► New Vanquish convertible driven in UK
► Few compromises compared with Coupe
► The fastest front-V12 cabrio in the world
The Aston Martin Vanquish Volante isn’t so much a decapitation. Rather, this convertible version of the firm’s top-rung GT car has been in development alongside the latest Vanquish Coupe since day one. This is great news for a number of reasons, but above all exceptionally reassuring when the resulting mobile tanning booth places no less than 1000Nm of torque under your right foot.
In old money that’s 737lb ft, available in a socking great slab all the way from 2500rpm to 5000rpm. But so confident is Aston in the strength of its chassis as well as its convictions that, according to overall director of vehicle performance, Simon Newton, regardless of roof, the Vanquish is treated as the same car. Suspension changes are minimal, the dynamics fundamentally the same.
And that’s the really, really good news. Because for a £360k car with an 824bhp 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12, the Vanquish Volante is a remarkably unintimidating to drive – despite also proving both utterly ballistic and invigoratingly involving. Climb aboard.
Should I buy an Aston Martin Vanquish Volante? *Italian shrug* This probably largely depends on how much you like turbos versus natural aspiration, but this drop-top Vanquish is a joy to drive at any speed.
Our page on how we test cars explains why you should trust us.
At a glance
Pros: Exceptionally well-sorted driving experience that flatters throughout, comfortable, modern tech, well-implemented roof
Cons: Occasional structural shimmy, screens prone to reflections, engine could be more evocative
What’s new?
New for 2025, the Vanquish Volante sits above the DB12 Volante and Vantage Roadster in the Aston Martin open-air line-up. It looks a lot like the DB12 – and not at all like the Valkyrie or Valhalla. The difference between the two ‘grand touring’ models can, however, be numerically defined as 80mm, four cylinders and 153bhp.
Which is to say, the Vanquish is: that much longer between the front wheels and the windscreen; gets Aston’s bespoke V12 instead of the DB12’s AMG V8; and is significantly more powerful. You can buy a 671bhp DB12 if you want, just know that the Vanquish is a heavier hitter, if perhaps not as nimble with it.
Compared with the Coupe, the Volante gains around 105kg in additional bracing and the impact of the convertible roof structure. As a consequence, the rear spring rate is 7 per cent firmer, and so too is the front anti-roll bar. It uses the same ‘intelligent adaptive’ Bilstein DTX dampers.
The roof requires 14 seconds to fold, 16 seconds to raise, and can be operated at up to 31mph. It’s a fully automatic system, controlled by a milled aluminium switch on the centre console. But if you don’t want to be buffeted too much you’ll need to add the windblocker, which is very much a manual affair.
At just 260mm in height when retracted, the compact nature of the K-fold design contributes to the Vanquish Volante managing to retain such a svelte deckline.
What are the specs?
Bluntly, this is the fastest front-engined V12 convertible in the world, capable of 214mph flat out – exactly the same speed as the Coupe. However, it doesn’t accelerate quite as fast as the only rival, needing 3.4sec to go 0-62mph when the Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider claims three seconds dead. Ferrari quotes its top speed as ‘211mph+’, so Aston may only win that victory on a technicality.
Power delivery between the two cars is rather different, though, with the prancing pony making its 819bhp at a screaming 9250rpm without the assistance of any turbos. The Aston’s 824bhp peaks at just 6500rpm – though that never feels like a lowballing handicap – and uses a trick Boost Reserve function to avoid accusations of lag. It mashes the Ferrari for muscle, promising 737lb ft from as little as 2500rpm; the 12Cilindri makes 500lb ft at 7250rpm.
Fuel economy for the Vanquish Volante is officially WLTP calculated at 20.0mpg. We saw 13-14mpg and probably could have made it much worse if we weren’t such fine and upstanding law-abiding citizens most of the time. We’ll hazard a guess this only bothers you to the extent that it limits the cruising range between top ups, and the 82-litre tank is generous enough to likely make your bladder the more limiting factor. CO2 is 321g/km.
The Vanquish Volante is rear-wheel drive via an eight-speed torque-convertor automatic transaxle, helping balance the 5.2-litre V12 in the front. Almost all of this big twin-turbo motor is mounted behind the front axle line, further optimising weight distribution.
How does it drive?
Driven in isolation for nearly three hours, through town and countryside, and on fast dual carriageways as well, it’s hard to resist describing the Vanquish Volante as masterful. While we rate the Vanquish Coupe four stars, suggesting the DB12 is a more energetic steer for quite a chunk of cash less, to me the Volante feels like a remarkable achievement from start to finish.
At over two metres wide and nearly five meters long, it’s a hell of a size for a two-seater. You sit low down and quite in-board of the extremities, which suggests it should make you nervous. But aside from a minor visibility issue when it comes to overtaking – I found it difficult to see past the cars in front without stepping halfway over the centre line – it’s so completely authentic and consistent in its responses that you quickly get over any concerns.
