German Car Zone

Gaydon, England — Sailing effortlessly along British B-roads in Aston Martin's new DBS Volante with the top down, darting in and out of the verdant tree tunnels, you almost forget that there is 510 bhp eagerly awaiting the command of your right foot. The 420 lb.-ft. of torque from the 6.0-liter V-12 in front of you makes it almost irrelevant which of the middle gears is selected from the smooth-shifting Graziano 6-speed gearbox behind you. (Automatic aficionados will be more than pleased with the optional paddle-shift ZF 6-speed.)

For all the ferocity the DBS promises (aside from the upcoming very limited One-77, the DBS Coupe and Volante are the most sporty and expensive Astons in the range), there is an air of civility about the experience that makes this car far more than just spirited transportation. The DBS Volante is one of those rare cars purchased primarily as a reward, and buyers of this particular variant will find themselves richly so.

The Volante is more than just a DBS Coupe sans roof. Unlike the fixed-head version, the DBS Volante is tuned slightly more to the GT side of the ledger, which is evidenced by the standard issue of the plus-2 rear seats (a coupe option). The styling has also been revised to take advantage of the topless look. The rear tonneau features faired humps and there's a new character line that tapers rearward into the decklid-integrated spoiler. This extra bend in the body breaks up the rather large expanse of the decklid. While the Volante weighs about 200 lb. more than the Coupe — due primarily to the top mechanism and attendant chassis alterations — some of that gain is mitigated by the use of carbon fiber for the trunklid.


Road & Track Magazine - First Drive: 2010 Aston Martin DBS Volante (9/2009)


It takes some kind of convertible to make me say this, but this is IMO the best looking convertible in the world today. SL, Gallardo, 911, M3, they're all gorgeous, but man look at this thing!


M