Aston Martin V12 Vantage Roadster debuts with most powerful V12 yet

Alexi Falson

Aston Martin is celebrating the launch of the all-new V12 Vantage Roadster which comes powered by the company’s twin-turbo V12 for the first time in the Vantage drop-top body, complemented by a new widebody design.

The V12 Vantage Roadster made its official debut at Pebble Beach over the weekend, with the company confirming that production will be limited to just 249 units in total. Aston’s order book is already accounted for.

Under the bonnet sits a 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 producing 514kW of power and 753Nm of torque, which translates to a mammoth power-to-weight ratio of 273kW-per-tonne. Power is thrown to the rear wheels via an eight-speed ZF automatic that provides a 0-100km/h sprint in time of just 3.5 seconds.

To help out in the corners, the V12 Roadster receives a mechanical limited-slip differential at the rear, with a set of adaptive dampers fitted as standard.

Stopping power is provided by a set of 410mm front and 360mm rear carbon ceramic brakes clamped by six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers that save 23kg of weight over a set of steel brakes.

On the topic of weight savings, Aston says the V12 Vantage Roadster’s exhaust is made from stainless steel just 1mm thick which has helped to shave 7.2kg from the standard car, while the front bumper, bonnet, front guards and side sills are all made from carbon fibre.

The V12 Vantage sits 40mm wider than the standard Vantage, and receives a new front bumper design with full-width front splitter that adds a significant amount of downforce, with a front grille 25 per cent larger than the base car.

It comes riding on 21-inch alloys with two finishes wrapped in Michelin Pilot 4S tyres (275/35 front and 315/30 rear). Buyers can also option for a set of forged wheels that save another 8kg.

Inside, there’s a set of sport seats with quilted semi-aniline leather upholstery, with the option of a carbon fibre performance seat also available that shaves another 7.3kg from the weight, while the rest of the cabin remains relatively unchanged from the standard Vantage Roadster.

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