Looking to feel the wind through your incredibly well-groomed hair? Aston Martin has just the ticket. On Monday, the company unveiled the DB12 Volante, a headless version of its latest GT car. We’re still looking at 671 horsepower from an AMG-sourced four-liter biturbo V8, a variable locking differential, a fixed-ratio steering rack, and more leather than a Western film, but now with a top-down option. Think of it as a DB11 do-over, with an interior befitting of a quarter-million dollar machine. We’ve driven the hardtop, and from what I hear, it’s lovely.
It shouldn’t be surprising that the drop-top offers minimal compromise, with the same 202-mph V-max as the coupe and a zero-to-60 time just one tenth slower at 3.6 seconds. In fact, the most difficult part of going with the Volante is choosing a spec. Silver is a little bit boring, a seriously bright color would be a little bit garish, and green-over-tan, while lovely, is a bit typical. So what if we invert it?
Yes, I am pleased to announce that the Aston Martin DB12 Volante is available in brown. Specifically, it’s a color called Magneto Bronze which just sounds damn cool. It’s a shimmering sort of brown that pops in the sunlight, far more dynamic than a solid chocolate color and a bit of an oddball choice. Oh, and it’s a regular option too, not part of Aston Martin’s expanded Q color palette.
Complementing the tasteful, understated color is a set of optional five-spoke silver forged wheels. While the multi-spoke design is likely to be popular, I’m a sucker for silver wheels, and there’s something pleasing about a well-executed five-spoke design.
Along with clear-lens taillights, I went with the body-color lower exterior package to keep things looking clean, but I did spec the black upper exterior package so the black convertible top doesn’t clash with the windscreen surround. Dashes of chrome on the grille and emblems cap off the exterior, so the cabin is where things get wild.
Aston Martin calls the DB12 Volante a Super Tourer — a big cabriolet you can do huge distances in — so it just makes sense to go with comfort-oriented seats. As a bonus, the Inspire Comfort seats can be specced with a duotone interior, and that’s where I went a bit nuts. The upper environment is specced in Arden Green, a very dark green that adds contrast. The rest? Eifel Green, a rich medium green off the Q palette. I’ve also ticked the box for contrast stitching in Copper Tan, and went with Copper Tan brogue and Oxford Tan carpets just for a pop of something close to the exterior color inside the car.
Oh, and how about enough wood to line Don Draper’s office? A big Aston doesn’t feel right without walnut veneers, so I put them everywhere — on the dash, the doors, and the backs of the seats. With gorgeous grain and open pores, it adds heaps of tactility to an interior that’s already vastly improved over the old DB11. Speaking of tactility, how about the grillework on the optional Bowers & Wilkins stereo?
Admittedly, this isn’t a spec for everyone, but that’s the beauty of an expansive configurator. How would you spec your Aston Martin DB12 Volante? Hop this link to the configurator and let me know in the comments below.
(Photo credits: Aston Martin)
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I guess I’m not ready for the 21st century. For the life of me, I can’t get the damned thing to work. Can’t even get past getting a color selected. Oh well.
All good and pretty, but there is one small thing I can’t now unsee, once I spotted it earlier. That front door shut line. It just barely intersects with the side duct/molding/styling feature above and behind the front wheel. Did they really have to do it that way, seriously? OCD overload, and fitment/alignment nigtmare. Munro would not approve.
If they shortened or lengthened the feature the proportions would be wrong. I appreciate the faithful rendition of the artist’s concept, even if mundane things like door shut lines gummed up the execution.
https://my.astnmrt.in/BVVYKZDLV3
That’s cool
Found The Joker.
Wanna know how I got these scars? Me too; I assume I was clumsy and hurt myself, but I honestly don’t remember.
This car gives me viper in an expensive tux vibes
Here’s mine I went with a Blue theme
https://my.astnmrt.in/N8K3MMZ8HY
Elwood Blue is really hard to argue. I’d prefer something bolder like Bentley Kingfisher though. Aston’s older Cobalt Blue also got the best kind of attention.
Go brighter on trim save for the lowers. Warm interior, but keep the uppers darker to avoid reflections. No focusing on “sport” for sport’s sake — GT car, so just make it nice. A touch of brightwork makes for a happier car in a world where people feel they need to “murder out” their Nissan Rogue or other NPC crossover.
https://my.astnmrt.in/NZ7ZWNTOO5
Elwood Blue would look good with a red interior 🙂
Elwood Blue works best if you’re on a mission from God.
Here’s my configuration code:
https://my.astnmrt.in/ZJ3XYR3MRF
I do really like that green, and that interior goes well with it.
I wish we could post pictures in the comments or better yet, link the nice .pdf brochure you can download with the car you built on it
Anyway, I ended up going with 1959 Racing green with the black and silver top, gloss black upper package and the carbon fiber lower package. For the inside, I went with the sport plus seat because it seemed like a nice compromise between sports and luxury. I kept the interior fairly subdued with black seats and sage green accents to match the paint. I also did the dark wood center trim just because I feel it isn’t a proper British car if there isn’t at least a little bit of wood in there somewhere.
1959 Racing Green or Iridescent Emerald exterior. Artic Blue/Aurora Blue Interior with tan accents. Give me the dark wood trim too. This is an Aston.
Really there are just too many choices. If I was actually buying this thing, I’d be overwhelmed. I’d want to see the color for real, which is probably impossible.
And it just shows what a chasm we have here between our regular Joe cars and rich person toys. Aston Martin has 10000 color combinations here between exterior, interior primary/secondary/trim. Toyota offers gray scale and maybe a blue and red. Interior – any color as long as its black.
Kudos to their configurator too. Every manufacturer should have one that works like that. Can sit there and play with seat belt colors for 2 hours.
Regarding seeing the paint colors for real: I will bet Aston has painted panels you can take home. I worked a few summers in an auto paint plant. I know just what they probably look like.
I like a blue over the green and also to avoid looking at the price.
When I decide to pick one up, you can be my order minion.
Is there anyway to have it built to 2/3 scale but fitting the same engine, while gutting the interior to racecar status, blocking off most of that obnoxious grille to just enough to cool the engine, and having tires with some sidewall on them?
No?
I’d rather have a DP215. 199 mph on only 323 horsepower, so it was nice and aerodynamically slippery, and light at 2,200 lbs. Modern Astons are utter CRAP compared to this, in spite of 60 years of technological advancement.
If race cars aren’t an option and I must have one of their mainstream models, give me a DB4 Zagato.
It’s a yes.