Aston Martin Roadster Shows Tech Trumps Performance

Once upon a time, a hot rag-top sportscar was all about its outright performance but now the standout acceleration time people talk about the new Aston Martin Vantage Roadster is its drop-top speed.

As a sign of how carbuyers view even sporting models, that’s something of a sea change. We’ve seen how the advance of in-car technologies afforded by connectivity and autonomous features are exciting consumers more than vehicle performance statistics and now Aston Martin proves the point.

The Vantage Roadster’s stand out performance figure is a sub-7 second time for its textile roof to fold either down or up – wow! While it might be easy for petrol-heads to scoff at such a figure, in marketing terms its pure gold. That’s because the sort of customer looking at a 190mph car today is considerably different to yesteryear.

Creature comforts are now much higher on the consumer’s check list that the ability to brag about standing quarter times at the rural watering hole with like-minded gasoline junkies.

In truth, most serious sportscar fans would always opt for the lighter tin-top models but, for the Vantage Roadster, weight increases by just 132-lbs compared with its sibling Coupé thanks to a new, lighter Z-fold roof mechanism and lightweighting on exterior and chassis elements throughout. The tautly tailored fabric hood features a compact powered mechanism that lowers the roof in 6.7 seconds or raises it in 6.8 seconds at speeds of up to 31mph. The automaker claims it’s the fastest full operating cycle of any automatic automotive convertible system.

For those still with enough gas fumes in their nostrils, the Vantage Roadster employs Aston Martin’s 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 505bhp and 505ft-lbs of torque engine and, mated to an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission, claims an acceleration from 0-60mph in 3.7sec on the way to a top speed of 190mph with the roof raised.

Development of structural shear panels and chassis components ensures the Vantage Roadster retains the strong dynamic rigidity and shares the Coupé’s adaptive suspension damping, dynamic stability control, dynamic torque vectoring and electronic rear differential. It also has specific dynamic refinements including include a bespoke tune for the rear dampers, adaptive damping system software and ESP calibration.

Aston Martin president and chief executive officer, Dr Andy Palmer, said of the Vantage Roadster: “Open-top Aston Martins are always firm favourites with our customers, so it’s very exciting to introduce the Vantage Roadster. For many, driving with the roof down is the true definition of the sports car experience as it truly brings your senses to life. Vantage has always delivered the purest of thrills but in Roadster form that adrenaline rush is set to go to the next level.”

The recommended retail price of the Vantage Roadster starts from £126,950 in the UK, €157,300 in Germany and $161,000 in US and first deliveries are scheduled to begin during Q2 2020.