German Car Zone

What is it?
Meet the new convertible version of Aston’s smallest, cheapest car, the V8 Vantage. Most people expect every drop-top Aston to assume the Volante title, but the company has chosen to run with the ‘Roadster’ moniker on this occassion, and we think it rather suits the car.

The last Aston convertible we drove – the DB9 Volante – had more shake than the cheesy Welsh crooner who used to go by the name of Stevens. But the engineers have gone to town on this car, with numerous detail modifications to the bodyshell.

First, the car runs a shorter wheelbase, and is therefore inherently stiffer. Aston then carried out a much more detailed computer analysis of the shell and, subsequent to the findings, strengthened the sills and the front and rear crosspanels. Then the sheer panels became structural elements (on the coupe they’re simply aerodynamic aids), and the entire cross car beam (that’s the panel which holds the steering column in place) was improved with a number of cast aluminium components. Many of these modifications will filter back into other cars in the range.

The overall weight is up by just 70kg, but that still leaves a car that casts a very small shadow on the road weighing a portly 1710kg.

Otherwise the car is mechanically identical to the coupe, meaning it runs a 4.3-litre V8 based on the Jaguar motor, but dry sumped and persuaded to produce 380bhp at 7000rpm and 302lb ft at a high 5000rpm. Our test car also came fitted with the Speedshift paddle-shift gearbox that is also now available on the coupe. List price is £90,000, which, by the way, is a full £14k more than a 420bhp Jaguar XKR.

What’s it like?
We’ll leave it to you to decide how much you like the look of it, with the proviso that you must be completely mad if you don’t find it desperately attractive.



The conversion to a canvas roof has been carried out with great attention to detail. The leather-trimmed buttresses behind the seats look entirely homogenous, and the truncated dimensions somehow lend themselves perfectly to the roofless shape. Better looking than the coupe? Too close to call.

It's certainly a quantum leap over the DB9 Volante in the way it resists structural shakes. The Roadster is a very rigid little thing, and only on terrible surfaces does the column shimmy with protest. It matches an XK in this respect.

Not all of the changes from coupe to ragtop make immediate sense. Spring rates, for example, are up around 10 per cent, with accompanying changes to the dampers in bump and rebound. There’s 5mm added ride height (strange, but it’s actually quite noticeable this) and the anti roll bars have been left unchanged. When was the last time a manufacturer added roll stiffness for the convertible variant of a sports car? Nope, I can’t remember either. Aston claims no loss in ride comfort, and it can be believed, so expect these changes to filter into the coupe sometime soon.

And how does it perform? Well, there’s a slight shortfall claimed, but this car actually felt faster than last coupe I drove. The only comment I have to make on the paddle-shift is that people should buy the manual; it is far better. And a new transmission oil has eased that first-to-second shift.
Wind buffeting at speed is minimal, the hood is a one-touch affair and quite fast enough, only the detachable wind deflector detracts from the experience; it's too fiddly



Should I buy one?
If you’re in the market, yes. It looks the business, drives very well indeed and demand won’t cease for quite some time, keeping prices stable.
The fact that it costs more than the competition doesn’t matter much with this car; it is far more glamorous than any 911 and really deserves comparison with the Ferrari F430 Spider and roofless Lamborghini Gallardo. It might be slower than both, but for pose value, it’s right up there.

Well it popping up all over the net, with its gorgeous self!







Should I buy one?

If you’re in the market, yes. It looks the business, drives very well indeed and demand won’t cease for quite some time, keeping prices stable.

The fact that it costs more than the competition doesn’t matter much with this car; it is far more glamorous than any 911 and really deserves comparison with the Ferrari F430 Spider and roofless Lamborghini Gallardo. It might be slower than both, but for pose value, it’s right up there.

M

Won't be long until we're reading about this one:



M

The Porsche is classic ...this thing is all bling Marcus

I know, but I go all goofy and what for cars that look this good. Most logic falls by the wayside..lol!

M

I must say I am quite excited about the Rapide -- it's going to kick the S65 and Flying Spur badly.

I really didn't care much for it in person, exterior wise. The interior was rather stunning though. I doubt if it will do anything to the S65 AMG, especially in terms of performance. In the wow factor of course, it is afterall an "Aston-Martin", not a "mere" Mercedes. The Bentley well its been kicked badly by most other high-end 4-doors in my book, especially the S65 AMG.

What I don't like about the Rip is that just added 2 extra doors to a DB9, no imagination at all, IMO. That said, the above shot does make it look very alluring.

M

Come on Marcus ...take off your fanboy hat for one second. The FS has been the best selling Bentley ever.

On the Rapide, I do agree with everything you just said ...but I love the idea of another supreme 4-door luxury performance car to compete at the top end of the market -- Mercedes and Bentley have had it to themselves for far too long.

Well Rob you're going to have to be specific when you say "kick" then. To me the Bentley's sales are pretty much matterless when I look at it. Just because it sells doesn't mean it is all that to me A Benz like the S65 AMG blows the FS out of the water in any area except interior quality. Heck by most tests I've seen the S600 does the same. Bentley has the superior interior from a quality standpoint and it has the name, but the Benz roasts it any all the real-world areas.

M

I never said the S65 is not a better over all performance car than the Bentley ...but it certainly has not greatly affected the Flyings Spur's place in the market at all -- it continues to sell like crazy.

The Rapide poses a much bigger threat to both the S65 and the Flying Spur than either of them does to each other.