Aston Martin DBS Volante

Aston Martin are poised to show the DBS Volante at the 2009 Geneva Motorshow. The topless beauty was revealed prior to it’s release and we have to say, it looks stunning! It still has the same 6.0 litre V12 lifted from the DB9 and 510bhp and will be built alongside the DBS at Aston’s Gaydon factory (Warwickshire, UK).

Usually when a sports car is opened up to the elements it has to be significantly strengthened to increase the rigidity lost by breaking the shell’s continuity. Aston have tried to counteract the innevitable weight gain that this causes and have included as standard, ceramic brakes and bonnet, front wings and a boot lid all made from light-weight carbon fibre. As a result, the car only gains between 154 – 253lbs and can boast the same 191 mph (307 km/h) top speed and 0-100 km/h (62mph) time of 4.3 secs as it’s hardtop brother.

Take a look at the pictures and our previous reports on the flagship Aston During testing here here and here… Also take a look at the pitiful rear seats!!

PRESS RELEASES

Gaydon, Warwickshire, 25th February 2009. Aston Martin will premiere the DBS Volante at the Geneva Auto Salon on the 3rd March 2009. Completing the DBS line-up, the new Volante will afford customers the combination of the DBS’s already-established benchmark sports car characteristics with all the thrills of open-air motoring.

Broadening the DBS’s character, the DBS Volante will appeal to drivers who wish to combine the excitement of driving a finely-tuned sports car with the invigorating feeling of being open to the elements. This juxtaposition of ultimate performance and openness stirs the senses on any drive whether a exhilarating jaunt on favoured roads or cruising on lengthy journeys. ‘Volante’, meaning: ‘moving with light rapidity’, perfectly defines the performance potential and the dynamic characteristics of the DBS Volante.

Featuring a motorised retractable fabric roof, the DBS’s beautiful profile is preserved whether up or down. When the roof is closed, it provides a warm comfortable ambience and when open, it neatly disappears behind the new tonneau cover at the touch of a button.

Aston Martin’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Ulrich Bez said: “The DBS Volante delivers the utmost relaxed driving experience with the hood up or down. It combines engineering excellence with design perfection.

“The DBS Volante offers a subtle mix of power and performance. Adding to this, the fine craftsmanship – it is an unparalleled ownership and driving experience.”

Conceived as a Volante from the outset, Aston Martin engineers opted for a fabric hood to closely follow the silhouette of the DBS coupe and due to its lightweight properties, minimise overall weight gain. Fully retractable in only 14 seconds and at up to speeds of 30 mph (48 km/h), the roof will automatically stow under the newly sculpted tonneau, maintaining the DBS Volante’s perfect form – hood up or down.

Power is provided by Aston Martin’s hand-built all alloy 6.0-litre V12 engine producing 510 bhp (380 kW / 517 PS), and 570 Nm (420 lb ft) of torque with a top speed of 191 mph (307 km/h) and 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) time of 4.3 seconds. The nature of the V12, and in particular the torque available at all engine speeds, serves to provide effortless driving in all situations.

Aston Martin’s 16th convertible in 95 years, the DBS Volante draws on the marque’s extensive experience in designing iconic ‘Volantes’ and is a 2+2 featuring two occasional rear seats, ideal for young people or extra luggage. In standard specification, the DBS has a rear-mounted six-speed manual gearbox, while an automatic six-speed ‘Touchtronic’ option is also available. As with the coupe, the Volante is offered with carbon ceramic brakes as standard providing exceptional stopping power. Benefitting from materials derived from the motorsport and aerospace industries, the bonnet, front wings and boot lid are made from carbon fibre all helping to reduce weight.

The DBS Volante also comes with Bang & Olufsen’s renowned ‘BeoSound DBS’ in-car entertainment system, featuring 13 speakers as standard equipment. The BeoSound DBS has been expertly tuned by Bang & Olufsen’s Tonmeisters and Aston Martin’s acoustic engineers specifically for the Volante resulting in a system that senses when the roof has been retracted and adjusts the sound stage to compensate for extra wind noise, providing an unrivalled automotive audio experience.

The DBS Volante will be built at Aston Martin’s global headquarters at Gaydon, Warwickshire with customer deliveries expected to commence during quarter three 2009 and prices will be confirmed at the Geneva Auto Salon.

