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home > news > Automakers > The V12 Aston Martin Roadster You Can’t Buy
Aston Martin revealed a new V12 Vantage Roadster Friday, but you can’t buy one. Like so many limited editions being trotted out during Monterey Car Week, the lust-worthy V12 Vantage Roadster is limited to 249 units — and it’s already sold out.
But a new V-12-powered Aston Martin is always welcome.
The new Aston Martin V12 Vantage Roadster’s 5.2-liter twin-turbocharged, quad-cam V-12 engine produces 690 horsepower and 555 pound-feet of torque, making it the most powerful Vantage Roadster ever built. It’s mated to a ZF 8-speed automatic transmission and rear mechanical Limited-Slip Differential. The transmission is tuned to reduce shift times, using the transmission’s adaptive software control system to track driving demands and operating circumstances to improve control and responsiveness.
The bottom line? There’s enough moxie to move this Vantage from 0-to-60 mph in 3.5 seconds on the way to a top speed of 200 mph. That’s a lot of oomph for a small roadster.
“We have worked extremely hard to ensure the V12 Vantage Roadster possesses the same potency and dynamism that characterizes the V12 Vantage Coupe, while surpassing it in terms of raw sensory excitement that you only achieve with roof down driving,” said Roberto Fedeli, Aston Martin chief technical officer.
“With more power and torque than any Vantage Roadster before it, a wide-track chassis with precisely tuned suspension calibration, and up to ten times the downforce of the series production Vantage Roadster, this is a breath-taking machine created for our most enthusiastic customers.”
But engineers have also sought to keep weight down by fitting the V12 Vantage Roadster with standard carbon ceramic brakes for improved braking performance and 50 fewer pounds of weight. They’re aided and abetted by 16.1-inch front discs with six-piston calipers and 14.2-inch rear discs with four-piston calipers.
Engineers also looked to save weight and maximize performance by using carbon fiber on the Vantage’s front bumper, clamshell bonnet, front fenders and side sills. An unnamed weight-saving composite material was used for the rear bumper and deck lid, while a lightweight battery and a special center-mounted twin-exit exhaust made using lightweight 1-mm stainless steel also help keep weight to a minimum.
Even the 21-inch wheels were designed to save weight, with an optional lightweight forged wheel option saving 17.6 pounds. Front 275/35 R21 and rear 315/30 R21 Michelin Pilot 4S high performance tires are standard.
Employing the same suspension hardware as the V12 Vantage Coupe, the V12 Vantage Roadster’s track is 1.6 inches wider. Increased downforce and aerodynamic balance are produced by the Roadster’s revised front bumper and full-width front splitter, while cooling is improved with a 25% larger front grille and a horseshoe engine vent in the hood.
In contrast to the V12 Vantage, the V12 Vantage Roadster comes without the histrionic rear wing, although it can be ordered as an option. Aston Martin credits aerodynamic revisions and better underbody airflow management for its redundancy.
The automaker uses revised rear bumper and single-piece sills, which includes an integrated diffuser improving aerodynamic performance. The center-mounted exhaust system and dual tailpipe were rerouted as well to improve airflow.
Given the V12 Vantage Roadster is a limited edition, it has Sports Plus Seats sheathed in semi-aniline leather. For those looking to save weight, a carbon fiber performance seat with exposed twill carbon fiber shell and manual 6-way adjustment is optional, and saves 16.1 pounds.
Of course, as if the vehicle isn’t special enough, Aston Martin is also offering its 249 V12 Vantage Roadster customers the ability to personalize their vehicle’s cabin using Q By Aston Martin, the automaker’s bespoke personalization service.
Production of the Aston Martin V12 Vantage Roadster begins in the third quarter of 2022.
“For our Drivers, we created this explicit open-top sports car for those craving excitement and drama,” said Marek Reichman, Aston Martin chief creative officer. “The platform presented us with a design opportunity to make a contemporary visual statement of intent. The result is a living, breathing, driving sculpture.”
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