Making its public debut at last week’s glitzy Monterrey Car Week 2022 event, the sleek and elegantly aggressive new V12 Vantage Roadster now adds wind-in-hair thrills and magic to an otherwise purposefully driver-focused recipe of the V12 Vantage hard-top mentioned earlier.
Historically, Aston Martin reserves the ‘Vantage’ nameplate exclusively for its most driver-focused offerings, and there have been several great hits over the years. This latest special perhaps takes the cake, and those fortunate enough to have been allocated one of the 249 units planned are in for a treat.
For starters, there’s the symphony of House Gaydon’s magnificent 5.2-litre twin-turbocharged V12 mill under the hood. Like the V12 Vantage hard-top that proceeded it, the mill sings a symphony to the tune of 700PS (circa 690BHP) and 753Nm. Said outputs drive the rear wheels via an 8-speed automatic box nestled within the rear.
The result is an open-top speedster that’s as quick as it is stunning, despatching 0-60MPH (approx. 96KMH) in 3.5 secs whilst en route towards a claimed V-max of 200MPH (approx. 322KMH). Yep, unlike most other open-top offshoots, this one matches its hard-top base twin in terms of sheer speed.
Unlike the coupe it underpins, this Roadster offshoot benefits from optimised aerodynamics. This comes courtesy of a front splitter and rear diffuser. Fortunate prospects also have the option to specify the rear spoiler as seen in the hard-top too. Crucially, these aren’t just for ‘show’ with Aston Martin claiming these generate up to 204kg in downforce as well.
In other words, this roadster promises to hold the road just as well as its hard-top counterpart. Bolstering this further is the presence of hardware promising the agility to match, namely massive carbon ceramic brakes rotors – 410mm up front and 460mm at the rear – grabbed by six- and four-piston calipers, as well as a bespoke tuning for its adaptive dampers.
By the way, those anchors sit behind equally massive 21-inch wheels which, aptly, enhances this Roadster’s widened stance further – it sits 40mm wider than the coupe, in fact. Lastly comes the promise of unrivalled grip through the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres shod on each wheel too.
Being a driver-focused offering, weight-saving was a key goal when building the V12 Vantage Roadster. This ought to explain the liberal use of carbon fibre and ‘lightweight composites’ to craft much of the exterior panels such as the front and rear bumpers, the aerodynamic parts present, the side sill, as well as the boot lid and rear fascia.
The same approach is mirrored with the cabin as prospects will get to specify optional carbon bucket seats instead of the usual plush Aston Martin flare. The only other trade-off with these besides weight is the need to adjust them manually – a small price to pay, especially for those who understand the importance of attaining that perfect driving position.
“We have worked extremely hard to ensure the V12 Vantage Roadster possesses the same potency and dynamism that characterises the V12 Vantage Coupe while surpassing it in terms of raw sensory excitement that you only achieve with roof-down driving,” said Aston Martin Chief Technical Officer, Orberto Fedeli, upon presenting the V12 Vantage.
Of course, this being Aston Martin’s swansong of sorts, the V12 Vantage Roadster is reserved for the select few, which brings us to the bad news: just 249 units will be made, and all are spoken for too. Aston Martin says production for the V12 Vantage roadster commences within the third quarter this year, and deliveries of which begin in the fourth quarter.
Sure, all 249 units of the V12 Vantage Roadster, as well as all 333 units of the V12 Vantage hard-top it is based upon, may have been snapped up, but we’re certain the lucky clientele of the marque have all acquired the ultimate dream machine indeed.
Could you think of a better way for Aston Martin to bid farewell to its sensational twin-turbo V12 motor? Neither did we.
Photos: Aston Martin
