As we all know, open top cars are generally heavier, and Aston Martin is well aware of this, so they have created the first Volante ever with a carbon fiber body, which allows this car to have a weight of "just" 1844kg (4065lbs), meaning it is only 9kg (almost 20lbs) heavier than the coupe.
The deisgn of the Vanquish Volante is, of course, inspired by the Vanquish, with the main difference being the integrated trunk lid spoiler. This is the first time a Aston Martin vehicle has a windscreen in which the glass runs up to meet the fabric roof, giving it a clean transition. The roof is automatically folded in 14 seconds.
Built upon the fourth generation of the VH platform (51:49 weight distribution), the Vanquish Volante has a torsional stiffness 14% higher than its predecessor, the DBS Volante. It also has room in the boot for 279 liters, an increase of 50% over the previous model.
The engine is the same found in the Vanquish, the AM11 naturally aspirated 6.0-litre V12 petrol unit with 573PS (565bhp or 421kW) at 6750rpm and 620Nm (457lb/ft) of maximum torque available at 5500rpm. Delivering all that power to the rear wheels is the Touchtronic 2 six-speed automatic gearbox.
Aston Martin added many sophisticated technologies to help the driver make the most of this car, like Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), Positive Torque Control (PTC), and the Adaptive Damping System (ADS) that has three damping modes: Normal, Sport and Track. When you want to stop, you can trust the Brembo Carbon Ceramic Matrix (CCM) brakes with 398mm x 36mm discs and six-piston calipers from the One-77 at the front, while the rear brakes use 360mm x 32mm discs with four-piston calipers.
Of course this isn't a cheap car. It has a recommended retail price of £199,995 in the UK, €264,995 in Germany, $297,995 in the United States and $323,974 in Dubai. Deliveries will begin late in 2013.
Source: Aston Martin
Source: Aston Martin