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The DB12, Aston Martin's consummate sporting luxury GT, is even more desirable in open-topped Volante form. And it's stiffer, more sophisticated and even more beautiful than its predecessor. Like its Coupe counterpart, it's primarily a consummate sporting luxury GT, but can also be dynamically rewarding whenever you need it to be. It's very desirable indeed.
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Driving experience
So what do we have here? Well much more of an Aston Martin than its DB11 Volante predecessor certainly. Yes, there still a Mercedes-sourced 4.0-litre V8 up-front, but it's apparently now much more bespoke to Aston and gets 680hp - considerably more power than any DB11 ever had. It's mated to a rear-mounted 8-speed ZF automatic transmission with a short final drive ratio that helps the uber-rapid acceleration; 0-62mph in this Volante model occupies just 3.7s (only 0.1s slower than the Coupe) en route to the same 202mph top speed. There are 'GT', 'Sport' and 'Sport+' drive modes, plus an 'Individual' option to set your own parameters - and a 911-style 'Wet' setting for when the road's sodden and you're concerned about deploying all that power through the rear wheels.
The DB12 was the first Aston Martin DB to get an electronic rear differential. And also the first to be offered with ceramic brakes. Plus the bonded aluminium platform is 70% more torsionally rigid than it was in the DB11, there's a state-of-the-art ESP system and there's a bespoke-developed set of Michelin Pilot Sport tyres. The spring rates are about 5% stiffer and the engineers claim a 12% reduction in understeer, helped by phenomenal levels of grip. Plus the cam profiles and compression ratios have been enhanced to better support the V8's two larger-diameter turbos. The result of all this takes Aston Martin closer to Ferrari than Bentley in terms of this DB12's roadgoing repertoire. Which was precisely the objective.
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Design and build
The DB12 Volante is a handsome-looking thing, but inevitably it's weightier than its Coupe counterpart - by 111kg thanks to the weight of the roof and the extra chassis bracing needed. That soft top roof can open in 14 seconds and close in 16 seconds, doing so at speeds of up to 31mph. In profile, the sleek shape is subtly wider and visually closer to the ground than its DB11 predecessor, sitting on larger 21-inch wheels. The deep front grille and strong sill line balance the shape, which is set off by frameless wing mirrors.
Where you really notice the investment that's gone into this car though, is when you take a seat inside. The cabin is a seismic step forwards from the cluttered out-of-date design of its predecessor and is no longer so obviously littered with borrowed Mercedes bits. Aston has finally developed its own centre touchscreen (not before time), a 10.25-inch monitor that sits in a redesigned raised console and is as good as anything you'll find elsewhere. The old gearshift fascia buttons are gone (good), replaced by a Porsche-style gearshift toggle. There's also a superb binnacle display which, like the centre screen, now runs the brand's own software. Not everything is perfect (the chunky steering wheel has too many buttons on it), but the quality of build and finish sets a new standard for Aston.
You'll need some familiarisation though; it's still a wide car that sits you low, so it's difficult to see the bonnet - which makes tight space manoeuvring challenging. As with the DB12 Coupe, you get two tiny rear seats for small children (or more likely jackets or designer shopping bags). And out back, there's a 262-litre boot (the same as the Coupe).
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Market and model
You'll need around £202,000 to get yourself this DB12 Volante. The alternative Coupe version of this car costs around £185,000. You'll need to add a fair bit onto those figures once you've allowed for various essential extras. This pricing positions the DB12 between Ferrari's Roma Spider and Bentley's Continental GT V8 S Convertible. And potential customers looking at a super sports car around this price point will also be considering the Mercedes-AMG SL 63.
Standard equipment includes 21-inch forged wheels, Bi-LED headlamps with auto high beam, Adaptive Damping, a 360-degree camera system, ambient lighting, automatic 2-zone climate control, heated seats, a wireless charging mat and a 10.25-inch TFT Driver Information Display is the binnacle. Media connectivity is taken care of by a Touchscreen Central Display, also 10.25-inches in size, complete with 'Apple CarPlay', a built-in 390-watt 11-speaker Aston Martin audio system, navigation and natural voice control. Ceramic brake discs will be a key option for those planning to take to the track.
Camera safety kit is on a different level to previous generation Astons. You get Auto Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Warning, Lane Keep Assist, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Change Assist, Lane Centring, Front and Rear Cross-Traffic Assist, Door Open Assist, Traffic Sign Recognition, Matrix High Beam Control, Driver Drowsiness Detection and an E-call system which alerts the emergency services if either the front or the side curtain airbags go off in an accident.
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Cost of ownership
We normally start this section with a review of economy and emissions, but of course anyone comfortable with blowing a quarter of a million on a super sportscar is unlikely to be overly concerned with trifling issues of that sort. The big ticket cost with cars at this kind of exalted price point isn't frugality but depreciation, so if you like the idea of a DB12, you'll be pleased to hear that this Aston Martin fares reasonably here.
If for some reason you are interested in the fuel and emissions stats, we'll tell you that, as with the Coupe model, this Volante manages a 23.2mpg combined cycle WLTP figure, with emissions of 276g/km.
In terms of eco-friendliness, you might think that you could hardly annoy the Greenpeace set more if your choice of car had a whale-harpooning gun strapped to the bonnet. Yet should you be inveigled into conversation with a bearded type, you could point out that in some ways, this DB12 is very green indeed. There's no wasteful recycling needed here because due to its build, no recycling is needed. There's nothing to rust and nothing to decay. Look after your Aston and it will still be thrilling people in fifty years' time.
Insurance is predictably a top-of-the-shop group 50E. And servicing will be needed every year or every 10,000 miles, whichever comes first. Dealership visits of course won't be cheap, but there shouldn't be a need for unnecessary ones these days. The old Aston adage that customers could find out what was wrong (saving the brand a lot of development time, bother and expense) has thankfully long been abandoned. There's a three year unlimited mileage warranty. And these days, the asking price includes five years of maintenance too.
Obviously, hard use will result in heavy brake and tyre wear. And on the subject of tyres, the bespoke Michelin Pilot Sport rubber will be fearsomely expensive to replace, so bear that in mind before you go track day showboating.
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Summary
It would be easy to see why you might feel that there's nothing else quite like this DB12 Volante. A rival Ferrari Roma Spider has only two seats, plus it's a less relaxed GT. A rival Bentley Continental Convertible V8 is too heavy to match this Aston's agility through the turns. And rival GT sports convertible models from Audi, Mercedes and Porsche just don't feel quite as exotic. Which is important. If you're going to reward yourself for a lifetime's endeavour with the purchase of a car like this, you deserve to feel special. In a DB12 Volante you will.
And in summary? Well there have been three basic eras in Aston Martin's existence. The early one, which lasted from the time that Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford established the brand in 1913 until the late Sixties, a period when its products were at the cutting edge of what a classic GT sports car should be. Then there were the Seventies, Eighties, Nineties and Noughties, when this famous nameplate traded on its heritage and produced sports cars the motoring press eulogised over but which in truth weren't very good. In the last decade though, the company has returned to being the kind of business its founders would recognise. We don't care that the marque has needed some help from Mercedes and Canadian investment to do it - and nor should you. The DB12 Coupe showed us that Aston once again had a place at the top table of grand sports car design and this Volante version confirms that impression. For us, it's the finest sporting convertible the brand has yet made. And that makes it very desirable indeed.
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