The Aston Martin Vanquish Volante is Britain’s answer to the Ferrari 12Cilindri. A rare blend of elegance and drama, it combines old-world glamour with brutal modern force. When the 835PS twin-turbo V12 clears its throat, the experience borders on the divine.
Some things never go out of style. A Hermès Birkin. An Omega Speedmaster. And now, perhaps, a naturally aspirated V12. In the world of six-figure supercars, retro is still very much in. The Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider is already a classic-in-waiting, and the open-top thrills are backed up by an engine that’s pure theatre. No turbo four. No hybrid system. Just displacement doing what displacement does best.
Aston Martin wasn’t about to sit this one out. The Vanquish Volante, with its 5.2-litre twin-turbocharged V12 producing 614kW (835PS), is Britain’s more refined, but no less fearsome, counterpoint. Less brash than its Italian rival, perhaps, but no less capable. Think Sting versus Gianna Nannini. But anyone expecting a docile gentleman’s cruiser is in for a shock. This is no soft old-school cabriolet. It’s an engineered assault on the senses. The engine is a masterclass: reinforced block, reworked cylinder heads, optimised cam profiles, and lighter, quicker-spooling turbos. Peak boost arrives harder and earlier thanks to improved injectors and a temporary overboost function. But all of that becomes academic once the V12 comes alive.
Top down, the experience is savage. Even at idle, the Vanquish growls with menace. The full 1,000Nm punches into the rear tyres with such ferocity that grip becomes a fleeting concept. The speedometer struggles to keep pace. 0–100km/h is over in 3.4 seconds, and it doesn’t stop until 345km/h. The in-gear acceleration is borderline violent. From 160km/h, the Volante surges forward with the kind of force that renders most electric cars mute in comparison. This is apex predator territory. Asphalt, meet Darwinism.
To those muttering that “straight-line speed isn’t everything,” fair enough. But while the Vanquish isn’t as nimble as a Miata (at 1,880kg with roof mechanism, how could it be?), it holds its own in the twisty bits. The weight is cleverly managed, with near-perfect balance (49.5:50.5 front-to-rear), a lightning-fast E-diff that locks in just 135 milliseconds, and stiffer anti-roll bars. The revised front strut brace and additional rear strengthening – including a carbon crossmember – add further rigidity. The Volante may roll through fast bends with a touch of mass, but it never feels clumsy. Think grand waltz, not jittery jig.
The adaptive Bilstein dampers, also seen in the DB12, have been retuned for a more engaging drive. “We’ve dialled back the hydraulic damping to give the driver more control,” says Chief Engineer Simon Newton. Despite no major structural reinforcements, the Volante feels solid. The sills are double-thick compared to the coupé, and rear suspension tuning has been revised to handle the added roof weight. Spring rates are up by 7%.
In Sport and Sport+, everything tightens up without sacrificing comfort. The steering is beautifully judged—no artificial heft, just crisp, communicative feedback. The GT drive mode is ideal for long-distance cruising, but for the full Vanquish effect, Sport is where the magic happens. And surprisingly, it doesn’t drink like a monster: we averaged 15.8L/100km over a spirited test route.
On the tech front, Apple CarPlay Ultra is available, with a 10.25-inch instrument display and touchscreen climate controls. As for luggage? With the roof up, there’s 219 litres in the boot. Roof down, 187 litres. Manageable, if not generous.
But let’s be honest. You don’t buy a Vanquish Volante for the boot. You buy it for the feeling. At €417,000, it’s €31,000 more than the coupé. But what price do you put on one of the finest open-top GTs ever made? As a driving experience, a design statement, and a celebration of the internal combustion engine—it’s worth every cent.
