The 214-MPH Aston Martin Vanquish Volante Is Officially The World’s Fastest Front-Engined Convertible

I can’t help but get the feeling that Aston Martin is back on form. While the brand experienced a bit of a lull in the late 2010s, a major product offensive beefing up everything from styling to power to infotainment has done wonders. The DB12 regains some elegance that the DB11 arguably lost over the DB9, the new Vantage looks vastly improved, the Valkyrie hypercar is a proper halo car, and the new Vanquish is nothing short of stunning. Of course, given Aston Martin’s convertible proclivities, it was only a matter of time before its front-engined V12 grand tourer lost its roof, and the resulting Vanquish Volante is now the fastest front-engined convertible money can buy.

Under the hood, the star of the show is Aston’s 5.2-liter twin-turbocharged V12 pumping out a gargantuan 824 horsepower and 738 lb.-ft. of torque. Best of all, that torque peak forms a plateau, starting at 2,500 rpm and staying strong all the way to 5,000 rpm. Add in an eight-speed ZF automatic transaxle with an electronically controlled limited-slip differential balancing power across the rear axle, and the result is a likely traction-limited zero-to-60 mph dash in 3.3 seconds, and a claimed top speed of 214 mph. That’s faster than a Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider, loads faster than the new Bentley Continental GTC Speed, and even enough top end to outrun the mid-engined McLaren 750S Spider.

Of course, straight-line speed isn’t everything, as any performance car worth its salt better be able to handle and brake. The Aston Martin Vanquish Volante promises lots of hardware on that front, starting with two specially made Pirelli P Zero options, one for summer and one for winter. The dampers are Bilstein’s latest DTX adaptive units, the differential can go from open to locked in 135 milliseconds, and standard carbon ceramic discs clamped by six-piston front calipers and four-piston rear calipers ought to be able to take some heat.

However, the performance metric I’m most interested in is weight, since the Vanquish Volante tips the scales at 234 pounds heavier than its fixed-roof counterpart. That’s rather significant, considering a Mustang only experiences a 153-pound weight gain with a ragtop, although the Vanquish Volante should still be in the ballpark weight of a Lexus LC 500 cabriolet, just with nearly double the horsepower.

Inside, the Vanquish Volante is unsurprisingly much like its coupe brother, meaning it’s exclusively a two-seat affair yet one that’s filled with real leather, real buttons, and real knurled metallic knobs. With a herd of leather and the option of proper woodgrain trim, it’s up-to-date yet classic, and I have a feeling it will age well.

Perhaps best of all, the Vanquish Volante still appears as classically beautiful as the coupe, even though it’s lost its roof. The deep surfacing down the door and fenders adds an immense sense of drama, the kammtail accentuates the bulging rear fenders, and there’s something wonderful about the twin humps in the upholstered tonneau cover that conceals the stowed roof. Speaking of the roof, this multi-layer fabric affair can be opened and closed while on the move at up to 31 mph, or it can be done remotely from the key fob so that the Vanquish Volante is ready for top-down cruising before its driver even pulls the door handle.

So, the Vanquish Volante looks elegant, should go like stink, boasts a unique and compelling automotive superlative, and is expected to be a rare breed. Aston Martin only plans on building 1,000 V12 cars per year, and demand for the standard Vantage coupe seems strong enough that I wouldn’t be surprised if these cabriolets are made in extremely low numbers, at least for the first year or so of production. For the brave few shopping for a brand new mid-six-figure al fresco GT car, this might be the one to have.

Top graphic image: Aston Martin

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