We live in the era of the electric car—lightning that can't be put back in its bottle. This is important to keep in mind when we talk about new cars like the Aston Martin Vanquish Volante, because on paper, it seems hard to justify its half-million-dollar price tag and 800-plus horsepower twin-turbo V12 when things like Rivian's Quad-motor R1 vehicles and Lucid's Air can top its numbers for half the price. I say this not to suck the air out of the room but to put things in perspective, as this was on my mind when I slid into the driver's seat of Aston's latest ultra-luxury option.
What I was quickly reminded of, however, is that this is decadence, which, by its nature, does not need to be justified. Nobody needs an Aston Martin; you want one. You don't simply drive it, either; you indulge in it.
Layer cake
Aston Martin's current state of affairs is a strong one. Thanks to the efforts of Executive Chairman Lawrence Stroll course-correcting the wayward ship of Aston Martin Lagonda—nobody remembers the Lagonda part, not even AML—the brand's portfolio contains four core vehicles, with several derivatives like the Vantage S on their way. This also includes the Volante, or convertible versions, such as this one, which is the fastest and most powerful mainline Aston Martin convertible ever made.
In Aston Martin's context, Volante means convertible, from the Latin "flying." Although it also means steering wheel, apparently. Credit: Alex Kallogiannis
Like its coupe counterpart, the Vanquish Volante is powered by a fully redesigned twin-turbo 5.2 L V12 that generates 823 hp (614 kW) and 738 lb-ft (1,000 Nm) of torque. Power is sent to the rear by way of an 8-speed automatic, allowing this bougie baddie to sprint from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.4 seconds on the way to its 214 mph (345 km/h) top speed.
Unlike the coupe, the top comes off and tucks neatly away beneath a nearly seamless decklid that doesn't interfere with the sharp overall packaging. Beyond this, the differences between the two versions are negligible, with a slight tweak in rear-end stiffness. Aston Martin was deliberate in saying the Volante was not "detuned" in any way due to the loss of a fixed roof. In keeping with the car's speedy nature, the top drops in a mere 14 seconds and can be replaced in 16 once you've had enough of onlookers broadcasting the ways they'd defile the car if it were in their charge instead.