Aston Martin DB11 Volante unveiled

The DB9 Volante has a successor, and it's powered by an AMG V8. 

Aston Martin has taken the veil off the drop-top version of its DB11, christened DB11 Volante. The Volante is capable of lowering its soft top roof in 14 seconds.

Aesthetically, the DB11 Volante borrows most of its elegant lines and curves from its coupe sibling, barring the roof, of course. The roof, which can be operated at speeds up to 50km/h, is offered in a choice of four shades - red, black, silver or grey silver. Combining fabric hood with the latest acoustic and insulation materials, the soft top 8-layer roof is made to cosset occupants from the extremes of weather and wind noise. Also, the Volante skips the roof supporting aeroblades found on the coupe’s C-pillars.

Propelling this drop-top sports GT is an AMG-sourced 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, making 503bhp and 695 Nm. The motor is mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox that feeds force to the rear wheels. Aston Martin has purposely chosen to fit the lighter V8 under the Volante’s hood, to ensure that the excessive bulk doesn't blunt performance or handling. Therefore, chances of the larger V12 available on the coupe making it to Volante are slim. 

Nevertheless, even with the smaller engine, the Volante takes just 4.1 seconds to sprint from 0-100km/h - and can keep climbing the speed ladder until it reaches 300km/h. 

Inside, the Volante gets an 8-inch infotainment system with built-in navigation and an optional 13-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system. Customers can customise the cabin in various finishes like Piano Black, Light Ash Open, Satin 2x2 Twill Carbon, among some others. There are also ISOFIX attachment points at the rear - a first for any Volante model. 

The Aston Martin DB11 Volante will retail from £159,900 (~Rs. 1.37 crore) in the UK, with first deliveries scheduled to begin during the first quarter of 2018.