Aston Martin Vanquish Volante revealed as brand’s most powerful convertible

The Aston Martin Vanquish Volante has been unveiled as the brand’s most powerful convertible model to date. The new drop-top flagship model shares the 835hp V12 engine with the Vanquish coupe and comes with a fabric top, but otherwise, it looks the same. The roof is operated by a K-fold mechanism, similar to the India-bound Vantage Roadster, and it can be opened in 14 seconds and closed in 16 seconds at the push of a button on the centre console.

1. Aston Marin Vanquish Volante has the same 345kph top speed as the coupe
2. At 1,930kg, Volante weighs 95kg more than the Vanquish
3. Interior, features list and customisation options identical to the coupe

Aston Marin Vanquish Volante engine and mechanical details

0-100kph in 3.4 seconds

Mechanically, the Vanquish Volante is identical to its coupe sibling, which was revealed in September last year and launched in India just two weeks ago. The same twin-turbo 5.2-litre V12 engine – making 835hp and 1,000Nm of torque – powers the convertible and is paired to a ZF-sourced 8-speed automatic gearbox. However, the folding roof mechanism has added 95kg, so the Volante weighs 1,930kg, making it 0.1 seconds slower in the 0-100kph sprint than the coupe, which manages it in 3.3 seconds. The claimed top speed is the same 345kph.

75 percent laterally stiffer than the DBS Volante

Aston Martin has used underbody bracing to recover some of the rigidity lost in the transition from coupe to roadster. As a result, the Vanquish Volante is 75 percent laterally stiffer than the DBS Volante. Other mechanical bits shared between the Vanquish and the Volante include Bilstein DTX adaptive dampers and an electronic limited-slip differential.

Aston Marin Vanquish Volante interior and exterior

Interior and exterior identical to Vanquish coupe

As mentioned above, besides the convertible roof, the Volante looks exactly like the Vanquish on the outside, from the large signature vaned grille to the quad exhaust tips and aggressive-looking diffuser. On the inside, it’s a similar story. In terms of features, the Vanquish Volante gets a 10.25-inch digital instrument panel, a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen that runs on Aston Martin’s own operating software and a 15-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system. Naturally, extensive interior customisation will be offered through the company’s Q by Aston Martin division.

Aston Martin Vanquish Volante price, rivals, deliveries, production

Rivals the Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider

The Aston Martin Vanquish Volante is one of only two new GTs – the other is the Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider – to offer open-top driving with a 12-cylinder soundtrack. The 12Cilindri Spider launched in India at the start of the year and is currently priced at Rs 9.15 crore. If Aston Martin brings the Vanquish Volante to India, it’ll be slightly more expensive than the Vanquish, which costs Rs 8.85 crore.

Production of the Vanquish and the Volante will be capped at fewer than 1,000 cars per year, says the brand, and deliveries in international markets will start between July and September. The arrival of the Vanquish Volante completes Aston Martin’s core line-up, which also consists of the Vantage, DBX 707, DB12 and Valhalla, which is on the cards for an India launch. 

All prices, ex-showroom, India, without options

Also see:

Aston Martin India sales split 50:50 between SUV and sportscars

Aston Martin Vantage India review: split personality

Aston Martin Valkyrie Le Mans hypercar revealed