Aston’s new soft-top is anything but soft

Just in time for summer, Aston Martin launched its latest open-topped car – the Vantage Roadster. Based on the comprehensively updated Vantage coupe, the previous-generation Roadster’s two-seat, soft-top layout is retained, but it gets a serious high-performance shot in the arm from a heavily modified, twin-turbocharged V8 petrol engine. In a world accelerating quickly towards full electrification of the car, this very special convertible offers well-heeled buyers an exciting alternative that is all the better for its internal-combustion engine.

Exterior design and image

Of course, one of the main reasons for choosing an open-topped car is image, and the Vantage Roadster oozes desirability, adding an extra layer of glamour to the coupe’s muscular lines and stance. The open-topped model retains a motorsport-like appearance thanks to large wheels, massive brakes, a ground-hugging body, and obviously functional aerodynamic measures. And yet it’s all imbued with Aston Martin’s characteristic style, from the shape of the large front grille to the high-tech lighting, the gentle upwards curve of the doors and the smooth rear deck that kicks up at the back.

The roof itself opens and closes in a scant 6.8 seconds, whether you hold down the button on the key fob when approaching the car or use the new button on the centre console to do so. This can be done at speeds of up to 50km/h as well, which may come in useful during an Irish summer. Buyers can choose from black, red, blue, or a black-and-silver combination for the roof colour, complementing a range of 21 standard paint colours. And that’s before you consider the endless customisation offered through the ‘Q by Aston Martin’ personalisation service.

Interior and practicality

Addressing the boring subject of practicality first, we don’t believe many buyers of convertible sports cars worry too much about boot space and the like. The Vantage Roadster holds a modest 200 litres for what it’s worth, which is plenty for a couple’s luggage – so long as it’s mostly in soft bags.

The rest of the cabin is light on oddments space, but high on appeal. The smell of the gorgeous Bridge of Weir leather hits you as soon as you pull open a door and it feels as good to touch too. That applies to the rest of the cabin, as well, which is solidly constructed from a range of high-quality materials. And like the exterior, there’s almost no limit to how much you can spend on having it to your exact preferences. We’re particularly smitten by the subtle blue-weave carbon trim, but we’d be afraid to ask how much….

Backing up the luxurious, special nature of the cabin is a modern digital setup using a screen for the instrumentation in front of the driver and a touchscreen in the middle of the car for infotainment. This all works well enough, but thankfully fades into the background as Aston has retained physical controls for items such as the air conditioning and stereo. What’s more, the switchgear is incredibly tactile and solid.

On the road

There are enough reasons in the above to justify the Vantage Roadster’s existence and its place in a collection of cars, but Aston’s engineers were quick to point out that they developed the open-topped model to feel identical on the road to the coupe. That’s not always an easy feat, as removing the roof of a car reduces its rigidity, affecting how the suspension works and how responsive the car feels to the driver.

Aston Martin beefed up the chassis to cope and – admirably – the weight gain was kept to a modest 60kg. Hence, the Roadster is only marginally slower accelerating than the coupe. Not that a person could detect the difference thanks to the incredible performance of the 4.0-litre engine. This unit is manufactured by Mercedes-AMG, but further developed by Aston and now it produces a monstrous 665hp and 800Nm of torque.

The 3.6-second 0-100km/h time sounds pessimistic, though it is limited by traction, as all the engine’s output is sent to the rear wheels only, via a quick-shifting, eight-speed automatic transmission.

That rear-wheel-drive layout may feel a little hardcore on a wet and windy day, but it’s intrinsically part of the sports car appeal of this model, and it makes for a truly exciting drive. There are several drive modes and lots of driving settings to explore, too, allowing the Roadster to suit a variety of conditions and skill levels. No matter where or how you’re driving it, this is a real occasion of a car.

Pricing

The only Aston Martin showroom on the island of Ireland is in Belfast, so there’s no official pricing for Ireland. Figure on no less than €450,000 imported, indicating that it sits higher up the automotive food chain than most open-topped Porsches and Maseratis and vies for the attention of would-be Ferrari owners instead. The car certainly feels up to that scrutiny.