Aston Martin has released new images, the first official ones, of their upcoming Vantage Roadster. Naturally, it’s an open top version of the recently released Vantage coupe and successor to one of the British marque’s best-selling cars ever, the V8 Vantage.
Everyone knew this car was on its way. In fact, we’re surprised it’s taken Aston Martin this long to come up with a convertible version of an existing model, and one as important to its line-up as the Vantage.
Seen here in this matte black finish and with the words ‘Opening Spring 2020’ proudly emblazoned on its doors as if it were advertising an upcoming fashion boutique, the prototype Vantage Roadster changes little visually.
The roof can be folded out and then retracted and is now made of a medley of fabrics, sure, but that also leads to a slightly redesigned rear deck where the top retreats to patiently when not deployed.
With the profile of the Vantage being given that small alteration, the car now looks a lot like one of its main rivals - a fellow Brit, no less: the Jaguar F-Type, which is sold more often than not as a soft top.
We’ll have to see both of them side by side to determine if these cars look a little too much alike, but perhaps that’ll be incentive to introduce an all-new or heavily revised version of their sole two-door as it is now coming up on its 7th birthday.
In terms of mechanicals, we don’t figure anything will change from the coupe, meaning a return of the AMG-sourced M178 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8. Power and torque should be level with the hardtop at 375kW and 685Nm, sent to the rear wheels via an 8-speed torque converter automatic from ZF.
However, the Roadster should also weigh a not insignificant amount more, increasing its 0-100km/h acceleration time above the Coupe’s 3.7-second benchmark and perhaps harming its overall agility some.
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