Say Hello To Aston's Stunning New Vanquish Volante

Here is a first look at drop-dead gorgeous new Aston Martin Vanquish Volante. With 565bhp, it is the most powerful convertible Aston has ever built, and the first to feature a full carbonfibre body.

Despite the roof chop, Aston's implementation of the coupe Vanquish's 6-litre V12 (through the rear wheels) gives the Volante identical performance figures as the coupe: it'll hit 62mph from a standstill in 4.1 seconds, before topping out at a toupee-tormenting 183mph.

Aston engineers have also worked to keep the convertible's weight low, achieved mostly thanks to lighter Carbon Ceramic Matrix brakes and a lightweight fabric roof, as well as the aforementioned carbonfibre body. Couple this with new spring and damper settings, and it should handle as spectacularly as its covered sibling.

If you're wondering how you'll convince your better half that this is a sensible purchase, you'll be pleased to know that, at 279 litres, the boot is 50 per cent larger than the previous DBS Volante - so it's relatively practical...

The Vanquish Volante is priced from £199,995 in the UK ($297,995 in the U.S), with deliveries expected to begin in late 2013.