Aston Martin unveils convertible version of Vanquish supercar
Just weeks after announcing its fastest car on the market, Aston Martin continued a busy centenary year Tuesday by officially announcing a convertible version of its breathtaking 565-horsepower Vanquish.
The British automaker said the Vanquish Volante (which has long been Aston-speak for convertible) will join its fixed-roof counterpart at the top of its lineup. Its other cars include the four-door Rapide S, the DB9, and the Vantage V8 and V-12.
“Aston Martin is celebrating 100 years of excellence in 2013, and the arrival of this new sports car ... underlines that our mission to make the next 100 years even more successful is starting perfectly,” said company Chief Executive Ulrich Bez in a statement announcing the car.
PHOTOS: Aston Martin Vanquish Volante
Like the coupe, the Volante is powered by a 6.0-liter V-12 engine that makes 565 horsepower and 457 pound-feet of torque. Power flows to the rear wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. Top speed is 183 mph.
The Volante’s triple-layer roof will be operable at speeds of up to 30 mph, and will open or close in 14 seconds.
As with the coupe, the car will come standard with an adaptive suspension system with three settings: Normal, Sport and Track. Brembo carbon ceramic brakes are standard, and all of the body panels are made from carbon fiber.
Aston said interested parties should budget about $298,000 for its latest offering.
The Vanquish Volante is just the latest in a series of unveilings Aston has used to celebrate its 100th anniversary. In late May the automaker announced the V-12 Vantage S. Its 205-mph top speed makes it the fastest car Aston is currently selling.
Earlier this year the company announced a refreshed and more powerful version of its four-door coupe, now called the Rapide S. The company also brought to the 24 Hours of Nurburgring an experimental hydrogen version of the Rapide.
Late May also saw Aston debut a wild concept called the CC100 at the prestigious Villa d’Este Concorso in Italy.
Aston plans to bring this new Vanquish Volante to the 2013 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in August, where it will also showcase its other aforementioned newsmakers from 2013.
Deliveries of the Volante will begin in early 2014.
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