Last summer, as Magneto regulars may recall, David Lillywhite drove the new Aston Martin DB12 ‘Super Tourer’ and was hugely impressed. “This is exactly how a modern-day DB should feel,” he enthused. And now we have the much-anticipated DB12 Volante, the hard-top’s convertible counterpart.
As with the coupé (and with the Bentley Continental GTC, comparisons with which are inevitably drawn) the Volante is here now exclusively with V8 power. That’s 671bhp-worth of twin-turbo V8 power, in essence a Mercedes-AMG engine hand-built by Aston Martin with modified cam profiles and larger turbochargers to produce more power and torque than even the AMR version of the old V12.
Aston Martin has properly wriggled into its niche, somewhere between the plushness of Bentley’s Continental GTC and the rawer appeal of Ferrari’s Roma Spider
The new car is really a significantly revised DB11, rather than a complete new package, but many of the changes are fundamental – not least the increase in stiffness, the headline figure of which is 140 percent across the front axle for a gain of five percent overall. Such is the strength of that basis that the Volante required no further stiffening in the process of losing its roof. That degree of rigidity allows the dampers to do their work properly, and means that turn-in and steering feel can be correctly optimised. Which is how you move from a plush and comfortable GT to something a bit closer to Ferrari territory. We’ve mentioned the Bentley already; Aston Martin also talks about the Roma Spider, another twin-turbo V8 convertible with a price very much around the £200,000 mark.
The British company had better hope its latest offering drives as impressively as it looks, then. Thankfully, the DB12 Volante’s refinement is immediately obvious. This is not a soft car, yet it rides with enormously impressive composure, taut and tied-down, yet rarely anything other than superbly comfortable. You can play with pre-set driving modes from GT to Sport Plus; Sport is a great all-rounder – never harsh, not too loud, superbly reactive – although you can tailor the mode with the Individual setting to make the most of its available attributes. In my case, that meant the more hardcore Sport Plus engine and transmission options, although with the damping dialled back. It works brilliantly on twisting and imperfectly surfaced British B-roads.
There’s more performance than you’ll ever need: 0-60mph in 3.6sec and on to 202mph, accessed via an eight-speed ZF automatic transaxle. Shifting via the paddles in manual mode is satisfying when you want to try hard, but mostly the gearbox knows what it’s doing, allowing you to concentrate on blasting from bend to bend, enjoying the roar of that V8.
The DB12 Volante corners with little roll, and turns in extremely keenly, always feeling fluid in its reactions. In these circumstances it feels more removed from the Bentley, which impresses by handling well for such a comfortable car. The Aston feels more overtly sporting, yet maintains the long-distance comfort that marks out the best GTs.
There’s been no need to back off the suspension settings to make up for a lack of rigidity; indeed, the rear springs are stiffened slightly to make up for the net gain of 90kg, thanks to the roof’s folding mechanism. Aston Martin is proud of that, too, not least the 260mm stack height (the DB12 Volante maintains an elegant rear deck and decent boot space), and the fact that the top takes only 14sec to lower. With eight layers of fabric and insulation, it allows the Volante to match the coupé for on-road silence, too.
None of that would be of more than academic interest to most buyers if the car’s styling wasn’t enough on its own to make you want it – and the Volante has great sculptural presence. The most elegant Aston since the DB9? To these eyes, certainly. Inside, a complete redesign puts a much simpler, more elegant dashboard centre-stage within a cabin of new-found sophistication that makes the most of obvious material quality and luxury.
As with the coupé, there’s a real sense of confidence about the DB12 Volante. With it, Aston Martin has properly wriggled into its niche, somewhere between the plushness of Bentley’s Continental GTC and the rawer appeal of Ferrari’s Roma Spider. It’s a genuine alternative to either – and distinctively different from both.