DBS Volante Specification

Body

* Two-door convertible body style with 2+2 seating
* Bonded aluminium VH structure
* Aluminium, magnesium alloy and carbon-fibre composite body
* Extruded aluminium door side-impact beams
* High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps (main beam)
* LED rear lamps and side repeaters

Engine

* All-alloy, quad overhead camshaft, 48-valve, 5935 cc V12
* Compression ratio 10.9:1
* Front-mid mounted engine, rear-wheel drive
* Fully catalysed stainless steel exhaust system with active bypass valves
* Max power: 380 kW (510 bhp / 517 PS) at 6500 rpm
* Max torque: 570 Nm (420 lb.ft) at 5750 rpm
* Acceleration: 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 4.3 seconds
* Max speed: 307 km/h (191 mph)

Transmission

* Rear-mid mounted, six-speed manual gearbox. Rear-mid mounted ‘Touchtronic 2′ six-speed gearbox with electronic shift-by-wire control system
* Alloy torque tube with carbon fibre propeller shaft
* Limited-slip differential
* Final-drive ratio 3.71:1 (manual) 3.46:1 (Touchtronic)

Wheels and Tyres

* Front: 8.5” x 20” Pirelli P Zero 245/35
* Rear: 11” x 20” Pirelli P Zero 295/30

Steering

* Rack and pinion, Servotronic speed-sensitive power-assisted steering, 3.0 turns lock-to-lock
* Column tilt and reach adjustment

Suspension

* Front: Independent double wishbone incorporating anti-dive geometry, coil springs, anti-roll bar and monotube adaptive dampers
* Rear: Independent double wishbones with anti-squat and anti-lift geometry, coil springs, anti-roll bar and monotube adaptive dampers
* Adaptive Damping System (ADS) with Track mode

Brakes

* Front: Ventilated carbon ceramic discs, 398 mm diameter with six-piston callipers
* Rear: Ventilated carbon ceramic discs, 360 mm diameter with four-piston callipers
* Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) with Track mode
* Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
* Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)
* Emergency Brake Assist (EBA)
* Traction control

Dimensions

Length:
4721 mm (185.9”)

Wheelbase:
2740 mm (107.9”)

Width:
1905 mm (75”) (exc. Mirrors)
2060 mm (81.1”) (inc. Mirrors)

Fuel tank capacity:
78 litres (17.2 Imp.galls, 20.5 US galls)

Height:
1280 mm (50.4”)

Weight:
1810 kg

Interior

* Full grain leather interior
* Matrix alloy facia trim and Iridium Silver centre console surround
* Carbon fibre door trims and door pulls
* Auto-dimming rear-view mirror & garage door opener (USA & Canada only)
* Sports seats with electric adjustment
* Memory seats & exterior mirrors (three positions)
* Dual-stage driver/passenger front airbags
* Side airbags
* Heated seats
* Heated rear screen
* Automatic temperature control
* Organic Electroluminescent (OEL) displays
* Trip computer
* LED map lights
* Cruise control
* Hard Disk Drive (HDD) satellite navigation system1,2
* Bluetooth telephone preparation1
* Powerfold exterior mirrors
* Front and rear parking sensors
* Tyre-pressure monitoring1
* Alarm and immobiliser
* Remote-control central door locking and boot release
* Wind deflector
* Battery disconnect switch
* Battery conditioner1
* Tracking device3 (UK only)
* Boot-mounted umbrella
* Lamy pen and pen holder (Touchtronic only)

In-Car Entertainment

* Bang & Olufsen BeoSound DBS sound system
* Integrated Apple iPod® connector
* USB connector with Waveform Audio Format (WAF), Windows Media Player (WMA) and MPEG (MP3) audio file compatibility
* 3.5 mm auxiliary input socket

Options

* 20” 20-spoke alloy wheels with graphite finish
* 20″ 10-spoke diamond-turned alloy wheels
* 20″ 10-spoke diamond-turned alloy wheels with graphite finish
* Satellite radio system (USA only)
* Piano Black facia trim and centre console surround
* Personalised sill plaques
* Auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror1
* Auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror with garage door opener (Europe only)
* Alarm upgrade (volumetric and tilt sensor)
* Tracking device1,3
* First-aid kit
* Ashtray and cigar lighter