Aston Martin has chopped the top of its V12-powered Vanquish, unveiling what it claims is the most powerful and fastest front-engine convertible on the market. With an impressive 824 horsepower and a top speed of 214 mph, it’s a bold claim that’s tough to dispute.
Aston has already earned the “Most Powerful Front-Engine Coupe” title with the Vanquish Coupe. And thanks to smart engineering and only a slight weight increase due to the more complex convertible top, the Vanquish Volante offers nearly all the performance of the coupe with the added benefit of being able to “drop the top”.
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The Vanquish Volante and Coupe Are Just as Extreme
The Vanquish Volante retains the same twin-turbocharged V12 engine as its coupe counterpart, delivering 834 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque. Power is sent to the rear wheels through an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission, with no manual option available at this time, despite Aston Martin’s dedication to keeping things classic.
Impressively, the Volante matches the coupe’s top speed of 214 mph—an exceptional feat for a convertible. While the Vanquish is incredibly fast, the Volante does sacrifice a bit of performance for its open roof.
For instance, it takes 3.4 seconds to go from 0-60 mph, slightly slower than the coupe’s 3.2 seconds. Another trade-off is weight; Aston Martin notes that the Volante is 209 pounds heavier than the coupe.
Aston’s New Convertible Is Every Bit as Luxurious as Expected
Aston also pointed out a few key differences between the coupe and the convertible. To offset the loss of the roof, the Volante has been reinforced in several areas to maintain a level of rigidity close to that of the coupe, which likely contributes to its added weight.
The Volante also features its own unique suspension tuning to accommodate the differences from the coupe. However, the tires and braking system remain the same, with Pirelli P Zero tires and carbon ceramic brakes—six-piston in the front and four-piston in the rear.
The interior of the Volante mirrors that of the coupe, featuring dual 10.25-inch displays—one for the gauges and the other for the infotainment system. This marks a significant upgrade over Aston’s older Mercedes-derived infotainment systems, bringing the Vanquish up to speed with modern tech.
The roof can be operated with a switch inside the cabin. Flick the switch, and it takes about 14 seconds to retract or deploy and can be done at speeds of up to 31 mph.
How-To Geek’s Take
The Vanquish Volante is a breathtaking convertible, boasting incredible power and a title to match. Honestly, the slight difference in speed and weight compared to the coupe is irrelevant. The Volante is all about the experience, and there are few cars that can deliver an open-roof, V12, rear-drive thrill at any price.
Source: Aston Martin
