Aston Martin Vanquish FRS Fast Road Setup.

Sharpening the Aston Martin Vanquish S It’s probably a fair question to ask – ‘why does a 520bhp supercar like the 6.0-litre V12 Aston Martin need sharpening?’ Well, surprising as it seems, many Vanquish S drivers report a lack of consistency in the chassis feedback during spirited driving, with a feeling that the car will lurch into oversteer, particularly over challenging terrain. “It’s an odd combination of float, nervousness and poor disturbance rejection on bad roads,” says TDi’s Sam Borgman, “plus a tendency for the braking based stability program to activate very early on.”

Forensic analysis of the chassis settings by TDi’s technicians using its state of the art John Bean 38-angle optical chassis dynamics rig revealed severely compromised geometry, with large amounts of preload. “This has two negative effects, firstly it causes significant tyre scrub, which overworks the rubber and is a big problem for tyre longevity. Secondly, it encourages the tyre to reach its grip limit quickly, which forces the traction and stability programs to intervene at a very early stage to stabilise the car.”

Having reviewed the situation, TDi were able to fine tune the Vanquish’s suspension geometry to ‘Fast Road’ specification, making the car feel more relaxed and predictable nearer to its grip limits, with a consistent, linear response to steering and throttle inputs. This has increased driver confidence, enabling Aston Martin Vanquish S owners exploit the performance of their cars with a greater degree of safety. “I’m extremely satisfied with the end result, as it’s a night and day improvement,” says TDi’s Sam Borgman. “We’ve engineered a nice blend of driving characteristics, so the Aston Martin feels keen but very predictable, so you can now ‘hustle’ the Vanquish S in confidence without troubling the traction control systems. Plus, your tyres will last longer, so it’s a win-win situation.”

Please go here for the Aston Martin Vanquish FRS ‘Stage 1 Fast Road’ geometry set up is available now from TDi-plc, by appointment only. Stop Press: Our Stage 2 upgrade which incorporated revised springs for a further improvement in dynamic performance is now also available.