Aston Martin DB11 Volante
Heavier and more expensive than the coupe it may be, but the new cabrio version of the DB11 is a wonderfully accomplished GT.
Cabrio V8
COMPROMISE IS THE name of the game when it comes to convertibles. You probably know that they cost more than the coupes they’re based on, and tend to be heavier, wobblier, slower, less refined, more cramped and sometimes uglier too. That’s a lot of compromise just to get some fresh air over your head. Aston hasn’t worked miracles with the new DB11 Volante, because much – if not all – of the above still applies. The price of £159,900, for instance, makes this the most expensive DB11 of all, even if the coupe can be had with a larger engine and a chunk more power. Nonetheless, Aston has done a great job of mitigating the downsides to make this a very satisfying drop-top of the GT variety.4
Perhaps most impressive is the eight-layer fabric top itself, a ‘K-fold’ roof designed with Webasto and available in red, black or grey. With it closed, the roofline looks just as elegant and taut as the coupe’s thanks to more tension beams than its DB9 predecessor, neat French seams that run the length of the roof, and a flush glass rear window. Then you press a button – or hold the remote control button like you’re squashing a surprisingly plucky ant – and that roof vanishes over your head in just 14 seconds at speeds of up to 31mph, motoring back so silently it’s like you’re spectating through double-glazing. The metal tonneau cover opens up, and it tucks away like a folded bed sheet, compressing so compactly that the Aston’s rear end can still taper away like the coupe’s. Gorgeous.
If it looks good, it makes you feel good too, adding an extra layer of enjoyment to a car that already majors on sensory indulgence. That it strikes that perfect balance of opening you up to the elements while sparing you a battering at higher speeds only underlines its appeal.
The compromises? Well, there’s more noise swirling around the cabin with the roof up at motorway speeds than in, say, the new Ferrari Portofino (page 114) and Mercedes-AMG SL63, folding hardtops the pair of them. More insulation would improve things, but then, as designer Miles Nurnberger explains, that would raise the rear deck and ‘even 15mm extra would makes an instant difference visually’. In his stylish shoes, I’d probably have made the same call.
In an otherwise good interior with an excellent driving position, there can be no such excuses for seats with little support and headrests as absorbent as tomb stones, and an infotainment screen that looks cheap compared with the engineering masterpiece that is the new Bentley Continental’s revolving ‘Toblerone’ set-up.
You’ll need to accept a few more compromises too. Packaging that folded roof means the already small rear seats push forwards a little, losing 23mm of legroom, though you still get Isofix anchors for tots. The boot loses 64 litres at 206 litres, and effectively becomes smaller still if you want to lower the roof, because you need to fit the luggage separator.
But this remains a fabulous driver’s car. A few months ago, Aston added the AMG V8 engine option alongside the existing V12 in the DB11 coupe. It was so good, we said the cheapest DB11 was also the best to drive, so it’s no real disappointment that the Volante is offered only with the V8.
Despite 110kg of bracing fitted to curb cabrio wobbliness, the Volante’s on-paper performance is barely dented – 0-62mph takes just 0.1sec longer than the coupe at 4.1sec, the 187mph top speed is unchanged and somehow the extra girth doesn’t seem to have any impact on the driving experience.
In fact, considering this is arguably the least sporting in concept of all current Astons, the Volante feels anything but the remote GT you might expect. Torsional stiffness does decrease, but on the relatively smooth roads of our test drive around Nice the structure feels solid, with none of the shake and rattle you sometimes experience with convertibles. The low-speed ride fidgets even in the softest ‘GT’ setting, and the brake pedal – soft initially, quickly responsive thereafter – can be
tricky to modulate smoothly around town, but as we climb up into the hills, the DB11 Volante starts to flow.
The suspension limbers up with speed, moving in rhythm with the ebb and flow of the road surface, masterfully managing all that mass as it leans over the outside wheels and shifts forward under braking. It’s simultaneously nimble yet comfort-focused. The steering is as alert as the chassis, helped perhaps by a rear subframe with bushes some 40 per cent stiffer than the coupe’s, again contributing to torsional stiffness. The rack isn’t particularly heavy, but there’s a certain heft to its on-centre detail that adds to the sense of precision, and a lovely, progressive consistency as you wind on more lock. The front grip is generous, easy to read when it’s nearing its limit and progressive in the way it lets go when the front Bridgestone Potenzas eventually beg for mercy. You feel confident pushing against these limits.
Switching up to Sport mode ties the body down even more without adding choppiness, and the steering weights up and self-centres a little more aggressively. Sport suspension I’ll take, but GT steering has a nicer fluidity.
After struggling over the D2 in thick snow, we tackle the rest of the route mostly in wet conditions with temperatures fluctuating between zero and 7°C on summer tyres. No surprises that the twin-turbo V8 gives the reardrive chassis – and the driver – something to think about, its 503bhp and 513lb ft sometimes suddenly spinning up the rear tyres. But the stability aids quickly check the clumsiness, and this remains a great engine, with a purposeful burble that builds to a harder-edged, rousing peak of 7000rpm via thumping midrange urge and almost lag-free responses with as little as 1900rpm on the dial.
For the most part the eight-speed automatic gearbox does a similarly fine job, especially the butler-discreet shifts at moderate throttle openings, but there is a fuzz to gear engagement when you work the Volante harder – it never spoils an enthusiastic punt crosscountry, but more clearly defined transitions would contribute more excitement still.
But after a day’s driving, I feel pretty sure I’d take the Volante over a Ferrari Portofino or Mercedes SL, even if I’m less certain I’d buy one over a DB11 coupe. That the hardtop is £15k cheaper, lighter, and has more luggageand rear-seat space only makes that decision easier. Great car, this Volante, but the V8 coupe remains my favourite DB11.