Aston Martin has revealed a drop-top version of its flagship V12 super GT. The new Vanquish Volante becomes the most powerful open Aston Martin ever – and the world’s most powerful front-engined convertible.
Aston Martin CEO Adrian Hallmark said: “For 60 years, Aston Martin Volantes have defined the art of elegant, sporting, open-top motoring.
“At Aston Martin we are proud to be doing such justice to our heritage while, as the unprecedented performance of the Vanquish Volante shows, keeping our eyes firmly focused on the future.”
Open for business
The Volante version of the new Vanquish was designed alongside its coupe counterpart, meaning there were no compromises in terms of the car’s design.
According to chief creative officer Marek Reichman: “The opportunity to create a true flagship Volante is rare. The challenge is always to maintain Aston Martin’s core brand DNA, and it was vitally important to create the Volante alongside the coupe in order to deliver excellence in proportion and drama.”
A lightweight, K-fold roof completely disappears beneath the tonneau cover, and can be opened or closed in 16 seconds. Aston Martin says the fabric roof’s level of thermal insulation matches that of the Vanquish coupe.
A new stainless steel exhaust system with quad tailpipes has been developed specifically for the Volante. With the roof down, passengers are said to enjoy ‘an enhanced range of frequencies and resonant V12 howl’. For those who want more V12 volume, a lightweight titanium exhaust is on the options list.
The fastest Volante ever
Providing the acoustic hit is the same twin-turbocharged 5.2-litre V12 as found in the Vanquish coupe. This endows the Volante with a mighty 835hp and 738lb ft of torque.
A ZF eight-speed automatic paddle-shift transmission sends all that power to the rear wheels, aided by an electronic limited-slip differential. Accelerating from 0-62mph takes 3.4 seconds in the Volante: 0.1 seconds slower than the Vanquish coupe.
A top speed of 214mph makes the Vanquish Volante the fastest open-top Aston Martin to date.
Continental cruising for two
Carbon ceramic brakes are fitted as standard to the Vanquish Volante, along with new Bilstein DTX adaptive dampers that should switch it from boulevard cruiser to sporting grand tourer in an instant.
Unlike the 2+2 Vanquish coupe, the Volante is solely a two-seater, maximising space for the roof when retracted. A substantial cross brace divides the cabin from a rear storage space that can be filled with bespoke saddle leather luggage.
Aston Martin fits Sports Plus seats as standard, with carbon fibre Performance seats available at extra cost. A combination of Alcantara and semi-aniline leather is the default upholstery option. As ever, though, the Q by Aston Martin bespoke service can create a near-endless array of finishes as desired.
The Vanquish Volante is the latest car to use Aston Martin’s new infotainment system, which combines a 10.25-inch digital instrument panel with a 10.25-inch central touchscreen. Pleasingly, there are still plenty of traditional buttons and switches throughout the cabin.
Celebrating the Volante legacy
The launch of a new Vanquish convertible also marks the 60th anniversary of Aston Martin’s Volante nameplate. Applied to numerous open-top Astons over the years, the badge was first used on the rare 1965 Short Chassis Volante – only 37 examples of which were made.
The Vanquish Volante will be built in larger numbers, although combined production of both Vanquish variants is capped at 1,000 cars per year.
Orders for the new Vanquish Volante can be placed now, with first deliveries planned for autumn 2025. Prices have yet to be announced, but expect a premium of at least £20,000 over the £330,000 asked for a Vanquish coupe.
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