Aston takes top off for Vanquish

ASTON Martin has retired its once-proud DBS Volante. Don’t shed a tear, though, because it has ripped the covers off an even faster drop-top Vanquish to replace it.

The fire-breathing 6.0-litre V12-engine sitting under the Vanquish Volante’s lightweight carbon-fibre skin will officially leap from 0-100km/h in just 4.1 seconds, 0.2 seconds faster than the low-slung, two-door sportscar it replaces.

The rag-top Vanquish, which will carry a price somewhere north of $500,000 when it arrives in Australia early next year, uses the same drivetrain as the hard-topped version released last year, with 421kW of power and 620Nm of torque sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed automatic gearbox.

Top speed is 295km/h, but if you want to do that with the roof down, it’s a 14-second wait as the three-layered cloth roof stows in under the aerodynamically optimised bootlid.

You’re not just getting a chop-top version of the aluminium-topped Vanquish, either.

Aston Martin has restyled the Volante to include design cues from the rarefied One-77 coupe, including tail-lights that wrap around the rear quarters, deep creases on the front quarters and a centre stack that closely mimics that of the 7.3-litre V12-engined coupe.

New springs and damper settings were calibrated to match the handling of the coupe, which has improved with Aston’s lightweight bonded aluminium structure that minimises the weight of the powerful sportster.

Active dampers allow the driver to choose between three different modes – normal, sport and track – and alter the Volante’s handling and ride to suit driving conditions.

Inside the Vanquish Volante’s two occupants are swathed in full-grain leather, machined metal dials and satin chrome trim. Standard kit includes suede-like headlining, heated seats, and a glass key and gear selector.

Aston has even upgraded the rag-top’s infotainment system – that features a 15-speaker Bang and Olufsen audio system - to make it more user-friendly.

The drop-top Vanquish arrives after last month’s reveal of the Aston Martin V12 Vantage S, also due in Australian showrooms early next year.

Aston Martin’s Vanquish is already on sale in Australia priced from $472,840.