For the first time, Aston Martin is offering its Vantage Roadster with a V12 engine. The 5.2 litre twin-turbo V12 under the sculpted bonnet/hood, pumps out 690 hp and 555 lb-ft of torque. All of that power is sent to the rear wheels via a ZF 8 speed automatic transmission with mechanical limited slip differential. This stylish ragtop can hit a top speed of 200 mph/321 km/h and launch from 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds, 0-100 km/h in 3.6 seconds.

That’s the good news. The bad news is that only 249 are being built and all of them have already been spoken for. Deliveries are scheduled to commence in Q4 of 2022 with a price estimated to be more than $300,000 USD.

“We have worked extremely hard to ensure the V12 Vantage Roadster possesses the same potency and dynamism that characterises the V12 Vantage, while surpassing it in terms of raw sensory excitement that you only achieve with roof down driving,” said Roberto Fedeli, Aston Martin Chief Technical Officer. “With more power and torque than any Vantage Roadster before it, a wide-track chassis with precisely tuned suspension calibration, and up to ten times the downforce of the series production Vantage Roadster, this is a breathtaking machine created for our most enthusiastic customers”.

The V12 Vantage and V12 Vantage Roadster come standard with Carbon Ceramic Brakes, 410 mm x 38 mm with 6-piston calipers upfront and 360 mm x 32 mm discs with 4-piston calipers in the rear. The result is a reduction in unsprung weight of 50 lbs/23 kg compared to steel brakes, and greatly reduced stopping distance and brake fad when out on the race track.

Additional weight reductions come from the use of composite materials in the manufacturing of the front bumper, clamshell hood, front fenders and side sills. A lightweight battery has been used as well as a centre-mounted twin-exit exhaust made from lightweight stainless steel.

"From a design perspective, V12 Vantage Roadster is a combination of living sculpture and physiology, such as the functions of an elite runner or thoroughbred racehorse,” said Marek Reichman, Aston Martin Chief Creative Officer. “On one hand, much like the way their systems are developed to handle the stresses of peak performance and trained to work together to increase efficiency and power using oxygen, V12 Vantage Roadster was designed to maximize the benefits of airflow into, throughout and around the car. And on the other, for our Drivers, we created this explicit open-top sports car for those craving excitement and drama. The platform presented us with a design opportunity to make a contemporary visual statement of intent. The result is a living, breathing, driving sculpture with a level of control that sits at the fingertips".

Standard 21 inch alloy wheels are shod with Michelin Pilot 4S high performance tires, 275/35 R21 upfront and 315/30 R21 in the rear. Optional lightweight forged wheels are available which reduce unsprung mass by 17 lbs/8kg.