Latest news with #VantageRoadster
The Citizen
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Aston Martin Thrillseeker Collection unveiled
Celebrating its 75th anniversary in the Americas, Aston Martin unveiled the Thrillseeker Collection at the 2025 Monterey Car Week. Unveiled at the 2025 edition of the Monterey Car Week in California, this exclusive range of Aston Martins comprises a trio of models, each dressed in a distinctive body hue – the Vantage Roadster in Mako Blue, DB12 Volante in Seychelles Blue, and Vanquish Volante in Ultramarine Black. In addition, each model also gains unique bronze detailing for the wheels and side fins, and, inside, the rotary dial. A bespoke luggage set is also included. Only nine examples of the Thrillseeker Collection will be built, all of which are already sold. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2025. 'Monterey Car Week is the perfect backdrop to celebrate Aston Martin's 75th anniversary in the Americas,' said the British marque's Chief Commerical Officer, Jolyon Nash. 'From bespoke creations such as the stunning Thrillseeker Collection, to the array of new sportscars and derivatives on display, alongside the much-anticipated Valhalla, this week exemplifies our commitment to craftsmanship, performance and prestige.' Click here and browse thousands of new and used vehicles with CARmag! The post Aston Martin Thrillseeker Collection Unveiled appeared first on CAR Magazine. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal.
Telegraph
07-08-2025
- Automotive
- Telegraph
Aston Martin Vanquish Volante review: A prime example of why V12 engines should live on
The final sum has not been confirmed, but a strongly indicative base price for this 214mph, 823bhp, V12-engined monster is £360,000, compared with the £175,000 you'll be charged for the 202mph, 656bhp Vantage Roadster I tested last year. How on earth is Aston Martin going to justify the £185,000 difference in price between two such ostensibly similar cars? Is it the name? Volante has been used to denote open-top Aston Martins since 1965. These days it denotes the DB12 and Vanquish soft-tops, but not the Vantage range which were always known as Roadsters, even in V8 and V12 guises. Is it the acceleration of 3.4sec from zero to 62mph, which is 0.1sec faster than the Vantage Roadster? It seems unlikely. Or is it the 5.2-litre twin-turbocharged V12 engine? A dinosaur in today's parlance, yet there is still strong demand for the synchronised cotillon of a dozen pistons in their bores. These days, where we're invited to admire the growth pangs of artificial intelligence in much the same way that medieval yokels might gather in front of a particularly impressive turnip, the Vanquish's V12 is the real thing, achieving what it does with the refinement of craft, design and mechanical brilliance. Sometimes we do count pistons, even if the extra four in the Vanquish effectively cost £46,250 each. Under the skin For non-aficionados of the marque, this car is the drophead version of the Mk3 Vanquish I also reviewed last year as Aston goes on a product initiative. The original Vanquish was first seen as Project Vantage at the 1998 Detroit Auto Show and went on sale in 2001. Designed by Ian Callum, this much-admired (despite its fragile robotised manual gearshift) car set a new tone at Aston and created a legend. That first Vanquish was replaced by the DBS in 2007, but then had a second generation from 2012 to 2018. That disappeared until the third-generation model last year. The bodywork design under Miles Nurnberger, Aston's director of design, drips testosterone, but is highly sensitive to colour. Silver doesn't do it many favours; the grille gawps like a lovestruck teenager and the haunches seem too rounded and too large. With paint such as this midnight-blue (almost black) Chimera hue the thing makes more sense and has greater presence. I can even forgive the orange pinstripe – just. Revamped V12 engine The 5.2-litre V12 has received a major revamp, with a redesigned cylinder block and heads, new cam profiles and connecting rods, revised porting and larger injectors. The Mitsubishi turbos spin 15 per cent faster than in the previous unit and there's water-to-air charge cooling. This features a boost reserve system which stores boost pressure in the inlet tracts, which is deployed when the driver pushes the accelerator hard at low engine revs when the turbos aren't spinning so fast. The result is 823bhp at 6,500rpm and 738lb ft of torque at 2,500 to 5,000rpm, which gives a top speed of 214mph and a 0-62mph elapsed time 0.1sec slower than the coupé, which is the fastest road-going Aston Martin; so this must be the second fastest. The gearbox is a titivated version of ZF's eight-speed quick-shift automatic, which is mounted in a transaxle along with an electronically controlled differential, a first in a V12 Aston. Step inside The interior is a combination of old and new, although in this test car there's rather too much of the latter in the form of carbon-fibre trim. This stuff simply doesn't look like a high-quality material and marks easily – after all, what you are looking at is essentially epoxy resin mouldings with backing. The screens are mercifully in the background, although the instrument binnacle is small, as is the size of the