The Vanquish has been made by Aston Martin since 2001, and it became famous due in part to its starring role in the James Bond movie "Die Another Day". The car in the film has the usual accoutrements one may expect from a vehicle driven by James Bond, such as camouflage that makes the car all but invisible. It is powered by a 5.9L V12 engine that produces 454hp and 542 lb. ft. of torque, and it is controlled by a paddle shift, semiautomatic transmission and "fly by wire" throttle. The V12 of the Vanquish shares some elements with the 3.0L V6 Duratec released by Ford, Aston Martin's parent company, and the motor was designed in the USA at Ford Research.

The 2005 model Vanquish is largely unchanged from the 2004 version. It is a 2-door luxury sports coupe, and each is built by hand. Many hours were spent in the wind tunnel to ensure the car's stability and that airflow was sufficient for cooling and power. The car is very safe due to braided carbon fiber used in the "A" pillars and a cross brace in the engine bay. Front and rear disc brakes are mounted on a floating mechanism, and the antilock system balances front and rear braking automatically.

The Vanquish has seen its share of criticism due to perceived design flaws. Some of the materials that comprise the interior are seen as not fitting for a car of this price range and stature; much of the aluminum-look trim is in reality plastic and some of the instruments are obviously lifted from more pedestrian Ford products. Other concerns voiced by testers and drivers include the deficient cooling system and its weight. The Aston Martin Vanquish weighs over two tons with fuel and driver, and the cooling system is unable to support prolonged hot-weather use. Before the Vanquish was released, there were critics that said it wasn't different enough from the DB9, a car that was lighter, less expensive and had the same engine.