It would be reasonable to assert that the Aston Martin DB12 has impressed damn near everyone who’s driven it. The coupe improved upon its DB11 predecessor in every key area: better to look at, better to be in, better to drive and so on. By rights, exactly the same ought to be true for the new Volante, though concern always lingers a tad when a great GT (or super tourer, sorry Aston) drops its top.
Why? A few reasons. We’ve been spoiled by carbon-tubbed supercars that impose no discernible penalty whatsoever for roof-down fun, raising the expectations (fairly or otherwise) for less exotically assembled alternatives. Furthermore, while cars like the DBS worked very well as a Volante, Aston doesn’t have a great back catalogue of roadsters; the best driving derivatives have always been the hardtops. And while this DB12 has a solid foundation (in every sense) to work from with the standard car, the fact that it carries no additional bracing - the only chassis changes are an increased rear spring rate and new front top mounts - might be a concern. There’s the extra 100kg or so carried, too.
Of course, buyers will at least get a truly beautiful Aston Martin convertible to look at. To be expected, perhaps, given how chiselled and handsome the ‘12 is, but there’s something properly arresting about this car with the roof down. Aston’s claims of a ‘sleek uninterrupted beltline and ‘lithe and muscular tail’ ring true, proving much more of a roadster look (to these eyes, at any rate) than the more traditional Aston ragtop. It could even be said this is the best-looking car to wear the Volante badge, such is the perfectly judged harmony of beauty and aggression. Plus, of course, there’s now an interior befitting of an Aston sports car, and it's navigable with a hint of sunshine on top - win-win.
It doesn’t take long behind the wheel to realise the DB12 Volante isn’t cut from the same soft top cloth as some previous efforts either. If anything the name does the achievement on display here a bit of a disservice, the generational leap arguably more than significant than a single digit. And if Volante still conjures up awkward Aston drop tops named after King Prince Charles, nothing could be further from the truth here - the car feels like a DB13 Roadster in evolutionary terms.
There’s a sports car vibe from the off. That same tautness and immediacy that characterised the DB12 experience has been carried over intact, confidence flowing from the first effortless damping effort, crisp steering response and perfectly judged initial brake feel. All while retaining the cool, caddish charm of a wind-in-the-hair Aston. It certainly doesn’t require loads of effort to feel a million bucks, V8 rumbling along and auto shifting decisively. Those who still want a cruiser will find it here (albeit with perhaps a bit more road noise than expected) despite the newfound sense of dynamic purpose.
Moreover, while quite a few cabrios these days can conjure up a convincing facade of athleticism to kick off with, where this Volante really impresses is in its depth of talent. Brake a bit later, accelerate a bit earlier, turn a bit harder - the DB12 continues to lap it up. Unsurprisingly, Aston sees this car much more as a rival for cars like the Ferrari Roma Spider rather than the heftier rivals like the Bentley Continental GT; without wishing to chug all the Gaydon-supplied Kool-Aid, it definitely has the tenacious character of a proper two-door sportster rather than a straightforward convertible GT. It feels alive and engaging merely in its default mode with the naughty exhaust on; even cranked to Sport Plus it’s not unbearably harsh. The increase in urgency and firmness is tangible, though never totally overwhelming - although, as is so often the case, Sport works as a great catchall for those who don’t want to fiddle with a (pleasingly chunky) drive mode dial.
It’s hard, perhaps impossible, to recall an Aston Martin Volante that so actively encourages driving properly hard. The traction is mighty and the assists (including variable traction control) very clever, the turn in bite remains resolute (thank you, Aston-specific Michelins) and the suspension just doesn’t run out of ideas, even with 1,900kg being hassled and harried more than is reasonable. The powertrain is the perfect accompaniment, too; the AMG V8 is now sufficiently senior (having first been seen in the AMG GT a decade ago) that it has some old-fashioned character, a little dozy prior to 2,500rpm and romping along from there with its rousing holler. The eight-speed auto seldom falters whatever the setting; keen in Sport Plus, mellow in GT, and always responsive to the paddles.
If we were to nitpick, there is the odd tremor still detectable in the structure. So minor are these disturbances that they probably don’t even qualify as tremors per se, though there are just-about-noticeable little shimmies to the rearview mirror and steering over very testing surfaces. That the Aston doesn’t possess the infallibility of a carbon-tubbed car is virtually preordained, yet its rolling refinement is impressive nonetheless - there have been cars with raging bulls and prancing horses on their bonnets that seem much less rigid.
Indeed, we’re at the point now where the roles of coupe and convertible in a supercar (or super GT) range might now have to be reevaluated. Where once the coupe would have been the default choice over the heavier, less precise convertible, now it’s got to be questioned what the hardtop really brings over and above the car that can do both the laidback attention grabber and the top-down thrill seeker. Perhaps a back-to-back of the DB12s will reveal starker differences; for now, it’s hard to think of a car that better combines the emotional pull of a luxury drop-top with the driving satisfaction of a properly sorted rear-drive sports car. For expectant customers, summer can’t come soon enough.
SPECIFICATION | 2024 ASTON MARTIN DB12 VOLANTE
Engine: 3,982cc, twin-turbo, V8
Transmission: 8-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 680@6,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 590@2,750-6,000rpm
0-62mph: 3.7 secs
Top speed: 202mph
Weight: 1,796kg (dry)
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
Price: £203,000
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