digits, so pack your bifocals. Standard sports-plus seats are comfortable and supportive, but can feel a little pinching round the kidneys, while those of a larger persuasion might want to check the options for a wider perch. There's a feeling of space and room around you (so it should be in a 2.044-metre wide, 4.85-metre-long car), but the door pockets are narrow and tend to spill their content into inaccessible under-seat spaces if you are eager on cornering forces. There's a shelf behind the seats where handbags and briefcases do battle with the folded hood mechanism and a wind deflector. The boot, too, will shrink when the roof is folded, from a not desperately good 219 litres to a pretty terrible 187 litres – the coupé has 248 litres. Weight, before you ask, is 1,880kg dry, which compares with the coupé's 1,774kg dry. Just over 100kg in it, then. Judging by the lack of twist in the chassis, it's all stiffening. The hood has a slightly odd folding mechanism, but at least it leaves the rear deck flat and it's a proper fabric hood, albeit with strengthening (so it should have, given the top speed). The detachable wind deflector has all the foldability of a Silver Cross pram, but once in place it does a fair job of keeping the breeze out of your barnet On the road Pulling into the bucolic Cotswolds, the engine growls and the eight-speed automatic provides smooth progress. So far, so Vantage Roadster, in fact. You can feel the body stiffness, which is extraordinary. Surpassing not just the ride quality, which is excellent, but remarkable in the way the Vanquish reacts to the major controls with barely a sniff of slop or twist. Older sports cars would have a dwell time, fractions or even whole seconds of angular movement during which nothing happened; not here though. And the sense of control as you turn the steering, with its easy progression off the straight-ahead position with no lost movement, belies the lack of a rigid roof. Similarly, the standard carbon-ceramic disc brakes are hugely powerful, but with progression and a decent grab upon initial application, meaning you can feel your way into a corner without disturbing the balance too much. On Fish Hill, the steep and sinuous climb out of Broadway, I push the accelerator pedal a bit (quite a bit) more and twist the cylindrical gear selector from GT to Sport to give the gearbox a bit of a hint. The engine shrieks, the rear tyres squirm for grip on dry tarmac, the revcounter is approaching 6,000rpm… Now I understand where the money went. It feels like an old film speeded up for effect, but at the wheel there's a calm as the safety systems and the remarkable differential keep the nose pointed where it was commanded. Using the less watchful modes of Sport Plus or Individual (where you can independently choose the settings for drivetrain, steering weight and damper response), you can goad this car into lurid cornering antics. But would you take a third of million's worth to a racing circuit simply to shred a set or two of 21in Pirellis? What this car does best is a sort of muscular covering of ground, thanks to a well-judged ride and effortless cornering, along with just enough luggage space. With a brimming sense of occasion, the Cotswolds suddenly seems far too small to contain its continental ambitions. Utah, perhaps? Or lunch in Budapest? The Telegraph verdict Strangely, at a time when we're all supposed to be buying EVs, the number of V12 engines on the market is as great as ever. Lamborghini, Ferrari and Aston Martin all have V12 super GTs and even if sales volumes are low, they are still selling. There's a temptation to say the Vanquish's 5.2-litre blown V12 is as near to peak internal combustion engine as makes no difference, it's remarkable. And if the Vanquish Volante lacks the pizzazz of the Lamborghini Revuelto hybrid and the suavity of the Ferrari 12Cilindri, it perhaps is the best of both worlds. The facts On test: Aston Martin Vanquish Volante Body style: two-door, two-seat, front-engined drophead gran turismo On sale: now How much? £360,000 (estimated) How fast? top speed 214mph, 0-62mph in 3.4sec How economical? 19mpg (estimated) Engine and gearbox: 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12, eight-speed automatic gearbox in a rear transaxle, rear-wheel drive via an electronically controlled limited-slip differential Maximum power/torque: 823bhp (6,500rpm)/ 738lb ft (2,500rpm) CO2 emissions: 312g/km (estimated) VED: £5,490 first year, £620 next five years, then £195 Warranty: three years/unlimited mileage The rivals Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider From £336,500 While the Berlinetta coupé's controversial looks divide opinion, the Spider, while still reminiscent of the classic Daytona, is easier to live with. A screaming, front-mounted, naturally-aspirated 6.5-litre V12 delivers 812bhp and a 211mph top speed. A statement car for those with something to say – as well as places to go. Lamborghini Revuelto From £395,535 This replacement for the Aventador is a plug-in hybrid, but the electric shove is to fill in the gaps in the torque curve of the 6,499cc naturally-aspirated V12. With a 217mph top speed and 0-62mph in 2.5sec, it's a wild ride, though this mid-engined supercar lacks some of the sophistication and turbine smoothness of the Ferrari.
