When I finished my recent review of the DBS Superleggera, I mentioned that I couldn’t wait for the convertible version. My wish was clearly the command for someone at the Gaydon factory.
A lucky genie at Aston Martin delivered the latest and greatest Aston Martin Volante convertible, which arrived at my office in time for the last sunny weekend of the summer. The gorgeous DBS Superleggera, in a stunning dark metallic grey, was immediately the centre of attention in the car park.
The beautiful lines of the coupe have been retained, and perhaps even enhanced in the new convertible version. With a simple press of the button, you reach al fresco motoring at its best. The noise of the stunning V 12 intensifies with the roof down, the senses tingling every time you accelerate. This is a car that demands to be driven roof down, with all music off. The engine noise is sublime and, when switched to sport mode, becomes even more raucous and menacing.
Accelerate hard, then slow down, and she crackles and spits like a Chinese firework. This car is fun. Loads of fun! It also handles perfectly and extremely fast, reaching 60 in around 3.6 seconds and with top speeds of 211 mph. On the road it retains all the characteristics of the coupe that I tested recently and loses none of the rigidity. The ride is also surprisingly good and, unusually for a convertible, smooths out bumps in the road without chassis vibration
The car draws admiring glances from the public wherever it goes and is truly effortlessly cool. While perhaps the interior (in particular the dashboard) is a little old fashioned in design, this comes at no detriment to function or style. In a car with such classic heritage as an Aston, you’re the hero of your own movie – shaken or stirred? It’s a feel-good car and likely one of the last, great full-blooded petrol engined V 12s on the market.
It’s not cheap, but exclusivity comes at a price. There are likely cheaper cars out there that perform as well, but if you can afford it, this new Aston is a worthy contender.
