√2023 Aston Martin V12 Vantage Roadster revealed, coming to Australia

Aston Martin has chopped the top off the fastest production Vantage sports car it’s ever built – and the last with a 500kW-plus V12.

The 2023 Aston Martin V12 Vantage Roadster has been unveiled, ahead of an international launch towards the end of this year – and Australian deliveries due early this year, or early next year.

Keen to capitalise on the demand for the 333 V12 Vantage coupes, Aston Martin plans to build a further 249 examples of a convertible version – all of which, like its coupe sibling, sold out before the car’s official reveal.

Once the final V12 Vantage coupes and Roadsters are built, Aston Martin says it will never again fit a V12 to another production Vantage – as it counts down to the launch of its first electric car in 2025, and switches 90 per cent of its range to hybrid or electric power in 2030.

Power comes from the same 5.2-litre twin-turbocharged V12 as the V12 Vantage coupe – sourced from Aston’s larger DB11 and DBS – developing a coupe-matching 515kW and 753Nm.

It sends power to the rear wheels through a retuned eight-speed automatic transmission from Germany’s ZF, and a mechanical limited-slip differential, good for a claimed 0-60mph (97km/h) time of 3.5 seconds, and a top speed of 322km/h (200mph).

The most obvious visual change is a more extreme aerodynamics package, with a new front bumper home to a 25 per cent larger opening, a functional lower front splitter, the ‘horseshoe’ bonnet vent, reshaped side sills, and a new rear bumper with twin exhaust outlets.

Whereas the V12 Vantage coupe features a fixed rear wing as standard, the Roadster comes without it – though it can be optioned back in, if buyers wish.

Shedding weight are carbon-fibre front wheel arches, side skirts, bonnet and front bumper, a composite material for the rear bumper and tailgate, a lightweight battery, and a new stainless steel exhaust system claimed to save 7.2kg alone.

Wider wheel arches enclose a 40mm wider wheel track, fitted with 21-inch alloy wheels wrapped in 275/35 R21 front and 315/30 R21 rear Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres.

The standard wheel design is available in satin black or satin black and diamond turned finishes, while an optional lightweight forged wheel claims to cut 8kg from the car’s unsprung mass.

The wheels hide standard-fit 410x38mm front and 360x32mm rear carbon-ceramic brake discs – which claim to save 23kg compared to steel equivalents – with six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers.

Under the skin, the V12 Vantage Roadster shares the coupe’s retuned adaptive suspension and steering calibration.

Inside, the coupe similarities continue – with the obvious exception of the folding soft-top roof – with a choice of semi-aniline leather Sports Plus seats, or carbon-fibre bucket seats with six-way manual adjustable, a carbon shell, and a claimed 7.3kg weight saving.

Buyers can engage Aston Martin’s Q personalisation service, opening a range of “striking exterior graphics and liveries”, woven leather upholstery, tinted exterior lacquers, and other design touches.

Production of the 2023 Aston Martin V12 Vantage Roadster is due to begin before the end of next month, Aston Martin says, ahead of first overseas deliveries before the end of the year.

Australian pricing is yet to be locked in. The first customer cars are expected to arrive in Australia at the end of this year, or early in 2023.

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