All the better to hear that twin-turbocharged V8 do its thing
Aston Martin has chosen one of its largest markets for open-topped cars — the USA, specifically the west coast — as the location in which to reveal the new DB12 Volante convertible. It makes its world debut at the Monterey Car Week in California, first at The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering on Friday, and then at the Aston Martin Club 1913 at Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance over the weekend.
Developed in parallel with the DB12 coupé, the convertible model benefits from Aston Martin’s focus on structural stiffness of the car’s underpinnings, in a bid to enhance refinement and driver engagement.
- Aston Martin DB12 review: Much more than a facelift
To that end, the company’s engineers claim that “global torsional stiffness” for the Volante has increased by 3.7 per cent over that of its predecessor, the DB11 Volante, while the lateral stiffness of the front axle is up 140 per cent. A stiffer frame means the suspension is allowed to do its job as intended, and the car feels more agile to drive.
Sleek folding roof design
None of the strengthening measures are visible, so the DB12 Volante carries over the coupé’s aggressive new appearance and wider stance, adding a gently sloping rear deck under which the folding roof stows. Aston refers to this as a “K-fold” design due to the two-stage folding procedure that places the roof under a hard tonneau cover.
Buyers can choose from black, red, blue or “Black and Silver” for the fabric of the roof. Amusingly, Aston says that the sleek rear of the DB12 Volante “puts the lumpen efforts of package-compromised rivals to shame”.
Despite the compact packaging, the fabric top features eight layers of insulation to isolate the car’s occupants from the outside world and it is raised or lowered automatically. It takes 14 seconds to open the roof and 16 seconds to close it, at speeds of up to 31mph. If you’re within two metres of the car, it can be done from the key fob, too.
New-generation infotainment
Roof down, the whole world gets to see the DB12’s cabin, arguably the biggest step forward for the brand. As in the coupé, the Volante features Aston Martin’s new infotainment system mixing digital instrumentation, a slick 10.25-inch touchscreen and sensibly chosen physical controls. Underpinning the system is a new electrical architecture that enables far more functionality than in previous Aston Martins.
Buyers can specify the 2+2 cabin materials and colours to their preferences.
AMG V8 with up to 671bhp
For now, the only engine offered in the DB12 — regardless of body style — is an AMG-sourced 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8. Peak power is quoted as 671bhp and it’s sent to the back wheels via a rear-mounted, eight-speed automatic transmission and an electronically controlled differential. This e-diff is designed to optimise agility, safety and traction in all scenarios.
Aston quotes a 0-62mph time of 3.7 seconds for the Volante — just 0.1 seconds slower than the coupé — and a top speed of 202mph, which matches the hard-top’s. At 1,796kg, the Volante is 111kg heavier.
This year marks the 110th anniversary of Aston Martin, a milestone it will focus on in California this week with the North American debut of the limited-edition Valour coupé. Test drives of the DB12 coupé and the DBX707 will be available to attendees, while VR is being employed to allow prospective buyers take a closer look at next year’s new Aston Martin Valhalla.
- If you were interested in the new Aston Martin DB12 Volante, you might want to read Will Dron’s review of the Aston Martin DB12
- You might also be interested in our Aston Martin DBX707 on-track video review
- Also check out Peter Sellers’s Aston Martin DB4GT, which could sell for £2.6m at the Goodwood Bonhams auction 2023
Keyword: Aston Martin DB12 Volante is the convertible version of brilliant new hard-top