Aston Martin DB12 Volante Debuts As World’s Most Powerful Cabrio GT

Aston Martin DB12 Volante arrives as world's fastest cabrio GT car

The new Aston Martin DB12 just made its global debut several months ago, ironically featuring a V8 heart that makes it the most powerful DB model to date. As expected, this world’s first ‘super-tourer’ is getting a topless rendition, cordially known as the Aston Martin DB12 Volante.

From a visual standpoint, the DB12 Volante looks painstakingly similar to its fixed-roofed twin, featuring the same Aston Martin’s signature front grille flanked by teardrop-shaped LED headlights, while riding on 21-inch forged wheels shod in bespoke Michelin Pilot Sport 5 tyres. The only visible difference, obviously, is the fabric soft top, which AM claims to be made of no fewer than eight layers of insulating materials, ensuring that the cabin stays quiet and serene.

The DB12 Volante is only offered with a fabric soft-top variant

This new fabric roof takes about 14 seconds to come down and 16 seconds to go back up, which can be operated while the car is moving at up to 50 KM/H. Aside from that, this roof is also remotely retractable via the key fob, as long as you’re within two metres from the car. As standard, this fabric roof comes in black colour, with other colour options ranging from red, blue, black/silver dual tone.

Similar to its metal-roofed counterpart, the DB12 Volante is also powered by a 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo mill that outputs 671 HP and 800 NM, capable of propelling this cabrio GT from nought to 100 KM/H in just 3.7 seconds – only 0.1 second slower than the standard DB12. This is no surprise as the cabrio model weighs 111 KG more than its coupe twin, courtesy of the additional underbody bracings and the moving components for its automated fabric roof. In spite of this slight bulk-up, however, the DB12 Volante can still match its coupe twin’s 325 KM/H V-max when flat out.

Completing the DB12 Volante’s V8 powertrain setup are the rear-mounted eight-speed automatic gearbox with a torque converter, an electronic limited-slip differential, as well as lightweight carbon fibre prop shaft. Elsewhere, this 2+2 cabrio comes standard with 400 MM-front and 360 MM-rear steel brake discs, which can be upgraded to carbon ceramic ones that weigh 27 KG less, should you desire.

On board, the DB12 Volante features AM’s latest infotainment layout, featuring a sizable 10.25-inch touch infotainment display with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay that is mated to an 11-speaker, 390 W sound system, which can be swapped for the more premium 15-speaker, 1,170 W Bowers & Wilkins hi-fi setup. Similar to its coupe twin, the DB12 Volante also comes with a slew of controls and buttons on the central console, with all of them positioned within the drivers’ reach.

The all-new Aston Martin DB12 Volante is poised to make its first public debut at the upcoming Monterey Car Week that starts from Aug 11 to 20, 2023. Production of this super cabrio GT will commence later this year at AM’s headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire, with deliveries expected to take place in Q4 2023.