Aston Martin’s Vanquish flagship went on sale late last year, and now the stage is set for the Volante convertible version to follow suit. Captured here by the eagle-eyed Automedia lenses, this Volante prototype appears all but production-ready, even though it’s wearing a psychedelic camouflage to throw onlookers off the scent.
As per the Vanquish coupe, the Volante is underpinned by Aston Martin’s Gen4 VH (Vertical-Horizontal) aluminium/carbonfibre platform, with propulsion coming from the familiar 5.9-litre V12, kicking out 420kW at 6750rpm and 620Nm at 5500rpm.
Drive is relayed to the rear wheels via carbon-fibre tailshaft and rear-mounted Touchtronic 2 ZF six-speed automatic transmission with paddle-shift manual mode.
The Vanquish coupe sprints from 0-100km/h in 4.1sec and has a claimed top speed of 295km/h, and the Volante should be able to more or less match this (give or take a few tenths and 5-10km/h) owing to the weight penalty it’s likely to carry.
Visually, the drop-top appears little changed from its hard-hatted sibling, sporting the same front spoiler/splitter and side skirts. The major changes are out back, as the Volante has a longer rear deck to create enough space for the fabric roof to retract.
It’s not easy to make out for certain from these images, but it’s believed the convertible will retain the same 2+2 layout as its coupe sibling.
Although unconfirmed by Aston Martin, it’s possible the Vanquish Volante will be publicly revealed at the Pebble Beach Concours in August, going on sale in Europe and the US later in the year.
No word as yet on pricing, but it seems reasonable to expect a $20-30k premium over the Vanquish coupe, which is priced in Australia at $473,340 plus on-road costs.
Read the latest news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site...