Aston Martin unveils Vanquish Volante Convertible

Aston Martin has unveiled a new luxury sports car Vanquish Volante, that brings the thrill of open top motoring to the super GT class. Alongside its coupe sibling, which was launched last autumn, the new Vanquish Volante sits at the pinnacle of the luxury British car maker's sports car lineup. The Vanquish Coupe is blessed with all the technical, engineering and design advances, the new Volante enhances the driving experience still further via the option of exciting convertible driving.

Vanquish Volante retains the coupe's full breadth of dynamic character and sporting capability. Under the hood, the same new AM11 6.0-litre V12 engine that also does duty to Coupe, which delivers blistering performance figures, top speed stands at 294kmph. The new car's triple-skin lightweight fabric roof can be operated at speeds of up to 48kmph and takes just 14 seconds to fold - meaning the switch from enclosed to open motoring, or vice versa, can be made effortlessely while on the move.

Announcing the arrival of the Vanquish Volante Aston Martin CEO Dr Ulrich Bez said: "This car is what luxury super GT driving is all about. Great performance, fantastic style and exhilarating Volante motoring in one superb package. "Aston Martin is celebrating 100 years of excellence in 2013, and the arrival of this new sports car - our ultimate Volante - underlines that our mission to make the next 100 years even more successful is starting perfectly."

The styling cues for the Vanquish Volante such as the elegant waist, elongated side strakes and LED rear light blades are derived from the One-77 supercar while the folding fabric roof sits beneath a tonneau and decklid that have been aerodynamically tuned for optimum performance. The supercar cabin seems both sophisticated and comfortable. The 2+2 cabin is elegantly attired in authentic and luxurious materials: full grain Luxmil leather with optional quilting, Alcantara and satin chrome underscore the car's well-appointed nature.

The Vanquish Volante's retains a familiar elements such as the ECU engine start button and gear selection buttons while featuring a new infotainment system and a significantly more user-friendly design. The facia trim now stretches down the whole centre stack and is manufactured from a single piece of material giving a uniform finish.

The Vanquish Volante's is powered by the latest generation AM11 naturally aspirated 6.0-litre V12 petrol engine which drives the rear via a Touchtronic 2 six-speed automatic gearbox. The engine develops massive 565bhp at 6,750rpm while the peak torque of 619Nm is available at 5,500rpm. Not just power, it also gets series of sophisticated technologies including Dynamic Stability Control and Positive Torque Control. Aston Martin's Adaptive Damping System (ADS) allows the driver to switch between three distinct damping modes: Normal, Sport and Track, delivering instant adjustment of the car's ride and handling characteristics.

Priced from $297,995 (approximately Rs.17542965.65) in the United States, first deliveries of the 2014 Vanquish Volante are expected to begin across the Americas from early next year.