Aston Martin Unveils Rag-Top Vantage Boasting Minimal Weight GainAston Martin Unveils Rag-Top Vantage Boasting Minimal Weight Gain

Aston Martin has chopped the top off its latest Vantage Coupé sports model to reveal the new Vantage Roadster to offer wind-in-the-hair motoring for its speed-hungry customers.

The new car uses the same 4.0L twin-turbo V-8 delivering 656 hp and 590 lb.-ft. (800 Nm) of torque.

Power runs through an 8-speed paddle-shift transmission to an electronically controlled limited-slip differential driving the rear wheels. Little performance is lost with claims of a 0-to-60 mph (97 km/h) sprint time of 3.5 seconds, just 0.3 seconds down on the Coupé and sharing the same top speed of 202 mph (325 km/h).

The Coupé’s lightweight aluminum chassis, boasting a 49:51 front-to-rear weight distribution, has been strengthened to cope with the lack of a tin-top but, says Aston Martin, the Roadster weighs just 132 lbs. (60 kg) more than the base car.

Stiffening processes include identifying the load paths through the structure and body and modifying the way the body is attached at the back of the car to add additional stiffness compared to the Coupé.

In addition, lightweight shear panels have been added in strategic positions to laterally stiffen the structure in order to offset the reduction in rigidity inherent in any convertible car.

Lightweighting even extends to the Roadster’s textile ‘Z-fold’ retractable roof, which is both faster and lighter than a traditional ‘K-fold’ roof and removes the requirement for a tonneau cover, further saving weight and lowering the center of gravity.

This roof can be opened or closed at any speed up to 31 mph (50 km/h) with the entire roof fold operation, open or closed, taking a claimed 6.8 seconds that Aston Martin says is the fastest fully automatic deployable roof mechanism on the market today.

Rollover protection also claims weight savings employing an aluminum Roll-Over and Protection System formed using a process called ‘Castrusion’ combining both casting and extrusion to create a system that is robust, light and simple to package.

Its active suspension has also been modified for the change in mass and weight distribution and features recalibrated software for its rear dampers and retuned mountings for its rear-mounted gearbox. Pricing is expected to be released in time for global market deliveries in the second quarter of 2025.

Aston Martin CEO Adrian Hallmark says: “The technical and dynamic capability of New Vantage delivered outstanding performance far beyond any other preceding Vantage, and it is now seen as a true class-leading sports car. Vantage Roadster was no different feat in that it is a fully reinvented experience, with all the benefits of the Coupe and no compromise to refinement or performance through meticulous work by our engineering and dynamics teams. Vantage Roadster delivers a world-class roof-down driving experience like no other.”