06:43AM - 26.03.'14
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News Source: autoblog.com
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Recently, a fellow editor at AOL asked me to choose "the most beautiful car on the road" for a story he was preparing. I was allowed to choose any vehicle, at any price, as long as it was a model currently in production and offered for sale. The well-oiled gears in my head only needed to turn about half a revolution before I had an answer: The 2014 Aston Martin Vanquish Volante. My decision was simple and my logic sound, because the two-seat Volante is jaw-droppingly gorgeous – whether in pictures or in person. Its long, slender chassis is covered in an artfully sculpted carbon-fiber skin that reeks of sexiness, power and exclusivity. In my mind, there's nothing on the road today with such exquisite lines. But a seductive appearance is meaningless if there's no substance beneath the skin. To allay my concerns, Aston Martin invited me to Palm Springs to spend a couple of days with the car. The region's desert topography promised nice weather and spectacular drive opportunities – that is, if I could stop staring and climb behind its wheel. Aston Martin launched its all-new 2014 Vanquish Volante at the last August's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in Monterey as the successor to its DBS Volante. This two-seater is physically and mechanically identical to the Vanquish coupe, but the fixed carbon-fiber roof of the coupe has been replaced with a power-operated retractable soft top for open-air motoring. Before you question employing a soft folding roof on a $300,000 vehicle, let me remind you that such designs actually offer major advantages over today's folding hardtops. They are invariably lighter, far less complex, and their much more compact nature makes them easier to package without compromising a car's aesthetics. When engineered and executed properly, as is the case with the Volante, few will miss solid panels. The insulated triple-layer cloth on the Aston will expose the sky in about 14 seconds at the push of a switch, and it will rise or retreat at speeds up to 30 mph. Unlike its previous open-air executions, this is the first time that Aston Martin has built a convertible with a full-height windscreen, which means the front glass runs all the way up to the fabric roof for a much cleaner transition. The Volante, like all of its Aston Martin siblings, shares the automaker's Generation 4 VH platform, which is company-speak for an all-aluminum monocoque chassis. Affixed to the lightweight alloy platform are carbon fiber body panels on the hood, trunk, quarter panels and doors. Unlike metal stampings, the composite material allows the automaker to construct larger panels, reducing the number of body seams (the front and rear bumpers are flexible urethane, for better impact performance). The panels' sharp lines and aggressive curves owe their existence to the composite body material, and the rear decklid with its integrated open spoiler is impressively manufactured – and painted – as one single piece. Don't be misled into believing that all of the advanced carbon fiber means the Brits have pared the Volante down to a lean fighting machine. Despite an inordinate amount of featherweight materials, Aston Martin is quoting a curb weight of 4,065 pounds. That puts the Volante about 232 pounds heavier than the Vanquish coupe, which is already in the thick of the middleweight category. Nevertheless, the brawny V12 ensures that it will sprint to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds and not run out of steam until it hits 183 mph. As is the case with all late-model Aston Martins, the Vanquish Volante arrives with a wondrous sapphire crystal remote key fob that feels substantial in hand. I tumbled it through my fingers for a few fleeting seconds before pushing on the trick flush door handle, pulling open the swan door, and then dropping into the cockpit of my Apple Tree Green metallic test car. The Vanquish provides its front-seat occupants with generous amounts of room, and my six-foot, two-inch frame was certainly content, but I did get a laugh upon peering over my shoulder to confirm that somebody, somewhere, decided that the Volante is large enough to hold four humans – there are actually seatbelts back there. In reality, the leather-lined cabin is barely a 2+2 configuration, which means there's plenty of real estate for a couple of occupants and their carry-on luggage, but you wouldn't want to put anyone old enough to voice an opinion in the rear seats. The trunk, at 9.8 cubic feet, isn't cavernous, but it's plenty useful. Its cargo capacity remains the same, top up or down, which is much more convenient than a slightly larger trunk that requires the driver to tend to a divider or move cargo each time the top is retracted. |
