Aston DB11 Volante arrives in Australia

Aston Martin is on a roll. On the eve of the debut of the company’s expanded partnership with the Red Bull F1 team, and hot on the heels of the international launch of the 911-baiting Vantage, the iconic British brand has officially launched its sexiest ever convertible.

Dubbed the DB11 Volante, the new soft-top was designed alongside its coupe counterpart and is the third DB11 derivative. Offered only in V8 form, the Aston Martin DB11 Volante retains the coupe’s 2+2 layout and features a low-profile eight-layer insulated electric top that the company’s designers have ensured does nothing to mar its lines.

First local deliveries of the new Aston Martin DB11 Volante commence in May (2018). The Volante is priced from $398,495 plus on-roads costs.

But Aussies wanting to live the Volante lifestyle will need to get in quick. Aston Martin’s local connection, Kevin Wall, told motoring.com.au at today’s launch that just 10 examples of the car will make it Down Under in 2018.

Aston Martin’s Chief Creative Officer, Marek Reichman, was on hand for the local unveiling.

In his inimitable style, he described the DB11 as a Saville Row suit, and the DB11 Volante as “a Saville Row suit taken to the Cote d’Azur”.

“DB11 Volante is pure elegance and style. Its magnificent beauty is complimented by its innate sporting ability and sensory engagement, to deliver a new dimension of open-top driving pleasure,” Reichman gushed.

The Aston Martin exec is not one to hold back, having fired off a broadside at Rolls-Royce at the unveiling of the new Lagonda – and in turn inciting the ire of Rolls-Royce chief executive, Torsten Müller-Otvös.

Real timber and alloy feature in the DB11 Volante’s cockpit. A signature feature is the timber veneer seatbacks. The car will take on the likes of Bentley Continental GTC, Ferrari’s new Portofino and the V12 and AMG versions of Mercedes-Benz SL range.

The soft-top is powered by an AMG-sourced and Aston fettled 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine rated at 375kW. At this stage no V12 version of the Volante is planned. The rest of the mechanicals mirror the DB11 V8 coupe.

The DB11 Volante’s fabric hood incorporates the latest acoustic and insulation materials. It takes 14 seconds to lower and 16 to close and can be operated remotely from the key, or on the move at speeds of “up to 50km/h with a 50km/h headwind”.

Does that mean 100km/h on a still day?

We didn’t ask...