The Aston Martin V8 Vantage is one of the best sports coupes out there, with a rasping 4.3 liter V8 and poised handling balance, so the new Roadster version launched recently is destined to be one of the great convertibles. The V8 Vantage was designed as a cabriolet from the beginning, so the Roadster required minimal structural modification, keeping the weight gain low and thus retaining similar performance figures (0-100 km/h in 5.0 seconds, 280 km/h top speed) to the hardtop. Its fabric roof folds away in 18 seconds, even whilst the car is moving at up to 50 km/h.
The Roadster is complemented by a new, optional automated 6-speed manual gearbox called Sportshift, which is operated via paddles on the steering column. Sportshift changes gears up to three times faster than the manual transmission, in under 200 milliseconds. In addition to making the V8 Vantage slightly faster than before, the Sportshift offers a “Comfort” mode for relaxed changes as well. Perhaps most interestingly, the new gearbox has a unique low speed “crawl” feature, making this one of the most complete sports cars for every occasion. Deliveries commence next spring.
