- With strong success in launching the DB12 Coupe, Aston Martin didn’t want to miss out on any French Riveria or California coast fun in the sun.
- Revealing the DB12 Volante at Monterey Car Week, the British manufacturer is continuing the legacy of the Volante nameplate with a twin-turbo V8 convertible.
- Cornering shouldn’t be an issue for the drop-top version of the DB12, as Aston reinforced key suspension bits and increased chassis rigidity as a whole.
California’s Monterey Bay is mere days away from an invasion of the rarest, newest, and coolest vehicles you’ve ever seen. With bountiful ocean mist and the occasional sunbeam poking through the clouds, what better place for the reveal of Aston Martin’s new 2024 DB12 Volante convertible?
Based on the DB12 Coupe, which was released earlier this year, Aston Martin didn’t want its swanky customer base to miss out on any drop-top fun, hence the rapid reveal of its roofless sibling. But that doesn’t mean the driving experience will be compromised, the British manufacturer says.
Convertible wallowing isn’t as much of a problem as 20th-century test drivers once said, and a large part of this evolution is individual manufacturers’ commitment to going the extra mile in making a convertible. That goes far beyond just removing the roof.
Despite wearing the same carryover chassis as its coupe brethren, Aston says the convertible version’s rigid bonded aluminum structure has been reinforced at the rear suspension upper mounting points and with an engine cross brace. All told these structural changes account for a 5% increase in torsional stiffness.
Similarly, Aston explained that every suspension mounting point was reinforced laterally, with a 140% increase in rigidity around the front axle. And it makes sense that Aston Martin could spend so much money on getting the handling right, as it outsourced the DB12’s powerplant.
That’s right, Aston is using a 4.0-liter Mercedes-AMG twin-turbo V8 in the DB12, sporting 671 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque. Potent on paper and even stronger in person, as confirmed by Autoweek West Coast Editor Mark Vaughn in his initial test of the DB12 hardtop.
That’s certainly some plush looking leather.
But Aston Martin didn’t just throw a crate engine in, as its engineers tuned the proprietary turbocharging system, compression ratio, and camshaft profile for super touring use.
That’s good for 0-to-60 mph in 3.6 seconds and a 34% rise in power over the preceding DB11. The claimed top speed for those who want an extreme open-air experience is 202 mph.
Using a ZF 8-speed automatic transmission to funnel all that power to the rear wheels, the duality of the gearbox will be shown through smooth cruising and gut-punching performance.
“Since the first Volante was introduced back in 1965, huge strides have been made in engineering, technology, and performance,” said Marek Reichman, Aston Martin Chief Creative Officer.
And you’ll be able to tailor just how much throttle response you want as well as tune your angle of inevitable drift, with five pre-defined dynamic modes and four levels of electronic stability control.
Intelligent adaptive dampers are standard, as are 21-inch forged alloy wheels with Michelin Pilot S 5 tires made to Aston Martin’s precise requirements. While the 400mm front and 360mm rear discs are plenty big as is, Aston is also offering a Carbon Ceramic Brake kit that will help reduce brake fade and sheds about 60 pounds of unsprung weight.
Like Aston convertibles before it, the DB12 Volante will employ a K-fold roof mechanism, taking 14 seconds to open and 16 seconds to close.
The company says you can use the roof at speeds up to 31 mph and even into a 31-mph headwind, for whatever that is worth. Additionally, the roof is constructed with eight layers of insulation, keeping it relatively quiet.
Inside the DB12 Volante, buyers will find the 11-speaker Bowers & Wilkins surround sound system as well as Aston Martin’s first in-house infotainment system. Displayed on a 10.25-inch Pure Black touchscreen, our test of the infotainment found it to be slightly buggy, though the retention of physical buttons and knobs inside is to be celebrated.
If all that just isn’t enough for you, Aston will let you have a go at designing your own version of the DB12 Volante under the watchful eye of its Q by Aston Martin branch.
Dedicated to personalizing units for special customers, your one-off British super-tourer convertible dreams can come to life for a pretty but undefined penny, of course.
Production of the DB12 Volante is said to start this fall, with deliveries scheduled for winter. Aston Martin has yet to reveal pricing for the drop-top model, though we suspect it will be tens of thousands of dollars above the current DB12 Coupe cost of $250,000, perhaps settling around $275,000.
Do any models stand out as better looking in convertible form? Please share your thoughts below.
Associate Editor
A New York transplant hailing from the Pacific Northwest, Emmet White has a passion for anything that goes: cars, bicycles, planes, and motorcycles. After learning to ride at 17, Emmet worked in the motorcycle industry before joining Autoweek in 2022. The woes of alternate side parking have kept his fleet moderate, with a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta GLI and a 2003 Honda Nighthawk 750 street parked in his South Brooklyn community.
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