Aston Martin’s second Monterey Speed Week debut, coming hot on the heels of the stunning DBR22 Concept, is the V12 Vantage Roadster. Unlike the DBR22, the Vantage is actually destined for the street, but if you want one you’re out of luck. The car was such a poorly kept secret that all 249 units were spoken for before the car had been officially unveiled.
If you’re familiar with the coupe version
of the V12 Vantage Aston released earlier this year, you’ll know the drill.
Instead of the perfectly adequate 503 hp 4.0-liter AMG-sourced
twin-turbo V8 fitted to the regular Vantage convertible, the range-topping
Roadster gets a version of the 5.2-liter twin-turbo V12 Aston Martin engine
more usually found in the brand’s bigger cars, including the DB11 and DBS
Superleggera.
Those 12 cylinders generate 690 hp and 753 Nm of torque, sending it all to the rear wheels via a
specially-calibrated eight-speed ZF automatic and mechanical limited slip
differential. Performance isn’t quite in the Bugatti Mistral category, but zero
to 97 km/h in 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 322 km/h is
probably more than most people’s hairlines can handle, and Aston promises it’s
delivered with an “unfiltered howl” that only 12 cylinders can provide. You
won’t need to hear the V12 motor to know what’s under this Roadster’s hood
though. Like the V12 coupe, the flagship ragtop is marked out by a wider body
with stretched front and rear fenders design to accommodate a track that’s up
to 40 mm wider than the standard car’s. Other identifying – and
also functional – features includes a full with front splitter, a front grille
that’s 25 percent bigger, a horse-shoe vent in the hood, sculpted side sills and
a rear diffuser.
The 1970s handlebar moustache that passes
for a rear spoiler on the V12 Vantage coupe is optional on the Roadster, and
Aston says management of the underbody airflow means the car will be stable
regardless of whether you choose the wing. Buyers also have the option of ordering their 21-inch alloy wheels in
satin black, diamond-turned satin black, or junking them altogether and
selecting one of two forged alloy wheel sets that saves 8 kg. Other
weight saving measures include the use of carbon fiber for the front bumper,
clamshell hood, fenders and sill extensions, while the rear bumper and deck lid
are also made from a composite material. Rounding out the efforts to offset the
extra heft of the V12 motor are a special lightweight battery, an exhaust
system made from 1 mm stainless steel that saves 7.2 kg versus a V8 Vantage’s setup, and a standard carbon brake package that undercuts
a conventional steel brake kit by 23 kg. A carbon seat package is
also available: that cleaves a further 7.3 kg from the curb weight,
and an unspecified amount from your wallet.
Despite all that dieting, the Roadster is
a bit a lard-ass. It comes in at 1,855 kg, compared with 1,795 kg for the V12 Coupe, and 1,628 kg for the V8 Roadster. Aston says the V12 Roadster’s steering calibration matches
the coupe’s but that the roofless car’s adaptive dampers get their own bespoke
tune, presumably to reflect the open car’s extra heft, slight loss of
structural rigidity, and subtly different owner profile.
Sports Plus seats trimmed in semi-aniline
leather and featuring “wings” quilt and a perforated pattern lift the interior
ambience above the V8’s even if you don’t go for the fancy optional carbon
chairs. But you can bet most of the 249 owners will be asking Aston’s Q
personalization division to make a few tweaks before they take delivery at the
back end of 2022. Q options include loud exterior graphics, woven leather
upholstery and tinted lacquers that can change the appearance of the hand-laid
carbon panels in differing lighting conditions.