Vantage Coupe

Segment
Coupe

We've known for a while now that Aston Martin is preparing a convertible version of the all-new Vantage. The hardtop variant was unveiled nearly two years ago, so the time seems right for the Vantage to drop its top. After all, the DB11 Volante was revealed around a year and a half after the hardtop coupe.

Back in March, Aston Martin's chief creative officer, Marek Reichman, confirmed the droptop Vantage will arrive before the end of the year, and now Aston Martin has given us a first look at its upcoming Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet rival.

Shown as an engineering prototype in new official photos, the Vantage Roadster retains the stunning styling of its coupe counterpart, despite now incorporating a retractable soft-top roof. Like the hardtop, the Vantage Roadster sports a full-width LED taillight bar, a ducktail-style spoiler, as well as an aggressive front splitter and rear diffuser.

No technical details have been confirmed yet, but the Vantage Roadster is expected to use its fixed-roof sibling's twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8. In the regular Vantage, the AMG-sourced powerplant produces 503 horsepower and 505 lb-ft of torque. This setup enables the 3,373-pound Aston Martin Vantage to do the 0-62 mph sprint in 3.5 seconds before reaching a top speed of 196 mph.

Inevitably, the extra strengthening required for the chassis will result in a slight weight gain and performance loss, so expect the Vantage Roadster to be a few tenths of a second slower off the line. It also remains to be seen if Aston Martin launches a hardcore AMR version of the Vantage Roadster. Compared to the regular Vantage, the AMR variant trades the supercar's eight-speed automatic for a purist-pleasing seven-speed manual transmission.

Aston Martin has confirmed the Vantage Roadster will arrive next spring. Expect it to command a higher price than the regular Vantage, which starts at $149,995. Before the covers come off the production Vantage Roadster, the Aston Martin DBX crossover will make its world debut this December.