Aston Martin unveils the brand new V12 Vantage S Roadster
[Not a valid template]Take a moment to watch the below video first. That way you’ll have that sensational ‘sports soundtrack’ running round your head whilst you look at these images.
Yes, it’s the new Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Roadster, which means three things: 1) it’s gob-smackingly gorgeous; 2) it’ll offer more furious brake horsepower than the outgoing soft top Vantage S; and 3) they’ll be something technically ‘new and exciting’ to offer petrolheads with ample wallets around the world:
Point #1, check, courtesy of a slightly tweaked front grille (inspired by the CC100 Speedster Concept and designed to maximise air flow to the engine), 19-ich Graphite alloys, and enough grilles on the bonnet to grate even the heartiest of cheese blocks. All pretty standard fair for a V12 smoker, plus an all-new fabric roof. Obviously.
Point #2, check Aston’s established 6.0-litre V12 now kicks out 565bhp, some 55bhp more than its predecessor. The newboy also brings with it 457lb ft of torque, some 376lb ft of which – rather impressively – is readily available from 1000rpm. That equates to a rather nippy 0-100kph in 4.1 seconds and a top speed of 323kph, only 7kph down on its hardtop counterpart.
And point #3, check. Sort of. As well as Sportshift III transaxle, the three-stage adaptive damping (for those all-important Normal, Sport and Track) and Aston’s six-speed manual has now been replaced with a seven-speed, not that this news will prove earth shattering to the paddle-shifters amongst us.
And the price for these pearls? Yet to be confirmed. But bear in mind the hardtop costs $231K and convertibles usually cost about $3/4K more. Ouch…
