DBS gets Volante treatment … and becomes Aston Martin’s fastest ever сonvertible. Words Richard Meaden. Photography Aston Martin.
Lopping the roof off perhaps the most handsome new car money can buy could end in all kinds of wrong, but by the looks of these images the new DBS Superleggera Volante is very, very right.
Employing the same 715bhp, 664lb ft 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 and eight-speed ZF automatic transmission as the coupe, the DBS Volante is the fastest convertible car in Aston Martin’s history. Top speed is identical to the coupe’s at 211mph, while the 0-60mph time is fractionally slower at 3.6sec thanks to an increase in weight from added bracing to maintain structural rigidity. Aston is yet to release the actual figure, but comparing weights of the DBH coupe and Volante, we’d estimate an increase of around 100kg.
With the folding eight-layer fabric hood raised, the Volante’s lines are pleasingly different, the shorter roof forming a tight, turret-like top that accentuates the DBS’s broad hips and tail. Hood down, the lines are even more striking. Operated from within the car or remotely via the key fob, the roof takes 14sec to lower and 16sec to raise; handy if you need to maximise the UK’s fleeting moments of sunshine.
You might expect the Volante’s curtailed roof to have an adverse effect on the DBS’s excellent aerodynamics, but Aston Martin confirms there’s a minimal diminution of downforce, the Volante’s peak of 177kg just 3kg less than with the coupe thanks to a revised version of the clever Aeroblade II system.
With a base price of £247,500, there’s a £22,500 premium for the Volante. First deliveries are due in the third quarter of 2019, and with the international launch coming soon, we’ll be bringing you a full first drive in the next article.
