changes from the 2001 original Vanquish V12 that Callum produced while he worked for the British marque.
Mechanical upgrades include a 10 mm-lower ride height, a step up to 60mm wider, and particular Michelin Pilot Sport tires tracking more than 20,000 miles of experimenting on UK roads and at Michelin’s proving ground in Ladoux, France that aim to turn the car into “a more efficient and appropriate GT”.
The company plans to offer an “infinite” amount of body colors, eight trim colors, three 20 inch wheel options, and the choice of manual, automatic, and semi-automatic transmissions. The Bridge of Weir Leather Company has been carried onboard to cover the interior, while Mulberry has produced a set of luggage. In addition, the engine gets carbon and leather optic slopes over the first car.
UK-based R-Reforged has beforehand worked with Aston Martin on other designs, and it will play a key role in the Callum project’s consumer experience. Clients are able to upgrade their existing Vanquish or have R-Reforged source one for them.
Each complete car is expected to cost £550,000, including one sourced Vanquish. The shipment of finished cars is anticipated to start late this year, with the first ones destined for clients in Europe and Latin America. The full batch of 25 should be created and shipped at the end of 2020.
The Aston Martins will be returned to bare metal and rebuilt from 0 at Callum’s brand-new workshops in Warwick. They will incorporate dozens of ingenious and not-so-subtle variations, some of which Callum has wanted to do since his original Vanquish design went into production in 2001.
One strong thought running through the whole car is a unique fabric and trim design that Callum, a true Scot, calls his “abstract tartan”. It seems in the Vanquish in unexpected places, such as air outlets and speaker grilles, as well as seats and trim panels, and will be used on Callum cars in the future.
The associates at Callum have already made two Vanquish prototypes, one to show off their body and cabin developments and another to perfect a unique suspension set-up that operates on bigger wheels and tires, stiffer springs and dampers plus additions to anti-roll bars and suspension bushes.
All vehicles also get larger-diameter carbon-ceramic brakes plus new 20 inch wheels that use the Vanquish’s fundamental pattern but are now offset to enhance stability and stance.
