Celebrating its 110th anniversary this year, Aston Martin debuted the 2024 DB12 coupe back in May, which also paid tribute to the iconic DB lineup that has existed for the last 75 years. Three months later, the British marque has lifted unveiled the drop-top version of the luxury grand tourer which makes its public debut in a few days at Monterey Car Week. Just like the coupe version, the DB12 Volante is described by Aston as a “super tourer” that offers the perfect combination of the adrenaline-pumping performance of a sports car and the quintessential luxury cruising capability expected from an Aston Martin GT model.
Without any surprises, the DB12 Volante is mechanically identical to the fixed-roof version. Underneath the hood is the same twin-turbo 4.0-liter AMG-sourced V8 engine that is capable of producing 671 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of peak torque. But let me remind you that a V12 engine is not on offer anymore with the pair of DB12 models. As per some reports, the automaker is saving that for the upcoming DBS Superleggera replacement.
The Volante can only be had with an eight-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive. It also gets an electronically controlled locking differential. Aston says the convertible is 240 pounds heavier than the coupe, which has had a slight impact on Volante’s performance. It can do the zero-to-60-mph sprint in 3.6 seconds, which is just one-tenth slower than the coupe. However, both have identical 202-mph top speeds. Furthermore, the droptop version also comes equipped with adaptive dampers as standard which is claimed to have a 500 percent increase in “bandwidth of force distribution” than its predecessor.
The most obvious thing that separates the Volante from the DB12 coupe is the retractable roof which has an eight-layer fabric top that hides underneath the rear deck when lowered. Aston claims the roof takes just 14 seconds to open and 16 seconds to close, and can be operated at speeds of up to 31 mph. Buyers can choose from four color options for the fabric top: black, red, blue, and black/silver.
The cabin is also almost identical to that of the coupe, which features improved ergonomics and a touchscreen interface. While Aston Martin has not revealed the pricing as of yet, the company has said that customer deliveries will begin before the end of the year.
