ASTON MARTIN V12 VANTAGE S ROADSTER – AN OPEN INVITATION TO EXCITEMENT

Debut of the luxury brand’s most potent and exhilarating roadster yet
6.0-litre V12 engine: 565 bhp and delivers 201 mph top speed
Supreme agility and intense excitement characterise new model

Aston Martin is opening up a new world of exhilarating driving excitement with the announcement of the hotly anticipated 2015 V12 Vantage S Roadster.

When it arrives in markets around the world later this year the new sports car will become the luxury British marque’s most potent, fastest and fastest-accelerating series production roadster to date and follows in the broad tyre tracks of the V12 Vantage S Coupe that was launched to worldwide acclaim in 2013.

Providing the most visceral yet engaging open-top experience in Aston Martin’s current range, the new V12 Vantage S Roadster delivers characteristic sporting agility underpinned by an enviable sports ‘soundtrack’ generated by its naturally aspirated V12 engine and expertly-tuned sports exhaust.

Equipped with the latest 565 bhp Aston Martin AM28 6.0-litre V12 engine, featuring state-of-the-art Bosch engine management, the car is capable of reaching 201 mph and sprinting from rest to 60 mph in only 3.9 seconds.

Peak and low rev torque is delivered in abundance. With 457 lb ft available at 5,750 rpm the V12 Vantage S Roadster is not to be found wanting in this vital department. Crucially, too, low rev torque – measured at just 1,000 rpm – peaks at a colossal 376 lb ft. Together, these statistics demonstrate the Aston Martin engineers’ ability to create a ‘flatter’, yet ‘fatter’, torque curve which supports exceptional driveability and strong pick-up through the gears.

Aston Martin Director of Design, Marek Reichman, said: “The V12 Vantage S Roadster is the mechanical embodiment of this company’s exceptional spirit.

“Beautiful, powerful and spirited it is as spectacular to listen to as it is to look at. The new roadster is truly a treat for the senses with, underlying all this, the capacity to deliver one of the most dynamic, exciting and stirring driving experiences in our current range.

“I’m sure the V12 Vantage S Roadster will appeal to luxury sports car enthusiasts worldwide who want to add a truly exceptional new model to their garage.”

Race car technology

As with its coupe sibling, race car technology runs right through the DNA of the V12 Vantage S Roadster with, for instance, CNC machined combustion chambers and hollow cam shafts just two examples of track technology feeding through to the road.

Another clear example is the new car’s gearbox, the Sportshift™III ASM (auto-shift manual) transmission. Engineered to exploit the full sporting potential of the V12 engine, the latest generation Sportshift™III hydraulically actuated automated manual transmission provides motorsport-style paddle shift changes for optimum performance delivery. The unit, which replaces the six-speed manual gearbox found in the previous V12 Vantage Roadster, is also appreciably lighter – saving 44 lb versus its forebear.

This race-derived and motorsport-proven technology – used routinely in Aston Martin Racing’s race-winning Vantage GT4, GT3 and GTE competition cars – provides for great driver control with only milliseconds of torque interruption and delivers precise and swift gear changes.

The Sportshift™III transaxle, from transmission experts Oerlikon Graziano, joins an extensive array of new sport and track-focused developments that ensure the V12 Vantage S Roadster is fully equipped to exploit the huge performance potential of its 6.0-litre naturally aspirated engine.

The use of three-stage adaptive damping, allied to three-stage DSC and two-stage ABS, allows the driver to more precisely tailor the car’s dynamic character. ‘Normal’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Track’ modes provide a broad swathe of dynamic performance that can be tuned to better suit the driver’s requirements. The system also governs the level of power steering assistance offered.

Working alongside the extended chassis capabilities is a ‘Sport’ mode, controlled via a button on the centre console that alters throttle response, gearshift speed and timing, and exhaust note to, once again, tune the character of the car to the driver’s requirements.

Optimum braking performance is delivered via the specially-created carbon ceramic discs all round, with near-identical brakes appearing on the brands ultimate GT, the Vanquish. Meanwhile a whole new exhaust system – derived from that of Aston Martin’s most expensive and exclusive production model, the One-77 hypercar – is light, small and wonderfully sonorous.

The ZF Servotronic power assisted steering offers a quick, slick, 15:1 ratio and, linked to the adaptive damping button, it offers two-mode steering assistance designed to best match the ‘Sport’ or ‘Normal’ settings generated by the Adaptive Damping System.

Pure power, beautifully presented

As Aston Martin’s most overtly sporting convertible car, with a more dynamic character even than the luxurious Vanquish Volante ultimate GT or refined DB9 Volante, the V12 Vantage S Roadster has been styled to reflect is position as the flagship convertible in the Vantage family.

