Some cars want to be explained – their means of propulsion, their position in the market, their price, their reason for being – while others don’t, they don’t want to be explained. Today I drive the latter, because when you see “Aston Martin DB12 Volante” you know exactly what to expect.
This is, of course, the convertible edition of Aston’s newest DB. It resembles the DB12 coupe (i. e. it’s particularly sturdier than its DB11 successor) and looks very similar too, albeit with a tarpaulin where the roof used to be.
The addition of a can opener to the DB12 resulted in weight savings of the order of 110 kg. That’s a lot, and it means the Steering Wheel with a driver and a passenger tips the scales at nearly two tons. Heavy batteries and bulky EV bodies get us used to two tonnes, but it’s a wonder to see such a figure next to a two-door Aston convertible with rear seats reserved for small youngsters and poor boot space.
I digress. This extra weight comes from the reinforcement implemented by Aston engineers to help the DB12 be quiet without a roof. Anything south of a McLaren carbon tube inherently loses a bit of stiffness when the roof is removed, so this is general behaviour on Aston’s part. There is also a need for stiffer suspension mounts (up to 140% at the front), transverse reinforcement in the engine compartment and firmer rear suspension to help keep the car’s rear axle and two-wheel drive under control.
The latter is for the DB12 Volante, as it features the same Mercedes-sourced 4. 0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine as the coupe, generating the same 680 hp (671 hp) and 800 Nm (590 ft-lb) of power. . These are big numbers. The DB12 produces 143bhp more than the DB11 and Aston is keen to emphasise just how dynamic the ’12 can be. It’s no longer a grand tourer built just for trips to the golf club. Instead, it’s the toughest V8 GT convertible on the market. market, and may even be somewhere between the Roma and the Ferrari 812.
Instead of the 812 convertible’s folding steel hardtop, the DB12 Volante features a Roma-style cloth roof that uses what Aston calls a “K-folding” mechanism, due to its shape. The roof opens in 14 seconds and closes in 16 seconds. With the push of a button on the center console, and you’ll do it while driving at up to 31 mph.
The roof stows in a boot compartment, which takes away some garage space from the Aston, but leaves enough room for a few small, comfy bags. The rest of the luggage can still be in the back seats, unless you already have two young people sitting there.
You may not be surprised to learn that it may not be the ideal car for a weekend with family. But it will take you perfectly to the golf club or the south of France if there are only two of you. , and running an occasional errand to school would be a breeze.
An air deflector is available, fixed as always at shoulder height in the rear seats, making them superfluous. The car he was driving had it, and apart from the squeaks and rattles coming from its attachment points, it seemed to paint. Very good, with shaking and wind noises kept to a minimum.
But that’s not interesting, is it? What I’d rather see is the Aston’s great functionality and whether the V8’s soundtrack resonates in the cabin. Done this. The hardtop coupe sounds wonderful but, as is the case with so many cars in those days, its exhausts get stuck through particulate filters, even maximum Sport Plus mode never stirs the soul.
Things are much better on the Steering Wheel. Sport mode sounds great, but Sport Plus is where histrionics run wild. There’s a lot of noise, of course, but also little bursts of pops and crackles between gear changes; It’s childish, of course, and the local people probably would have rolled their eyes when I passed by, but it’s still a laugh.
Sport Plus also accelerates gear settings and only works when you’re driving, i. e. properly. This mode also makes the suspension too comfortable for British roads, so it’s more productive to overtake in a sporty manner and then press a couple of buttons to set the exhaust to Sport Plus and move the suspension to Comfort.
Speaking of buttons, the cockpit here is the same as the DB12, which T3 drove last summer. It features an all-new bespoke infotainment formula built in-house through Aston Martin. This is a huge improvement over the old Mercedes formula that Aston used. before and has a 10. 25-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Fortunately, cabin temperature, heated seats, and other purposes are controlled with buttons; some physical, some tactile.
It all works great and is a stark reminder that physical devices are safer and more comfortable to use (especially in an unfamiliar new car) than touchscreens and voice assistants. May Aston’s technique continue for a long time.
What else? It’s worth repeating how incredibly fast the DB12 is. The Volante reaches 100 km/h in 3. 7 seconds, just a tenth of the heaviest coupe, and the most noticeable speed is the same, 202 km/h. The speed at the speed limit is truly extraordinary, but it is conveyed with the utmost composure.
On dry roads, the traction and stability systems are often left alone, such is the case with the traction of the DB12’s custom-made Michelin tyres. It’s a tired old cliché, but this car plays the Jekyll and Hyde trick better than most; Fast as a supercar one minute, a quiet and comfortable cruiser the next.
I raised the roof, as the early arrival of some April showers forced me to do, and the interior is perfectly subtle for a comfortable top. You know you’re not in a coupe, but that’s okay, and the Bowers sound system
The same goes for the design of the DB12. Es really pretty, especially since it doesn’t have a roof. The pale metallic blue car I was driving was a great argument for opposing the green or silver trend, although I would be worried. about specifying the white interior in a car intended for everyday use. Anyway, it still elicited an almost constant stream of smiles, pointing hands, and admiring glances during my two-hour drive through the Cotswolds, anything Astons handles with more dignity than many other two hundred giant Supercars.
The final question is: does it go for the coupe or the convertible?The DB12 is unlikely to be the buyer’s only car, which puts me on the convertible side, as it might be its only comfortable roof. We are positive organisation in the UK and buy a lot more convertibles than the weather suggests, which also has its merit.
If you really want to drive your DB12 on a daily basis, the refinement of the coupe and the extra trunk area make it the winner. But for all other circumstances, want the Flywheel.
Priced at £203,000, the Aston Martin DB12 Volante is available now.
Alistair is a freelance journalist specializing in automotive and technology. He has been published on renowned sites such as BBC, Forbes, TechRadar and, the most productive of all, T3, where he covers topics ranging from vintage cars and men’s lifestyles to smart homes. technology, phones, electric cars, autonomy, Swiss watches and much more. He is an experienced journalist who writes news, reports, interviews, and product reviews. If that hasn’t kept you busy enough, he’s also a co-host of the AutoChat podcast.