Aston Martin has taken the proverbial tin opener to its DB11, in turn creating the new and very attractive DB11 Volante. Based around Marek Reichman’s latest design language, the DB11 Volante aims to bring drop-top Aston Martin motoring into the 21st century.
Thanks to the split body applique’ on the coupe, it was quite easy to imagine a cabriolet version of the DB11. The reality might be even better though, as with roof up or down, some of the more contentious design details that have been applied to the DB11 have been amalgamated into a much more elegant and resolved design.
All of the DB11’s lower aero features such as the ‘curliques’ behind the front wheels and rear diffuser remain, but the coupe’s hollow pillars and slightly disjointed roof are replaced with an all-together more elegant fabric one.
With less mass above the belt line, the extreme body tuck Reichman and his team gave to the coupe now visually supports the Volante’s upper body, making the whole car look more classical in its proportions and profile.
The loss of the roof hasn’t been at the expense of the DB11’s clever detailing either, with the longer rear deck now featuring subtle sculpting around the cabin line and windscreen. The compact fabric roof doesn’t affect these lines when up either, maintaining a sophisticated silhouette roof up or down.
The roof itself is a compact fabric unit, boasting a total of eight layers to insulate the cockpit from unwarranted road noise. Unlike Ferrari’s new Portofino, Aston Martin has maintained a fabric roof to limit compromise where packaging and styling is concerned. The roof can be lowered in just 14 seconds and at up to 50kph.
Aston Martin is quoting a kerb weight of 1870kg, a 26kg reduction over the previous V12 engined DB9 Volante, however there is one very big caveat with that figure: the DB11 Volante is currently only available with the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine as recently launched in the coupe coupe. Compare that to a similarly engined DB11 coupe and you’ll find a weight gain of some 110kg.
With 503bhp and 513lb ft of torque, the V8 could hardly be called slow, but what will be more amiss is the lack of a V12 soundtrack option in a boulevard Aston Martin.
Aston Martin currently has no any plans to transplant the V12 engine into the soft-top body and is quoting a five per cent improvement in torsional stiffness over the DB9 Volante.
A new 20-inch forged wheel design is offered with the new DB11 V8 Volante, available in silver or diamond cut finishes. Curiously though, as the released photos show, the wheels will also be available in a champagne finish, adding that little bit more glamour to the package.
Inside, the DB11’s interior is largely left unchanged, complete with Mercedes-Benz sourced electronics and rich leather finishes. The Volante does introduce new seats with backs finished in corresponding trim to the dash and waistrails.
Whether buyers will lament the lack of a twelve-cylinder option remains to be seen, but there is no denying that the DB11 Volante is one seriously attractive and desirable cabriolet.
First deliveries of the new DB11 Volante are scheduled for spring of 2018, and will cost $212,400, some $20,000 more than the corresponding V8 coupe.
