Aston Martin's new Vantage Roadster revealed
It is the sort of top-secret mission James Bond might well have undertaken to mount an undercover strike at an evil villain in the heart of his secret mountain lair. That's what went through my mind as I drove the exciting new 202mph Aston Martin Vantage Roadster - roof down, of course - through one of the most beautiful but infamous parts of southeastern Germany . For the driving route through the breathtakingly scenic Obersalzberg area of the Bavarian Alps, skirted ominously close to the Eagle's Nest and the former site of the Berghof, once the holiday home of Adolf Hitler.
So close to VE Day celebrations of the 80th anniversary of Britain and its Allies' victory in Europe over Nazi Germany, history reverberated through my mind during the trip. And my daydreamed Bond parallels were not entirely far-fetched. For there really was a British plot to assassinate Hitler – Operation Foxley – which involved parachuting in two British agents and shooting the Fuhrer, as he took his daily walk from the Berghof to a tea house. Meanwhile, during the war, Ian Fleming was in Naval intelligence and, of course, Aston Martin will always be linked with the author's 007 – it being Bond's favourite car. Parked by the Eagle's Nest, I had time to get back down to earth and reflect on my own adventure with the new £175,000 Aston Martin convertible.
The Aston that's perfect for the sunshine… or the rain
With a sunny warm spring at home in England and hopes for summer building, this luxurious sporting convertible would be ideal for exploiting those precious rays of sunshine. However, the reality was that I drove my Aston Martin Vantage mainly in the rain. But in true plucky British motorist style, I did it with the roof DOWN. And loved every second. Aston Martin's sizzling new two-door Vantage Roadster was designed and engineered in parallel with its hard-top coupe - and comes with minimal weight increase.
Aston's bosses say this is key to the two-seater retaining the dynamic performance, ride and handling of its sibling, and makes it 'a convertible without compromise'. The rear-wheel drive Aston also claims to have 'the fastest operating fully automatic roof on the market', with the roof going up or down in a record 6.8 seconds and at speeds of up to 31mph. This is useful for the convertible-loving British, who often insist on driving roof down at the slightest opportunity, only to get caught out by the weather. The roof can also be operated remotely via the key providing the driver is within a two-metre radius of the car. Handy for grabbing extra seconds of drop-top driving or a dash to cover up when the heavens open.
Driving the Aston Martin Vantage Roadster
The Aston Martin Vantage Roadster impresses on paper, but does it live up to the billing? It certainly looks the business with its shark-like front profile and a natural stance that - hood up or down - suggests a convertible always designed to be that way. If looks could kill it would rival 007. The Vantage Roadster's £175,000 price-tag represents a £10,000 mark-up over the hard-top coupe version, launched last year with the same acceleration and performance figures.
Neither is cheap – a casino or lottery win would be required for most mortals to purchase one - and a host of bespoke extra options will send that base figure soaring. Driving it was certainly fun and engaging – and despite persistent rain and drizzle, most of my drive was enjoyable with the top down. Powered by a bespoke 665hp 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo engine, linked to an eight-speed automatic gearbox with manual paddle-shift override and tighter gear shifts, the new Vantage Roadster accelerates with gusto from rest to 60mph in 3.5 seconds and can go on to a top speed of 202mph.
It boasts an increase in power over the previous Vantage generation of 155hp, thanks to larger turbochargers and other engineering tweaks. Advanced traction control and six-axis sensors enhance driving performance, with five selectable drive modes: from Wet to Track – plus Individual, to tailor things to your preferences. On the public highway I sensibly ignored Track. But as the roads dried out and I cruised along in Sport mode I really thought I was enjoying myself – that is until I switched to Sport Plus. And wow – now we're motoring.
Inside the Aston Martin Vantage
The weather around mountainous alpine region was pretty dismal with intermittent rain and much drizzle. But as a former owner of a much-loved MG Midget, I knew that as long as I could outpace the precipitation, the airflow over the windscreen would keep me dry. And so, it proved. Only when burbling slowly through traffic in a busy town did I resort to putting up the cossetting eight-layer fabric roof. And, as with my Midget, keeping warm in the open air was a simple case of putting on the heating at full blast.
When the roof is in place, the eight levels of insulation keep occupants snug and offer comparable levels of sound-proofing to the coupe. I was also impressed with the superb quality of the audio – even with the roof down. The new Roaster is fitted as standard with the Aston Martin 390w 11 speaker audio system with an option to upgrade to the specially created bespoke system from Bowers & Wilkins, which I enjoyed. But practicality isn't the roadster's strongest suit with just a 200-litre boot, you'll need to pack efficiently if heading on a big holiday, perhaps to the Riviera or the ski slopes. But with a car that's this much fun, who needs more than a credit card, toothbrush and a soft shoulder bag.
To protect occupants in the event of a crash, the Roadster car also has an aluminum roll-over protection safety system. Inside, as well as standard leather sports seats and interior trim, owners have the choice of a wide range of options, including carbon fibre performance seats. The Vantage Roadster features Aston Martin's latest infotainment system developed in-house from scratch and featuring a hi-tech 10.25-inch touchscreen. Thankfully buttons are retained for the key mechanical operations including gear and drive selection, heating and ventilation. There are also control switches for chassis, ESP electronic stability, exhaust settings, among others.
The Cars & Motoring verdict: The Vantage is a victory for Aston
The new Aston Martin Vantage Roadster really does celebrate a V for Victory. The raw technical data simply doesn't convey the full fun to be had with the roof down in this full-throttle British-bulldog Aston. It really does give you a buzz. You get all the advantages of the hard-top coupe - but the flexibility to get the top down if the mood arises, whatever the weather.
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