Sporty, rapid and luxurious DB12 grand tourer is given the convertible treatment On sale Now Price from £203,000
Steve Huntingford steve.huntingford@haymarket.com
IT’S SAID YOU should be wary of meeting your heroes, because they might not live up to expectations. And this doesn’t only apply to people; cars that dazzle from a distance can sometimes disappoint up close, too.
One such model was the Aston Martin DB9 Volante, a stunning machine to look at, but one that flexed like it was made from wet cardboard, with vague handling and a crashy ride as a result. However, its replacement, the DB11 Volante, was much more impressive, and now that’s been given a thorough overhaul to become the DB12 Volante.
A sister model to the DB12 coupé we drove a few months ago, this latest Volante (the name Aston Martin has long applied to its convertibles) uses the same twin-turbo 4.0-litre petrol V8, with a mighty 671bhp. And while the Volante is heavier (due to structural bracing designed to ensure the loss of the fixed roof doesn’t result in DB9-style wobbliness), it can still blast from 0-62mph in 3.7sec – just 0.1sec slower than the coupé.
While the body isn’t flexible, the V8 is; not only does it help the DB12 to feel almost as muscular as a Bentley Continental GTC, but it’s also more eager to rev. Plus, the Aston’s engine sounds sweeter. You’ll appreciate that all the more when you lower the roof to hear it in its full glory; doing so takes 14 seconds and is
