Aston Vanquish S Volante unleashed

Aston Martin’s 5.9-litre V12-powered Vanquish S Volante has been revealed, with 433kW of power, 630Nm of torque, a 0-100km/h sprint time of around 3.5 seconds, and unlimited headroom for its two occupants.

Power is fed from the front-mid mounted, all-alloy, quad-overhead cam engine (featuring better airflow thanks to revised inlet manifolds) to the rear axle through a re-tuned eight-speed automatic transmission, with peak power coming at 7000rpm and maximum torque arriving at 5500rpm.

In European markets, the Vanquish S Volante will make an additional 11kW, for a total of 444kW, but all versions will be more than enough to match the 410kW Mercedes-AMG GT C Roadster and 427kW Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet on open roads.

Keeping the right foot buried will see the Vanquish S Volante hit a claimed top speed of 323km/h, while the new Aston will return a fuel economy figure of 13.1 litres per 100km and emit 302 grams of CO2 per kilometre.

Go-fast goodies include a limited-slip differential for maximising corner exit speeds and launch control for consistent maximum acceleration.

Expect to see the Vanquish S coupe in local showrooms this year with the convertible version following close behind.

Bringing the 1739kg convertible to a halt are 398mm six-pot front brakes and 360mm four-pot rears tucked behind staggered 9.0-inch wide front and 11.5-inch wide rear 20-inch 10-spoke gloss black alloy wheels shod with Pirelli P-Zero rubber.

Helping feed power down to the road is an extensive suit of electronic aids, including dynamic stability control (DSC), anti-lock brakes (ABS), electronic brake force distribution (EAD), emergency brake assist (EBA), traction control and positive torque control.

Carbon-fibre is used extensively throughout the vehicle, the most obvious applications being the exposed carbon front splitter, rear diffuser and door mirror arms, while the lightweight material is also bonded with aluminium in the Vanquish S Volante’s body structure.

Inside, the new drop-top Aston is kitted-out with 'Filograph' quilt design leather (heated) sports seats, cruise control, Bang & Olufsen sound system, front and rear parking sensors, and the 6.5-inch Ami III multimedia system with sat nav, Bluetooth, reversing camera and digital radio.

Although Australian availability is yet to be confirmed, expect to see the Vanquish S coupe in local showrooms this year with the convertible version following close behind.

Aston Martin Vanquish S Volante, Mercedes-AMG GT C Roadster, or Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet? Tell us about your choice in the comments below.