The Aston Martin Vanquish Volante is Britain’s reply to the Ferrari 12Cilindri. A uncommon mix of magnificence and drama, it combines old-world glamour with brutal fashionable pressure. When the 835PS twin-turbo V12 clears its throat, the expertise borders on the divine.
Some issues by no means exit of fashion. A Hermès Birkin. An Omega Speedmaster. And now, maybe, a naturally aspirated V12. On this planet of six-figure supercars, retro remains to be very a lot in. The Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider is already a classic-in-waiting, and the open-top thrills are backed up by an engine that’s pure theatre. No turbo 4. No hybrid system. Simply displacement doing what displacement does finest.
Aston Martin wasn’t about to sit down this one out. The Vanquish Volante, with its 5.2-litre twin-turbocharged V12 producing 614kW (835PS), is Britain’s extra refined, however no much less fearsome, counterpoint. Much less brash than its Italian rival, maybe, however no much less succesful. Suppose Sting versus Gianna Nannini. However anybody anticipating a docile gentleman’s cruiser is in for a shock. That is no comfortable old-school cabriolet. It’s an engineered assault on the senses. The engine is a masterclass: bolstered block, reworked cylinder heads, optimised cam profiles, and lighter, quicker-spooling turbos. Peak enhance arrives more durable and earlier due to improved injectors and a brief overboost perform. However all of that turns into educational as soon as the V12 comes alive.
High down, the expertise is savage. Even at idle, the Vanquish growls with menace. The total 1,000Nm punches into the rear tyres with such ferocity that grip turns into a fleeting idea. The speedometer struggles to maintain tempo. 0–100km/h is over in 3.4 seconds, and it doesn’t cease till 345km/h. The in-gear acceleration is borderline violent. From 160km/h, the Volante surges ahead with the sort of pressure that renders most electrical automobiles mute as compared. That is apex predator territory. Asphalt, meet Darwinism.
To these muttering that “straight-line pace isn’t all the things,” truthful sufficient. However whereas the Vanquish isn’t as nimble as a Miata (at 1,880kg with roof mechanism, how might it’s?), it holds its personal within the twisty bits. The load is cleverly managed, with near-perfect steadiness (49.5:50.5 front-to-rear), a lightning-fast E-diff that locks in simply 135 milliseconds, and stiffer anti-roll bars. The revised entrance strut brace and extra rear strengthening – together with a carbon crossmember – add additional rigidity. The Volante could roll via quick bends with a contact of mass, but it surely by no means feels clumsy. Suppose grand waltz, not jittery jig.
The adaptive Bilstein dampers, additionally seen within the DB12, have been retuned for a extra participating drive. “We’ve dialled again the hydraulic damping to present the driving force extra management,” says Chief Engineer Simon Newton. Regardless of no main structural reinforcements, the Volante feels stable. The sills are double-thick in comparison with the coupé, and rear suspension tuning has been revised to deal with the added roof weight. Spring charges are up by 7%.
In Sport and Sport+, all the things tightens up with out sacrificing consolation. The steering is fantastically judged—no synthetic heft, simply crisp, communicative suggestions. The GT drive mode is right for long-distance cruising, however for the complete Vanquish impact, Sport is the place the magic occurs. And surprisingly, it doesn’t drink like a monster: we averaged 15.8L/100km over a spirited take a look at route.
On the tech entrance, Apple CarPlay Extremely is offered, with a ten.25-inch instrument show and touchscreen local weather controls. As for baggage? With the roof up, there’s 219 litres within the boot. Roof down, 187 litres. Manageable, if not beneficiant.
However let’s be sincere. You don’t purchase a Vanquish Volante for the boot. You purchase it for the sensation. At €417,000, it’s €31,000 greater than the coupé. However what worth do you placed on one of many most interesting open-top GTs ever made? As a driving expertise, a design assertion, and a celebration of the interior combustion engine—it’s price each cent.
