Aston Martin DB11 Volante

Top comes off British beauty, but it’s V8 only

ASTON Martin has revealed the new DB11 Volante, a convertible version of its flagship sports car. First customers will take delivery of the soft-top during the first quarter of next year.

The convertible shares the same bonded aluminium structure that also underpins the DB11 coupé, but it comes exclusively with the 503bhp 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8; there’s no V12 Volante available. Power is fed to the rear axle, which features a limited-slip differential, through an eight-speed paddle-shift automatic gearbox.

Aston Martin has opted for a traditional fabric roof, which is made up of eight layers, rather than a complex folding metal arrangement. The hood takes 14 seconds to fold electronically behind the rear seats and 16 seconds to raise. It can be operated with the ignition key at a standstill, as well as on the move at up to 31mph. The Volante also retains the coupé’s 2+2 seating layout.

Thorough testing procedures were conducted in order to extend the lifespan of the fabric roof and minimise wear and tear; Aston says it carried out over 100,000 cycles in weather chambers to simulate 10 years of use in the space of a month.

Aston has also added strengthening to the Volante to compensate for the removal of the roof and 115kg of weight has been added in the process. However, Aston claims the DB11 soft-top is still 26kg lighter and five per cent more rigid than its predecessor, the DB9 Volante.

Performance is slightly affected as a result of the added weight. The top speed with the roof up remains the same as the coupé’s at 187mph, but the 0-62mph time is a tenth slower, taking 4.1 seconds.

Standard equipment on the Volante includes a leather interior with Alcantara headlining, new leather door and centre console inserts, plus an eight-inch infotainment system with sat-nav. Heated seats, front and rear parking sensors as well as a 360-degree surround view parking camera are also fitted.

Personalisation and upgrade options on the DB11 Volante are extensive, with 70 individual extras available to customers. Such options include seven different designs of 20-inch alloy wheel, four colours for the brake calipers and 11 functional options such as automatic parking, a garage door opener and an Aston Martin umbrella with holder.

The DB11 Volante costs from £159,900, which is £15,000 more than the V8 coupé.