VPI's new "Vanquish" Ultra High-End turntable is a STUNNER!

I was at CAF, and talked to Harry about this new table.  First, its is not an Aluminum-Lucite-Aluminum layer, it is Stainless-Aluminum-Stainless, with the concept being to concentrate the plinth mass close to the Platter.  So, the arm-boards, being the same construction while being cantilevered are massively stiff.  Machining stainless steel is a whole other league from aluminum.  The platter is magnetically coupled and levitated.  The motor is not the HW-40, it is is a very different (new) design, with a very low current in-rush.  So, this is not some multi-  motor belt design, and if you have ever read the of Basis design, you should know of their near heroic efforts just to machine a very high tolerance rubber belt.  The coloring is of course quite bold, and has obviously drawn the ire of some.  But, from a technical and engineering standpoint, there appears to be a lot going on, but it is not all visually apparent, and to disclose all the details, risks disclosing a lot of intellectual property; a bit of a Catch-22.  

I have a TNT, but it has been significantly modified, I machined and added a 0.25" thick MIC-6 AL constrained layer plate to the bottom, and added a 2nd armboard courtesy of a delrin Avenger armboard and it sounds great, but the cost to manufacture and sell today would be close to the $15K HRX.  VPI has never said the new model is better at half the price.  If a fully loaded Prime is better than an older TNT, then it is the tonearm, but a TNT with fat-board and an AL constraining layer and current motor would be the HRX at nearly $18K.  But, the TNT is huge.  The TNT and now advanced with the Avenger to easily accept multiple arms, are the tweakers dream, you can start at one level and just keep going up, they really are about your journey.   So VPI has tables to match the customers desire, destination, or journey.  As an engineer, I appreciate the constant experimenting and never ending changes that Harry with VPI has pushed.  While to some it may be a marketing ploy, however, as an engineer I see it as one persons passion that the company has not lost, especially as many of the advances/changes are backward compatible, how many companies offer that within a mechanical prespective.  Softwear, yeah today thats easy, try it mechanically - that is is a whole nother relm. But, some changes are just manufacturing efficiency, VPI will tell you that the TNT super platter is just too difficult and expensive to manufacture today.  However, I will be the first to admit that if Harry has engineering notebooks documenting all the changes, those are some THICK notebooks.🤔