Aston Martin has taken the wraps off yet another jaw-droppingly beautiful creation, with the launch of its latest DB12 Volante, which is set to hit the road in the fourth quarter of this year.
After dropping the hardtop DB12 Coupe just a few months ago, Aston has shaved the roof off and given the DB12 the open-top treatment with a new folding soft top that features eight layers of insulation from the outside world.
Power for the DB12 Volante comes supplied by the same unit as the coupe, which means there’s a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 manufactured by Mercedes-AMG under the long, sweeping bonnet producing 500kW of power and 800Nm of torque.
Power is thrown to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission, with a limited-slip differential sitting at the rear.
The DB12 Volante sprints to 100km/h in 3.7 seconds, onto a top speed of 325km/h.
Underneath, it picks up a new cross-brace in the engine bay and some new rear suspension mountings to help keep things stiff and flat through the corners, as well as a set of adaptive dampers that have been revised over the coupe.
The DB12 Volante comes riding on a set of 21-inch alloys paired with Michelin Pilot Sport S5 rubber, with braking power supplied by a set of 400mm front and 360mm cast-iron rotors as standard.
There is also a set of optional carbon ceramic brake discs on offer for the DB12 Volante.
Inside, things are a familiar affair to its hard top sibling, with a substantial centre console housing everything from the start button, rotary gear selector, drive and suspension modes and climate control settings.
In front of the driver sits a digital instrument cluster, which is paired with a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment display and an 11-speaker surround sound system from Bowers & Wilkins.
Aston says that it expects to put the DB12 Volante into production in the third quarter of this year, with deliveries commencing before the end of the year.
“Creating open-air performance machines for drivers has always held a special place in the hearts across Aston Martin, dating back to 1965, with our introduction of the first Volante model, the legendary Short Chassis,” says Aston’s CCO, Marek Reichman.
“The new DB12 Volante is again another emotional Aston Martin design form with a desire to be driven,” he added.
“Crafted through performance design for those who share our joy and happiness for adventuring in cars in the open air, the new DB12 Volante is certainly exhilarating to experience,” Reichmann concluded.
