Aston Martin's V12 Vantage S loses its roof but retains appeal and performance

Based on the already incredible Aston Martin V12 Vantage S coupe, the roadster variant will become the luxury British marque's most potent and fastest series production roadster to date.

The new V12 Vantage S Roadster delivers characteristic sporting agility underpinned by an enviable sports 'soundtrack' generated by its naturally aspirated V12 engine and expertly tuned sports exhaust.

Equipped with the latest Aston Martin AM28 6.0-litre V12 engine, the car is capable of reaching 323km/h and sprinting from nought to century in just 4.1, courtesy of a power output of 565bhp and 620Nm of torque.

Married to the engine is the latest generation Sportshift III hydraulically actuated automated manual transmission, developed in conjunction with transmission experts Oerlikon Graziano, controlled via a motorsport-style paddle shifter.

Optimum braking performance is delivered via the specially created carbon ceramic discs all round, with a braking system that is nearly identical to the marque's ultimate Gran Tourer - the Vanquish.

The V12 Vantage S Roadster has been styled to reflect is position as the flagship convertible within the Vantage family. Akin to its coupe brethren, the aluminium vanes in the Aston Martin grille are replaced with a carbon fibre arrangement that also includes sporty black or titanium silver mesh. Created to maximise airflow to the V12 engine, the new grille is inspired by both the CC100 Speedster Concept and the Vantage race cars.

Meanwhile, for the V12 Vantage S Roadster, the company is introducing a Q by Aston Martin Collection, which comprises bespoke features. For the roadster, the range includes, among other possibilities, a palette of bold colours, body-coloured carbon bonnet louvres, a full carbon fibre centre console and a steering wheel with a leather on-centre stripe in the chosen interior accent colour.