While the Aston Martin Vantage Roadster hadn’t been confirmed by the time of our ‘new cars to care about feature’ at the start of the year, we all knew it was coming: the 21st-century Vantage has featured a drop-top derivative for 20 years now, and the combination of V8 snarl and drop-dead styling has often proved a beguiling one. So here it is once more, a Vantage Roadster with eight cylinders up front, drive to the rear wheels, and looks to kill. ‘Engineered for real drivers, designed for open-air thrills’, no less.
Plenty of the coupe’s good stuff carries over to the cabrio: the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 remains rated at 665hp and 590lb ft, the Bilstein DTX dampers are included, as are the e-diff, variable traction control and bespoke Michelin Pilot Sport 5S tyres. So it remains formidably fast, helped by carrying just 60kg (so 1,665kg dry with lightweight bits) over the Coupe; 0-62mph takes 3.6 seconds, top speed is 202mph. The two folks onboard are promised ‘even more of the inimitable V8 thunder’.
Don’t think that the modest weight gain means any skimping on the convertible essentials, either. Aston says both hardtop and soft top were engineered ‘in parallel rather than in sequence’, suggesting that that wasn’t always the case, and therefore meaning all the required structural changes could be done in weight optimised fashion. Notable changes include modifying how the body is attached to the rear axle, plus the introduction of shear panels underneath ‘in strategic positions’ to aid lateral stiffness. Aston says the aim was for ‘structural rigidity at an outstandingly high level for a convertible car.’ The dampers’ software has been revised for the change in both overall weight and the distribution (now 49:51 front to rear), plus the gearbox gets new mounts.
As for the roof itself, the Roadster gets a ‘Z-fold’ setup; most roadsters apparently go for a K-fold roof, which is said to be slower and heavier. Aston claims up or down takes just 6.8 seconds in the Vantage Roadster, which is super speedy by any measure. Roof operation can take place at up to 31mph, or when stationary via the key. Despite the lightweight construction, Aston believes that there isn’t a refinement compromise, with interior noise levels comparable to the coupe - thanks in part to eight layers of insulation. And as a rowdier, fiercer prospect than before, a bit of extra din in a rousing soft top is probably easier to accept if it is there. The rollover protection is said to be weight optimised as well, assembled using a method called Castrusion because of how it combines ‘optimal elements from both casting and extrusion to create a system that is robust, light and simple to package.’
All sounds very promising, given how impressive both Vantage Coupe and DB12 Volante have been so far. Simon Newton, Aston’s Director of Vehicle Performance, added: “Developing both Vantage Coupe and Roadster simultaneously meant we were able to retain the outrageous dynamic capabilities and agile sporting character of Vantage with no compromise upon removal of the roof, allowing drivers to revel at the limit with the added exposure to the elements. This has been achieved from meticulous optimisations in the body structure combined with Roadster-specific chassis tuning carried out by our skilled dynamics team and is the perfect stablemate to its Coupe cohort.”
Let’s be honest, though - buying a convertible Aston Martin is as much about the look as the driving dynamics. Understandably, then, it was deemed ‘essential’ that the ‘visceral impact and beauty’ of the hardtop was retained for the Roadster, and certainly it looks a million bucks with the roof down - it stows neatly and draws attention to that spoiler really nicely. That same squat, purposeful, chiselled style of the coupe has survived the transition to these eyes, certainly enough to have owners of the old car looking on enviously. The roof can be had in Black, Red, Blue or two-tone Black and Silver, four designs of 21-inch wheel are available, and new paint colours have joined the Vantage palette as well: Iridescent Sapphire, Satin Iridescent Sapphire and Bronze Flare. Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichmann reckons this new Aston is nothing less than a "sculptural masterpiece.”
The interior will be familiar to those up-to-speed with new school Astons, which is to say a dramatic improvement on the recent past. In addition to the infotainment upgrade with 10.25-inch central screen, there’s a standard 390w 11-speaker sound system - upgradeable to a Bowers & Wilkins setup engineered for the Roadster. Speaking of options, the carbon fibre seats seen here can replace the standard electric chairs, and Q by Aston Martin will be on hand for all Vantage customers for all bespoke requests.
Available to order now, new Vantage Roadsters will be with customers in the second quarter of ‘25 - just in time for hot Aston summer. With the Coupe costing £165,000, expect the drop-top around £180k before options. Aston CEO Adrian Hallmark added of the new model: “The technical and dynamic capability of new Vantage delivered outstanding performance; far beyond any other preceding Vantage and it is now seen as a true class-leading sports car. Vantage Roadster was no different in that it is a fully reinvented experience, with all the benefits of the Coupe and no compromise to refinement or performance through meticulous work by our engineering and dynamics teams. Vantage Roadster delivers a world-class roof-down driving experience like no other.”
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