Here in the UK,
DB7 vantage (V12) can be bought for £22,000.
The cheapest Vanquish i have seen is now £49,995.
Just a few years ago, the DB7 Vantage was still selling at £45k-£50k for late models. Given another few years, the Vanquish will easily be in the low £40k range. Nobody is buying them due to high running and maintenance costs, and the possibility of a massive Road Tax increase for these type of cars.
This will inevetibly lead to huge reductions is purchase cost.
No disrespect to Extreme, as i do understand they have been extremely busy since they launched their 360, but when was the rumour about a Vanquish replica started? A few years ago?
By the time they get round to finishing the final product, the vanquish won't be as a desirable model as it was say maybe a couple of years ago. (Although hardened vanquish fans-like myself, would still want one). The market for this car will have dropped, as newer models will have come out (DBS, DBX?)
Extreme did a very smart thing by replicating the Lambo, as it is still very exclusive. The vanquish is becoming old hat. I love the car to bits, but when they finish the replica, it will be a replica of an old sports car.
And in the time it has taken to get there, i could have saved enough money to sensibly afford the real thing, because of how quickly the price of them is dropping.
For the vanquish replica to have been popular, it would have had to been replicated by around 2006/2007 when the last Vanquish S models were being manufactured. It would have justified the cost of purchasing the kit, the donor, the engine upgrades, interior etc, as the Genuine article was still at a massively unaffordable price tag (£100k plus).
How much would you spend for a replica kit, on a donor car that is now at least 12 years old (to my knowledge) to have a sports car that's now past it's prime?
Would you have a bought a db7 vantage kit, had one been made? No? why? because they have dropped in value and prestige. As will the vanquish. You guys all don't seem to mind waiting a few years for the vanquish replica to arrive (and i have no doubt when it does it will be an excellent example), but in my opinion, a DBS replica would have been a smarter choice, as it represents the newest of Astons.
That all said...if extreme managed to get the vanquish replica finished this year, i would buy one!
