Aston Martin debuts V12 Vantage Roadster with nearly 700bhp
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Aston Martin has unveiled a near-700bhp open-topped version of the company’s ultra-rare V12 Vantage.
Production of the V12 Vantage Roadster, which is making its debut at the Pebble Beach show in California today, will be limited to just 249 examples — 84 fewer than the coupé — and as with the hardtop, the new model features both a wider body than the V8 Vantage and the firm’s sonorous 690bhp 12-cylinder engine.
That widebody look is required for the V12 to accommodate a different, 40mm-wider suspension set-up to the V8 Vantage, while the grille is 25% bigger to better aid in cooling the engine. It occupies more space in the engine bay, thereby generating higher temperatures, something that also requires the addition of a horseshoe-shaped vent in the bonnet.
Other visual cues setting the V12 apart from the V8 include a reworked front bumper, a full-width front splitter and changes to the rear bumper with an integrated diffuser.
Although a large rear wing is standard on the V12 Vantage coupé, on the Roadster it’s an option instead.
Combined, all the aerodynamic tweaks compared to the V8 model add up to around 216kg of downforce when the car is running at high speeds.
The final visual element differentiating the V12 from the V8, making it look altogether more aggressive and purposeful, is the design of the 21in alloy wheels, finished in satin back with the option of a silver contrast.
There’s also a lightweight forged wheel option that saves 8kg in mass. Michelin Pilot 4S tyres — 275/35 R21 up front and 315/30 R21 at the rear — are standard.
As well as the option of lighter wheels, further reducing weight are the bumper, bonnet, front wings and sills, all of which are hewn from carbon fibre, while the rear deck lid and bumper are also made from a composite material.
A twin-exit exhaust system made from millimetre-thick stainless steel saves 7.2kg over the V8 Vantage Roadster’s as well as giving voice to that big V12, with carbon-ceramic brakes saving another 23kg versus steel brake discs.
Performance, thanks to that weight-saving and the 5.2-litre V12, is rather more than brisk, with 555lb ft of torque on tap at 5,500rpm, a power-to-weight ratio of 367bhp per ton, the 0-60mph dash dispensed with in 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 200mph.
Power is sent to the rear wheels via an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission, with a mechanical limited-slip differential helping with traction.
Inside, the V12 Vantage Roadster comes with quilted leather seats, though for those keener on exploiting the extra power and performance, there’s the option of a racier interior with a six-way adjustable carbon-fibre seat that saves 7.3kg “without skimping on occupant comfort,” according to Aston.
“We have worked extremely hard to ensure the V12 Vantage Roadster possesses the same potency and dynamism that characterises the V12 Vantage, while surpassing it in terms of raw sensory excitement that you only achieve with roof down driving,” said Roberto Fedeli, Aston’s new Chief Technical Officer, a new arrival at the firm following the departure of former CEO, Tobias Moers.
“With more power and torque than any Vantage Roadster before it, a wide-track chassis with precisely tuned suspension calibration, and up to ten times the downforce of the series production Vantage Roadster, this is a breath-taking machine created for our most enthusiastic customers.”
The V12 Vantage Roadster is set to be the last iteration of the V12 Vantage that will be built and those keen to get their hands on one will be disappointed: predictably, they’re already sold out.
Production is due to begin later this year.
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