Aston Martin has unveiled the V12 Vantage Roadster, set to be the last time the company will build a twelve-cylinder Vantage and a car that sees the model go out with a snap, crackle and bang.
Making its debut in California as part of Monterey Car Week, at the heart of the Roadster is, as the name suggests, Aston's 5.2-litre V12 engine. It develops a full 700hp with 753Nm of torque on tap at 5,500rpm, meaning that it's a lot quicker than the V8-engined Vantage. It's the addition of that bigger engine that has meant that Aston has had to modify the car in other ways compared to the standard Vantage in order to not just accommodate the bigger powerplant, but to make that power both useable and manageable.
Weight saving
The V12 Vantage's body is wider than that of the V8 to fit beefier, 40mm-wider suspension and, beyond the widebody look, the front end has received a different treatment, with a new full-width splitter. The air intake is some 25 per cent bigger than the V8 model's to better cool the larger engine, which generates higher temperatures than the more compact V8, necessitating the horseshoe-shaped vent on the bonnet to let out heat.
With the heftier engine making the V12 heavier, Aston's engineers needed to find ways to reduce its mass and so the Roadster has been on a bit of a diet compared to the V8. The bonnet, front bumper, front wings and side sills have all been made from carbon fibre, with the rear deck lid and bumper made from light, composite material.
There's a new lightweight battery too, as well as a twin-exit exhaust made from millimetre-thick stainless steel, which saves 7.2kg compared to that on the V8 model. Other options to lighten the Roadster include 21-inch forged wheels - which save 8kg all-round - and the option of a six-way adjustable driver's seat made from carbon fibre, which saves on 7.3kg mass "without skimping on occupant comfort," according to the firm. The use of carbon-ceramic brakes (with six-piston calipers up front and four-pots to the rear) saves another 23kg compared to using steel brake discs.
More downforce
With the higher power of the V12 too comes the need for more aerodynamic downforce. A rear wing, like that seen on the V12 Vantage coupe, is an option and, when all the aero elements such as the wing, the front splitter and the diffuser at the rear are working together, the car generates around 216kg of downforce at speed.
The whole package sits on a set of 21-inch alloy wheels finished in either satin black or satin black with a silver contrast, shod as standard in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres.
Big engine, big performance
The 700hp engine, the work on lightening up the Vantage and the aerodynamic tweaks have added up to some impressive performance figures: the V12 Vantage Roadster's power-to-weight ratio is 372hp per ton and the new car can sprint from a standstill to 100km/h in 3.6 seconds, going on to a top speed of 320km/h. All that power is sent to the tarmac through an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission and a mechanical limited-slip differential.
"We have worked extremely hard to ensure the V12 Vantage Roadster possesses the same potency and dynamism that characterises the V12 Vantage, while surpassing it in terms of raw sensory excitement that you only achieve with roof down driving," said Roberto Fedeli, Aston's new Chief Technical Officer.
"With more power and torque than any Vantage Roadster before it, a wide-track chassis with precisely tuned suspension calibration, and up to ten times the downforce of the series production Vantage Roadster, this is a breath-taking machine created for our most enthusiastic customers."
All sold out
Production of the V12 Vantage Roadster will be limited to just 249 examples - 84 fewer than the coupe - and Aston has said that this current model of V12 Vantage will be the last of its kind, with new Euro 7 emissions regulations due to go into effect from 2025 likely to kill off most of the few remaining twelve-cylinder engines in use by car manufacturers around the world.
Unsurprisingly, every single V12 Vantage Roadster is already spoken for, having sold out to select customers even before its reveal. The Roadster will go into production later this year.