The Aston Martin Vanquish is already the fastest production vehicle that the company has ever built with the coupe being a significant evolution of flagship luxury However, while the Vanquish coupe brought plenty of performance to the party, the one thing that was missing was the ability to drop the top and soak in the sunshine. Aston is out to change that with the all-new Vanquish Volante which should please those looking to embrace more of everything in their GT purchase.
Folding roof makes this Vanquish Volante shine
Like other Volante models, the changes here go beyond the skin and as a result, the core identity of the Vanquish carries over largely intact. The front fascia still gets a large front grille and elegant headlights with the rear getting bold taillights. The main change is the roof with the fixed roof on the coupe being replaced by a new folding fabric one that tucks neatly away in the rear when the driver wants to experience open-top motoring.
Aston says the 209 lb weight gain is minimal with the Volante getting a stiffened chassis and a model-specific suspension tune to help it cope with the newly added folding roof. The roof has a K-fold mechanism which allows the job to be completed in 14 seconds with the top being able to be operated at speeds up to 31 mph. The interior is also arrived over from the coupe with a pair of 10.25-inch screens serving as the digital instrument cluster and the infotainment system. The seats are still a finely balanced mixture of support and comfort with the only notable difference being a button that operates the folding top mechanism.
V12 muscle for any occasion
Performance for the Vanquish Volante is also carried over from the coupe with all models being powered by a twin-turbocharged 5.2-liter V12 that makes 824 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque with rear-wheel drive being the lone drive layout available. An eight-speed automatic is the lone transmission on hand and the Volante is still the fastest front-engined car you can get with Aston saying it can match the 214 mph top speed posted by the coupe. The caveat is the 0 to 60 time with the extra weight forcing the droptop to make the sprint to 62 mph in 3.4 seconds.
Aston Martin didn’t mention pricing for the new Vanquish Volante, but it will certainly be a hefty premium over the coupe. The company will begin producing the Volante towards the end of the year. Like the coupe, production will be limited with the company building fewer than 1,000 units a year.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.