In keeping with the V12 Vantage S Coupe, the Roadster does away with the famous aluminium vanes in the Aston Martin grille – replacing them with a carbon fibre arrangement that also includes sporty black or titanium silver mesh. Created to maximise airflow to the V12 engine, the new grille is inspired by both the remarkable CC100 Speedster Concept and the Vantage race cars.

Other distinguishing features of the V12 Vantage S Roadster include the option of lightweight forged alloy ten-spoke wheels.

The new Roadster retains the same compact proportions of its predecessor while features such as the pronounced bonnet louvres, optional bold graphics (painted carbon front grille, front grille lipstick and tailgate panel) as well as the exterior carbon pack and flared wheel arches underscore its sporting abilities.

Inside, as out, the new car has been styled to reflect its powerful nature. New-style seat trim and door trims, with Sport and carbon fibre Lightweight seat options – present V12 Vantage S Roadster buyers with an exciting array of choices.

The optional Interior Carbon Pack, which adds carbon fibre to the car’s facia and door pulls, plus the availability for the first time in a V12 Vantage S Roadster of black pedals, further enhances personalisation options for those in search of a truly bespoke sports car.

Q by Aston Martin

Meanwhile,For V12 Vantage S Roadster, the company is introducing a Q by Aston Martin Collection which consists of bespoke features that are entirely in keeping with the character of the car.

For V12 Vantage S Roadster this includes a palette of bold exterior and interior colours; body coloured carbon bonnet louvres; a red tint or satin finish to the carbon fibre elements on the exterior and interior of the car; a full carbon fibre centre console, black anodised and machined rotary controls and a steering wheel with a leather on-centre stripe in the chosen interior accent colour.

Marek Reichman added: “The new V12 Vantage S Roadster not only looks the part, but has been engineered and built to showcase the ethos of Aston Martin: power, beauty and soul.

“We believe that it is a truly exceptional sports car, with the capacity to set pulses racing just by its sound alone. The authentic appeal of its style, performance, quality and craftsmanship ensure its stands head and shoulders above others in its sector and delivers that most precious of experiences – fun – in abundance!”

2015 V12 Vantage S Roadster – Technical Specification

Body

Two-seat, two-door soft-cover convertible top bodystyle
Extruded bonded aluminium VH body structure
Aluminium, magnesium alloy, composite and steel body
Extruded aluminium door side-impact beams
Halogen projector headlamps (main beam)
High Intensity Discharge headlamps (dipped beam)
LED rear lamps
Clear rear lamps
Carbon fibre front splitter and rear diffuser
Black headlamp bezels¹

Engine

All-alloy, quad overhead camshaft, 48-valve, 5935 cc V12
Front mid-mounted engine, rear-wheel drive
Fully catalysed, stainless steel exhaust system with active bypass valves
Compression ratio: 11.1:1
Max power 565 bhp at 6750 rpm
Max torque: 457 lb ft at 5750 rpm
Acceleration (Roadster) – 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds
Maximum speed (Roadster) – 201 mph

Transmission

Rear mid-mounted, seven-speed ‘Sportshift III’ automated manual transmission
Alloy torque tube with carbon fibre propeller shaft
Limited-slip differential
Final-drive ratio 3.727:1

Steering

Rack and pinion, speed-sensitive Servotronic power-assisted steering, 2.5 turns lock-to-lock
Column tilt and reach adjustment
Steering rack with 15:1 ratio

Wheels & Tyres

19” 10-spoke forged alloy Graphite painted wheels with diamond-turned finish
Front: 9 x 19” Pirelli P Zero Corsa 255/35 ZR19
Rear: 11 x 19” Pirelli P Zero Corsa 295/30 ZR19

Suspension

Front: Independent double wishbones incorporating anti-dive geometry, coil springs, anti-roll bar and monotube adaptive dampers
Rear: Independent double wishbones with anti-squat and anti-lift geometry, dual-rate coil springs and monotube adaptive dampers
Three-stage Adaptive Damping System (ADS) with Normal, Sport and Track modes

Brakes

Front: Ventilated Carbon Ceramic Matrix discs, 398 mm diameter with six-piston monobloc calipers
Rear: Ventilated Carbon Ceramic Matrix discs, 360 mm diameter with four-piston monobloc calipers
Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) with Track mode
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Track mode
Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)
Emergency Brake Assist (EBA)
Traction Control (TC)
Hydraulic Brake Assist (HBA)
Positive Torque Control (PTC)
Hill Start Assist (HSA)