214-MPH Aston Martin Vanquish Volante Is The Fastest Front-Engine Convertible In The World
Aston Martin revealed the redesigned Vanquish last September, and if you like your coupes long, low and powered by a V12, you probably fell in love the moment you saw it. The fact that it makes 824 horsepower certainly doesn't hurt, but the Vanquish really is just gorgeous, both inside and out. It probably drives pretty well, too, but with such gorgeous styling, it almost doesn't have to. When Aston Martin introduces a new coupe, though, you know the convertible version isn't far behind. Those of you who can actually afford one still have another six months or so before deliveries begin, but the wait for the Vanquish Volante is officially over for those of us who just like to look.
Considering we've already seen the hardtop version, there aren't many surprises here. It's an Aston Martin Vanquish without the roof. That means you still get the same twin-turbocharged 5.2-liter V12 that sends 824 hp and 738 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic. That's an absurd amount of power to send to just the rear wheels, but hey, no one ever said buying the convertible version of a V12-powered grand tourer that starts north of $400,000 was practical or responsible. And while the new Vanquish's grille does look a little oversized, odds are, you won't even notice in real life unless you sit on the ground in front of it. Odds are you also won't see one, since Aston Martin says it plans to keep Vanquish coupe and convertible production under 1,000 units a year total.
Read more: Porsche Taycan Turbos Have Lost Up To $100,000 Value In 4 Years
Aston Martin hasn't said how much heavier the Vanquish Volante is compared to the coupe, describing the weight increase as "minimal." That said, it's very proud of the fact that the new Vanquish Volante is only 209 pounds heavier than the previous soft-top Vanquish while also improving the power-to-weight ratio by 33 percent. Keep the pedal to the metal long enough, and it will also top out at 214 mph (the same as the coupe), making it the fastest front-engine convertible in the world.
There are certainly worse problems to have than just being good-looking and fast, but the Vanquish Volante also adds some convenience with a top that Aston Martin claims only takes 14 seconds to open and 16 seconds to close. It will also operate at speeds up to 31 mph, so if it starts to rain, you don't have to come to a complete stop before raising the roof to protect your half-million-dollar convertible. And yeah, while Aston Martin didn't announce U.S. pricing, as the coupe starts around $430,000 don't be surprised if the convertible ends up pushing $500,000. That's a whole lot of money, but at the same time, just look at this thing. You just know the V12 sounds so much better with the roof down.
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