Aston Martin has raised the roof with its new £200,000 open-top super tourer DB12 Volante.

That’s around a £15,000 mark up on the recently launched companion coupe version.

Powered by a feisty 680 horsepower 4.0 V8 twin-turbo petrol engine linked to an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox, the new DB12 Volante accelerates from 0 to 62mph in 3.7 seconds up to a top speed of 202mph. The hand-built engine has an increase in output of 34 per cent compared with the previous DB11.

Aston Martin bills the new car as ‘the ultimate open-top super tourer’ with production starting this summer and first deliveries expected from the autumn.

The roof operation takes 14 seconds to open and 16 seconds to close and can be used at speeds of up to 31mph and into a 31mph headwind. The car firm notes: ‘For additional convenience and pleasing theatre, the roof mechanism can be operated via the remote keys, as long as you are within a two-metre radius of the car.’

Aston Martin said: ‘This open-top model combines spectacular super tourer performance and handling with the irresistible sensory thrills of roof-down driving.’

The Volante was developed in parallel with its stablemate coupe and includes the same design, engineering and technology advances creating the next step in the firm’s new generation of sports cars.

It is to make its global debut at Monterey Car Week in California this week.

Aston Martin said the Volante ‘adds the elegance and engagement of open-top driving to a class-leading blend of ultra-luxury, power and sporting dynamics’.

The British marque adds: ‘With class-leading power and performance and purebred sports car dynamics, it is a transformative evolution. One that unashamedly positions the DB12 Volante as a true driver’s car first and foremost.’

The electrically-operated ‘K-fold’ roof is named after the two-stage folding procedure engineered to achieve a 260mm stack height which Aston Martin says is ‘class-leading’ adding: ‘This exceptional design combines brilliant packaging solutions with maximised luggage capacity, swift operation and stunning aesthetics.’

The fabric roof canopy features eight layers of insulation and is acoustically enhanced for improved interior cabin comfort.

Aston says: ‘When raised, the beautifully sculpted roof line maintains the DB12’s immaculate profile. When lowered K-fold mechanism sits low beneath a hard tonneau cover to create a beautifully elegant tail.’

Customers have a choice of four different exterior hood colours, starting with black as standard, plus red, blue and ‘black and silver’ as options, allowing for a wide variety of customisation.

The car firm based in Gaydon, Warwickshire said: ‘Exploiting the lowline packaging made possible by the brilliant K-Fold roof mechanism, the Aston Martin design team have achieved a sleek and athletic form that looks sensational with the roof raised or lowered.

‘The taut fabric hood lends the Volante a distinctive look denied to convertibles equipped with folding metal roofs.

‘Once lowered and concealed beneath the sculpted hard tonneau the Volante plays its trump card, the sleek uninterrupted beltline giving a tantalizing glimpse of the opulent interior and culminating in a lithe and muscular tail that puts the lumpen efforts of package-compromised rivals to shame.’

The DB12 Volante rides on standard 21-inch forged alloy wheels fitted with ‘AML’ coded Michelin Pilot S 5 tyres made to Aston Martin’s precise requirements.

Braking is provided by cast-iron 400mm front discs and 360mm rear discs as standard, with an optional carbon ceramic brake system offering increased performance.

The Volante delivers ‘intense performance and pinpoint handling’ combined with ‘the intoxicating pleasure of roof-down driving’ supported by the very latest connected technology and a spectacular surround sound audio system, says Aston Martin.

It noted: ‘One delightful detail distinguishes the Volante interior differs from its Coupe counterpart; wood veneer or carbon fibre panels on the seatbacks matched to the door trim inlay to create an extra layer of visual interest and luxury when the roof is lowered.’

Bespoke infotainment is provided by a Bowers & Wilkins surround sound hi-fi.

The new DB12 range is the first to receive Aston Martin’s next-generation infotainment system which includes a fully integrated multi-screen system with full online connectivity and a 10.25-inch display.

Single and multi-finger gesture control is balanced by buttons retained for the key mechanical operations of gear selection, drive selection, heating and ventilation.

There are also override switches for the most-used controls, including chassis, ESP, exhaust, lane assist and park distance control.

Customers who want to personalise their new car can opt for the bespoke ‘Q by Aston Martin’ service.

Aston Martin chief creative officer Marek Reichman said: ‘The Volante name holds a special place in Aston Martin’s history. Since the first Volante was introduced back in 1965, huge strides have been made in engineering, technology and performance.

‘The DB12 Volante’s exterior and interior design reflects these advances with a muscular physique and athletic stance indicative of its immense performance, and a clean and contemporary interior that stands as a bold interpretation of modern luxury’.

Aston Martin chief executive officer, Amedeo Felisa, said: ‘For many of our customers, roof down driving is the greatest pleasure.

‘Aston Martin Volantes have captured that emotion and expressed it in unique style for more than six decades. With the new DB12 Volante we have changed the rules, creating a car that intensifies those feelings by preserving all the purity and exceptional sporting capabilities of the DB12 Coupe.’

Aston Martin chief technical officer Roberto Fedeli said they had worked hard to maintain the advantages of the coupe’s superb powertrain and chassis in an open-top version: ‘No longer the ‘softer’ option, DB12 Volante offers the stimulation of a true sports car with the unique pleasure and satisfaction that only a convertible Aston Martin can deliver.’

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