A few weeks back we presented images of the all new Aston Martin Vanquish which has been slated to replace the current DBS as the brands top grand touring car. While the Vanquish coupe isn’t due to arrive until next year, it remains a safe bet Aston’s engineers are busy working on several variants of this 565-bhp super coupe. One of these will definitely be the Vanquish Volante, a convertible version that shares the same 6.0-liter V-12 engine and 6-speed Touchtronic II paddle-shift gearbox with its hardtop sibling.
2014 Aston Martin Vanquish Volante – Hitting the Streets
Road and Track magazine has commissioned there top graphics artist to chop the rood off of the 2013 Vanquish hard top to create a virtual markup of what the Volante version should look like once all of the camouflage has been peeled off. Longer headlights, a carbon-fiber front splitter, larger front air intakes, and more sculpted sides all add up to a leaner overall look, despite the fact that the Vanquish is wider, longer and taller than its predecessor.
2014 Aston Martin Vanquish Volante – Side Profile
It’s not a stretch of our imagination to assume that the Carbon ceramic brakes and a three-mode stability control system should migrate from the Vanquish to its mechanical twin, the Volante. We are also hopeful that the drop top version will also receive Aston Martin’s first ever launch control system that was developed specific for the Vanquish.
2014 Aston Martin Vanquish Volante – Rear 3/4 View
The engine is also familiar: an all-alloy, 48-valve, 6.0-liter, V12 which first saw service in the DB7 Vantage back in 2000. In this new application, this motor produces 565 hp and 457 lb-ft of torque. Power is fed to the rear wheels via a 6-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. This gearbox is called Touchtronic 2 and is the same unit used in the Aston Martin DB9, Virage and Rapide models. In the new Vanquish, a limited slip differential is offered as standard, which will help transfer power to the road more effectively.
2014 Aston Martin Vanquish Volante – Front 3/4 View
Hook it up properly, and Aston Martin reckons the Vanquish (Both hard or no top) will cover the 0-100 km/h sprint in just 4.1 seconds, and keep accelerating on to a top speed of 295 km/h. While nowhere near other production sports cars in its price range, these figures are still very respectable. Sales of the Vanquish are expected to begin this Fall which could open the door up for a 2013 Spring/Summer release date for the Vanquish Volante.
