Aston Martin unveils the new Vantage Roadster

The heartbeat of Aston Martin's sports car range just got a little bit faster with the introduction of the new Vantage Roadster.

Joining the Vantage Coupe, the convertible model amplifies the emotional appeal of a model renowned for delivering a compelling blend of potent performance, outstanding dynamics and everyday usability.

A testament to the uncompromising design, engineering and execution of this scintillating open-top two-seater, the Vantage Roadster shares the Vantage coupe's absolute commitment to driving thrills.

Powered by Aston Martin's 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged engine which produces 503bhp and 685Nm of torque, the V8 is mated to an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission.

The combination allows the Vantage Roadster to accelerate from zero to 96km/h in just 3.7 seconds, and it is capable of a 305km/h top speed with the roof raised. Weight increases by just 60kg compared with the coupe thanks to a new, lighter Z-fold roof mechanism and optimised exterior and chassis revisions throughout.

Careful development of structural shear panels and chassis components ensures the Vantage Roadster retains the strong dynamic ability and sporting character achieved in the coupe with no compromise to feel or refinement.

Sharing the same Adaptive Damping, Dynamic Stability Control, Dynamic Torque Vectoring and Electronic Rear Differential, the Roadster also benefits from model-specific dynamic refinements including a bespoke tune for the rear dampers, Adaptive Damping System software and the Electronic Stability Programme calibration.

As you'd expect from a dedicated sports car, a choice of Sport, Sport + and Track chassis modes - also tuned specifically for the Roadster - give the driver control of its dynamic character and behaviour while giving the Roadster a tremendous breadth of ability, allowing it to feel equally at home on the road or the race track.

While the Vantage Roadster mirrors the coupe's exceptional tactility, pace and cornering performance, the design of the body is very much its own.

The tautly tailored fabric hood features a compact and powered Z-fold mechanism that ensures rapid operation, lowering in 6.7 seconds and raising in 6.8 seconds at speeds of up to 50km/h. The roof of Vantage Roadster has the fastest full operating cycle of any automatic automotive convertible system.

An impressively low stack height pays the double dividend of allowing Aston Martin's award-winning design team the latitude to create a seamless rear profile with minimal impact on the Roadster's luggage space. With a boot capacity of 200 litres, it is possible to stow a full-sized golf bag and accessories.

The introduction of the Vantage Roadster also sees a range of new options introduced across the Vantage range. To celebrate the 70^th Anniversary of the Vantage nameplate, Aston Martin is introducing the company's iconic 'vane' grille as an option, available on both the coupe and the Roadster as an alternative to the track-inspired 'hunter' grille featured on the coupe from its launch in 2018. There is also a new range of optional alloy wheel designs in a choice of finishes. Enthusiasts will also welcome the manual seven-speed transmission being offered as an option on the coupe, having initially only been available in the limited edition Vantage AMR.