Auto Car
25-07-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Car
Bad driver assistance systems are just as frustrating for passengers
So it was interesting to be removed from the role of ADAS victim. A bit like the loved one who gets bullied by their boss but can't quite see it and muddles through, only when you witness somebody else getting harried by these systems can you appreciate just how overwhelming it is. They go off constantly, chip, chip, chipping away. I will say this, though: while they're all subject to the same regulations and are all to an extent very annoying, these systems do work in subtly different ways, and that is starting to matter. By MIRA, the two of us had reached the conclusion that we're not far from ADAS behaviour being a part of the brand-loyalty equation. Performance, design, practicality and price are all big decision-influencing areas when it comes to car buying, but none of them are going to matter if the thing drives you up the wall every time you want to pop down to the shops. Two things particularly matter: the manner of the intervention (everything from the timbre of the bong to the pick-up of steering auto action) and how simple the systems are to disable. Some manufacturers do get it. They tend to be the ones that have traditionally put the driver first. BMW, for example, has a superbly gentle lane keeping action and lets you curtail the speed limit warning with one push on the wheel (seriously, who can stand bings going off at 52mph in a 50mph zone when, as every road tester can confirm, you're really doing only 49.5mph?). And with the launch of the Vantage Roadster, Aston Martin has introduced a physical ADAS shortcut button, right next to the exhaust and damping switches. To them, it's that important. On the other side of the equation there is Toyota. God I love Toyota, from Yaris to Land Cruiser, but its current, faintly paranoid ADAS are just infuriating. There's even an alert to tell you when another car is wafting up behind you. Gratuitous or what? Would I like to take a break, as it suggests, 12 minutes into my trip? No, but I might like to steer off that cliff. The 'off' switches are also buried in fiddly menus and you can't access them on the move. Not sure I'd buy one.
Wall Street Journal
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- Wall Street Journal
A Ravishing Aston Martin That Lets You Drop the Top
Last month researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, announced they had discovered a new color, a supersaturated blue-green outside the range of human color perception. To see it, test subjects had to have special lasers aimed at their retinas. I know an easier way. 'You get the blue one,' said the Aston Martin representative, pointing at the ravishing Vantage Roadster parked in front of the hotel in Palm Springs, Calif. A convertible version of the redesigned Coupe, the Roadster debuts three color schemes, one of which—Satin Iridescent Sapphire—infuses the carbon-fiber body panels with a hitherto undreamt, scarcely believable shade of teal, its polarized highlights shifting from indigo to forest-green in the brilliant sun like the chromatophores of the world's sexiest octopus.
The Irish Sun
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
I drove Aston Martin Vantage Roadster – it's car which cries out to be driven hard & will get you a nod of appreciation
I HAD two choices. Test an open-top Vantage dodging potholes in 20mph Great Britain. 4 Test an open-top Vantage dodging potholes at 20mph in the UK... or head to the Alps where roads are smooth, empty, and you can do much more than 20mph? Credit: Aston Martin 4 This roadster is basically the mega Vantage coupe but with headroom of about 20,000 miles Credit: Aston Martin 4 It's a car which cries out to be driven — and driven hard Credit: Aston Martin Or head to the Austrian Alps where the roads are smooth and empty and you can do a lot more than 20mph. I went for option B. The hills are alive with the sound of . . . a glorious V8. A masterpiece of engineering in one of nature's great masterpieces. READ MORE ON MOTORS Not Coventry ring road. Same 4-litre twin-turbo V8 sending 665 horses to the rear. And your ears. Same suspension set-up. Most read in Motors Same 202mph top speed. Just a tenth slower off the line. Because it's 60kg heavier. Iconic Top Gear Aston Martin that Clarkson compared to 'lightning' hits auction You won't be surprised to learn that driving it roof-down, on twisty mountain roads, turns everything up to 11. The power . The torque. The noise. The razor-sharp steering. The handling. The way it makes you feel. It's a car which cries out to be driven — and driven hard. Yet equally, it's a car that's just as pleasing parked up outside a cafe. Vantage Roadster or Porsche 911 Cabriolet? You can make strong arguments for bothx of them. Nod of appreciation Let's just say many other sports cars/supercars are often greeted with the old Nescafe wave from other road users. This car gets a nod of appreciation wherever it goes. Because it's cool and sophisticated. And so very British. As one might expect, the cabin fits like a tailored suit. Copy-and-paste the regular Vantage. Except here the numbers in the driver's display are bigger and easier to read and there's an extra button on the flight deck of controls. For the roof. Duh. By the way, the roof is eight layers thick, the motor is whisper-quiet, and it does the up/down sequence in just 6.8 seconds. It's an Aston Martin, darling. What do you expect? Ignore the £175k price tag. By the time you've spent two days on the configurator it's going to be way more than that. 4 It's cool, classy, sophisticated - and so very British Credit: Aston