Meet Aston Martin’s ultimate convertible, the DV12 Volante

Aston Martin’s DB12 Volante has a 4.0 Twin-Turbo V8 engine. Photos: Aston Martin

Aston Martin has just launched the DB12 Volante,  a convertible that combines spectacular Super Tourer performance and handling with the irresistible sensory thrills of roof-down driving. 

The DB12 Volante is the latest addition to the British luxury marque’s line-up of high-performance convertibles and is a companion to the recently introduced DB12 Coupe – the world's first Super Tourer and the first of Aston Martin's next generation of sports cars.

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 a 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. A rare and true sporting convertible in every respect, this is a car to challenge preconceptions and find a new generation of Volante customers.” 

The DB12 range is the first to receive Aston Martin’s next-generation infotainment system.

Developed in parallel with its Coupe stablemate, DB12 Volante boasts the same game-changing design, engineering and technology advances.

To match vehicle-level capability, the focus was on the detailed engineering and specification of all elements of the Volante’s underbody.  Key structural elements, such as the rear suspension upper mounting points and lateral connections, as well as performance additions, including the engine cross brace, boost DB12 Volante global torsional stiffness by nearly 5%. 

Of equal importance for vehicle integrity and dynamic performance, the mounting points for all suspension attachments were extensively upgraded laterally (140% on the front axle). 

These changes, in line with the development of the DB12 Coupe, allowed the use of a non-isolated steering column and complementary steering and damper tuning to deliver precise on and off-centre steering connection with class-leading linearity of vehicle response. 

Best-in-class potency from its 4.0 Twin-Turbo V8 engine gives the DB12 Volante with formidable performance and a fabulous soundtrack. Tuned by Aston Martin engineers to deliver class-leading 599kW at 6000rpm and 800Nm between 2750-6000rpm, it accelerators from 0-100km/h in 3.6 with a top speed of 325km/h.

Power is fed through a ZF 8-speed automatic transmission, which like the DB12 Coupe, features a range of shift strategies complimenting each of the dynamic driving modes. 

Central to the Volante experience is its electrically-operated ‘K-fold’ roof. Named due to the two-stage folding procedure engineered to achieve a class-leading 260 mm stack height, this exceptional design combines brilliant packaging solutions with maximised luggage capacity, swift operation and stunning aesthetics. 

The roof operation takes 14 seconds to open at up to 50km/h,

Featuring 8 layers of insulation the fabric roof canopy is acoustically enhanced for improved interior cabin comfort. 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.

The roof operation takes 14 seconds to open and 16 seconds to close and can be used at speeds of up to 50km/h. 

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.

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. 

The DB12 range is the first to receive Aston Martin’s next-generation infotainment system. Entirely bespoke and developed from scratch with industry-leading suppliers of hardware, UI, UX and audio systems, it is Aston Martin’s first in-house system. It is also supplemented by a new Aston Martin customer connectivity app. Developed for iOS and Android it allows interaction, control and feedback to and from the customer’s DB12 via their personal device. 

The new system is a fully integrated multi-screen system with full online connectivity and is displayed using 10.25” Pure Black touchscreen technology with full capacitive single and multi-finger gesture control. 

The DB12 Volante will make its global debut at Monterey Car Week.

Marek Reichman, Aston Martin Chief Creative Officer, said: “Creating open-air performance machines for drivers has always held a special place in hearts across Aston Martin, dating back to 1965, with our introduction of the first Volante model, the legendary Short Chassis. It has been, and always will be, a design beacon for us.

“The new DB12 Volante is again another emotional Aston Martin design form with a desire to be driven. We’ve sculpted a graceful, muscular exterior shape that reflects its immense capabilities, set atop very advanced structural elements, with a clean, contemporary interior. Crafted through performance design for those who share our joy and happiness for adventuring in cars in the open air, new DB12 Volante is certainly exhilarating to experience and one that adds to our distinctive history.”

The DB12 Volante will make its global debut at Monterey Car Week in California this week and at the exclusive clubhouse Aston Martin Club 1913 at Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance over the weekend.

Production of DB12 Volante is due to commence in Q3 of 2023, with first deliveries scheduled to begin during Q4 2023. 

 The Volante accelerators from 0-100km/h in 3.6 with a top speed of 325km/h.