Big engine, light chassis, no roof. Sounds like a recipe of success if there ever was one.
Aston Martin’s V12 Vantage S Roadster is simply the fastest production convertible in the British automaker’s history, and because it’s an Aston, its one of the prettiest cars you’ll ever see.
It makes sense, then, that Aston Martin has chosen the Pebble Beach’s Automotive Week for the car’s global debut: it’s not exactly a place known for second place finishers.
A droptop version of the acclaimed V12 Vantage Coupe, the roadster features a 565-horsepower, 6.0-liter AM28 V8 powerhouse behind the catfish-esque grill, and can hit 60 mph in just 3.9 seconds. Flat out, the Aston can reach speeds of 201 mph, which may even be fast enough to make you forget the $185,000-plus base price.
As far as looks, the car is stunning as always, but Aston’s signature styling is due for a revamp soon. Aston Martin’s partnership with Daimler will bear its first fruit in 2016, when the AMG-powered DB9 debuts. Following that, and riding on Aston’s new aluminum VH framework, will be a Vantage replacement (coming in 2018) and a Vanquish successor (coming in 2019). The Rapide saloon will likely be axed for the new generation.
Alongside the production-spec Vantage will be the Design Prototype 100, known casually as the DP-100 concept. It’s one of the many single-run prototypes automakers designed for Gran Turismo 6, but when Pebble Beach’s Automotive Week rolls around, spectators will be able to see it in the steel for the first time.
A full-size, handcrafted model will be showcased in Monterey, but the Design Prototype is much more than a simple paperweight display. An 800-hp, twin-turbo V12 engine powers the DP-100, and the concept will have a fully functional suspension system and workable electronics.
The Pebble Beach Automotive Week starts on August 14th.
