V12 Vantage Roadster
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V12 Vantage Roadster

V12 Vantage Roadster

(2012 - 2013) 6-speed manual

Aston Martin has a habit of always following the same trend with their model availability................eventually. Almost without exception, the most powerful road car is made into a convertible and that car almost instantly becomes the most desirable car in the line up. Not necessarily the most expensive or the 'top of the range' but always the most desirable. And so almost 5 years since the combination of the 5.9 litre V12 was squeezed into the smallest Vantage coupe chassis, the long awaited Roadster version was announced. Much rumoured from early 2011, initially existing customers were approached before the car became officially announced on the 10th July 2012.
V12 Vantage Roadster

The V12 Vantage Roadster instantly became the most desirable Aston, not the dearest and arguably not the quickest, but with production limited to just 101 cars, the Roadster was hot property. What is quite incredible is that although the V12 engine weighs 100kg more than the V8, the weight of the V12 Vantage Roadster is only 70kg more than the V8S Roadster due to a number of weight saving measures including carbon ceramic brakes and lighter forged wheels. Performance for the V12 Roadster was quoted as 0-60 mph in 4.1 seconds and a maximum speed of 190mph.

In simple terms, the V12 Vantage Roadster combined the well known V12 5.9 litre engine with peak output of 510bhp as already in service in the DBS, DBS Volante and V12 Vantage coupe within the V8 Vantage Roadster compact body to make Aston Martin’s most exhilarating open-top sports car. That said, there are a number of detail differences from the coupe (and indeed the V8 Roadster) that are unique to this car.

  • Carbon Fibre mirror caps and side strakes
  • Carbon Fibre rear light infills with dark surrounds
  • Boot lid with re-profiled larger ‘flip’
  • New and exclusive lightweight forged 10-spoke 19” diamond turned alloy wheel
  • Optional black grille, side strake meshes and black Zircotec tail pipes
  • Optional reversing camera
  • Glass switches
  • Limited edition sill plaque
  • Piano Black facia and centre stack (although this becomes standard on the 2013MY V12 Vantage Coupe), black leather steering wheel
  • Optional Carbon Fibre interior pack (facia and gearstick surround), optional B&O speaker grilles and ALT’s in black
  • Modified rear damper tube length and tube cap (unique to V12 Vantage Roadster)
  • Modified rear spring (unique to V12 Vantage Roadster)
  • Wider rear tyres, Pirelli P Zero Corsa 295/30 ZR19

Production begin in the autumn of 2012 and was completed by Easter 2013. The UK price of the basic car was £150,000 although some cars would have been far more expensive with personalisation by ‘Q by Aston Martin’. Available in many of the important world markets, sadly customers in North America, China and much of the Middle East were not be able to buy the V12 Roadster.

In 2014, the V12 Vantage Roadster was eclipsed to a certain extent by the new ‘S’ version boasting 565 bhp and the Sportshift III transmission. Yet owners of the desirable manual only regular car will not necessarily be tempted by the new car which will not be a numbered limited edition. Also of note is that the new ‘S’ will be offered for sale in most if not all the markets worldwide.