For something so vast and so unequivocally powerful to be so easy drive is almost bizarre. That it achieves this without any compromise in excitement once the road opens out is fantastic. The kicker is that it still feels involving and special at sane speeds as well as less, uh, advisable ones – without becoming over-tiring at the same time. It is quite the achievement.
The engine is like a selection of hammers, rather than just one big enormous one. In the default GT driving mode, torque is limited in the first four gears and the throttle map is long and languorous – giving the Volante an almost lazy air that ramps up gradually rather than with huge inevitability. Stick it in Sport, however, and you get all of the torque, all of the time, and a more reactive accelerator.
Accompanied by tighter body control – achieved by restricting the vertical movement in the dampers, but not to the extent it stops being able to absorb mid-corner bumps – it’s suddenly like driving an elongated hot hatch. You can throw it around, do stupid things when braking into turns, be wilder with you right foot, and it will take an astonishing amount of stick without misbehaving unless deliberately provoked. It is very, very fast. And lots of fun, while still refusing to intimidate.
Sport+ is tougher in terms of ride comfort and falls back to a longer throttle – for more control at the extreme end of the car’s velocity potential. There’s also a Wet mode, but this isn’t about sapping power so much as it’s intended to allow you to drive quickly when the weather is against you. Rapid, enjoyable progress is always at the core of this thing.
Even when dropping back down to GT, when the whole car seems to sigh and relax – it still offers beautifully measured control. You’re just more likely to bark the underside of the nose on the road surface during aggressive compressions; for covering long distances very quickly, it’s ideal.
Shot through all of this is Aston’s commitment to consistency, typified by the fixed ratio steering, which quickly becomes something that builds your trust and maintains it. But there is still trickery aplenty behind this sensation of analogue control, which is served by impressively well-integrated electronic systems.
For instance, the e-differential, which has allowed Newton to deliver a fundamentally aggressively chassis that this variable diff is then able to calm down for stability at higher speeds. And the torque vectoring by brake, which supports swifter direction changes by helping the Vanquish pivot. Both technologies that seem to shorten the wheelbase without resort to direct rear-wheel steering. Even the best RWS still sometimes catches you out, and above all else the Vanquish seems determined to stay on your side.
Is it as ultimately thrilling as that naturally-aspirated Ferrari? We’ll need a comparison test to find out. The Aston’s structure still suffers the occasional shimmy, and the boosty twin-turbo V12 won’t be for everyone. Even with the optional titanium exhaust it’s not the most evocative-sounding machine from the cabin – though you will catch it echoing off walls and buildings, especially around town.
What about the interior?
Lots of lovely leather and bespoke aluminium controls on the inside – though the knurled rollers and roof switch on the centre console contrast starkly with the slightly plasticky indicator stalk. There’s plenty of room, but so there should be when a car with this size of footprint is carrying just two occupants.
Aston Martin is first to market with Apple CarPlay Ultra, which takes care of the digital instrument cluster as well as the infotainment. Seems to be fine – including the use of Google Maps, ha ha – and is almost certainly a better solution than any Aston would have come up with in-house.
However, the screens it uses do suffer in bright sunlight. The instruments aren’t shielded by a binnacle and the central touchscreen is angled quite shallowly and very susceptible to reflections. The system is quick, however. We also like that there’s a dedicated button to switch off the lane keeping assist, which otherwise interferes with the steering.
The roof is rapid in actual operation as well as on paper, and apparently provides greater refinement than the Coupe when it’s raised due to the way the multiple layers of material deal with vibrations. It’s certainly cosy, allowing the climate control to function efficiently on the hottest day so far in 2025.
There’s a small amount of luggage space behind the seats, albeit requiring some negotiation with the large carbonfibre brace bar. This may be more useful than at first glance, because the actual boot isn’t very big. The Volante has just 219 litres of boot space – and that’s with the roof up; with the roof down this falls to 187 litres.
For context that’s 90 litres less than a Vauxhall Corsa. At its best.
Before you buy (trims and rivals)
The Vanquish Volante doesn’t come in different trim levels, but there is an extensive options list. And Q by Aston Martin, the firm’s bespoke division, will do pretty much whatever you want, at a price.
Speaking of, at the time of writing (July 2025) Aston Martin hasn’t released actual pricing, instead saying the Vanquish Volante is likely to cost from around £360,000. If you’re spending at this level, I guess the precise amount may not matter. But optioned up this is likely a £400k missile.
The only current front-engined V12 convertible rival is the aforementioned Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider. Not so fussed about the cylinder count and/or engine position? Then competition gets more varied. For example, the Bentley Continental GTC Speed is quite the luxury weapon these days, and a Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet is wickedly fast (although we are still waiting for the latest 992.2 version to break cover). Then there’s the DB12 Volante, which is also very alluring for its performance and shorter length.
Verdict: Aston Martin Vanquish Volante
This is a lovely piece of work. An open air grand tourer that’s very fast, very composed and very capable. The tech and the build quality are well up to the mark, and the roof is everything you could want in this class of convertible. But it’s the wonderfully sorted driving experience that really shines through.