Martin Now I should perhaps explain why I'm really in the Alps. James Bond author Ian Fleming went to school in Kitzbuhel. Timothy Dalton's Bond drove a winterised Aston Martin on the southern Austrian border for The Living Daylights. Now I should perhaps explain why I'm really tooling about in the Alps. Any excuse, really. Q&A: ASTON MARTIN CEO ADRIAN HALLMARK FAST-forward to 2028 and Aston Martin will be killing it – as a car company, as a Formula 1 team, as a brand. I'm 100-per-cent certain. Billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll doesn't do anything by half and he's recruited the biggest brains to make Aston world-beaters on and off the track. Here's ten minutes inside the mind of Aston Martin CEO Adrian Hallmark, headhunted from Bentley last year to reinvent the car side of the business. Who phoned who? A mutual contact asked if I'd be interested in a conversation, which I agreed to because I was interested in the story. So I had the conversation, understood the story, could see the credibility of what they'd done and what they were doing, and thought about it. It wasn't a quick thing. It was a conversation over many, many months. What was the deciding factor? To prove if I could do it again. When I arrived at Bentley I was almost angry with the condition the company had got itself into having worked there before. I knew what it could be and had seen how Ferrari and others had developed. Aston is another brand that has never realised its true potential. It was never really sustainably profitable. It was very niche. So the chance to do it one more time, as long as I'm feeling happy, healthy, fit and fully energised, what an opportunity. Have you ever owned an Aston Martin? Never. In fact, when I drove the Vantage, I almost felt a twinge of guilt. The performance and the quality and the feel of the Vantage is phenomenal. I'd never tried it because I always underestimated what it would be. The whole philosophy at Bentley is super-fast but relaxed. In an Aston Martin, you feel energised. Every single one. The DB12 looks like an intercontinental cruiser. When you drive it, it's rampant, and feels really energetic and alive. The Vantage is a step even further and Vanquish is another level. All very different characters, but they've all got this vitality in the way they feel and drive. And they look the nuts . . . Honestly, you can't drive anywhere without being photographed. Everybody wants to talk to you about them and that's not just in the UK, that's when I'm in France or in Switzerland or travelling. So what needs fixing? To be really punchy about it, we were either unimaginative or self-limiting in assuming that we could launch a car for five years and take the top off it as the only action to keep the car relevant to customers. If I buy a Vantage in 2023, I probably want to change it by 2025-2026. So what's changed that allows me to come back and feel I'm buying a different and more attractive car than the one I'm already selling? That's our duty and we've not planned enough of that. We're gonna do the exciting stuff as well. But the real key to building a sustainable profitable business is having this bedrock of products that work through this five, six-year life cycle where there's lots of innovation. The luxury market has expanded exponentially over the past 20 years and we need to go and get our share. We're covering a price range from £150,000 to £1million for the base cars. With the plans we've got to take each nameplate and express its full potential, do more specials but at the right cadence, I can see a clear pathway to making the brand sustainably profitable. Talk to me about electrification . . . Step one is hybridisation. Beyond Valhalla, you'll start to see a complete hybridisation offer in parallel to some of the combustion offers that we have. We will focus our hybrid approach on performance first and the emissions benefits will be the given. We are still committed to full electric in the future. But we won't rush to change every model to electric one year after the next. We will launch something in this decade – but we won't have an offer in every body style by the end of this decade. Will the first EV have four doors and a high hip-point? More than likely. An all-new model? Or will you use an existing name? We've not made those decisions yet. It's like babies, isn't it? You have ideas before they are born but always do it after they are born. Aston has always had James Bond. Now it has F1 too . . . I was jealous to death of James Bond, F1 and the specials business of Aston Martin when I was at Bentley. Any one thing on its own is interesting. But if you look at the credibility and the integrity of what Lawrence is pulling together, I mean to get Adrian Newey, Enrico Cardile and Andy Cowell into the F1 team, this is not a vanity project. This is freaking serious. All-in. For now, we've got to get through this season and it's all about 2026, 2027, 2028. That three-year window is what Lawrence and the whole team are absolutely obsessively focused on. It coincides with where we should be as well. In the next few years we will have refreshed everything. Replaced everything. Not just the derivatives. Every car will be redone. You'll start to see a complete reset of the company both on track and off. We've got the resources and the talent. Everything we need to get it done. Last question – what's in your garage at home? I don't collect cars. I'm a profligate consumer. I would never buy something just to own it. I buy it for the fun of the driving. I've got two G-Wagons, a 1991 Swiss Army eight-seater, and a G63. We've also got a Fiat 500 Electric for the city. It's beautiful. Satin grey, OZ Racing wheels.
