The 2026 Aston Martin Vanquish Volante, Aston's new flagship convertible, shows that time waits for nothing. The Vanquish name is relatively new in the context of the century-old automaker, debuting in 2001 (after being previewed by a 1998 concept car). Two generations of Vanquish updated the Aston Martin aesthetic for the new millennium, but that means the nameplate is now 25 years old and already undergoing its second revival.
After dropping the Vanquish in favor of the DBS Superleggera, Aston brought
the name back in both convertible and coupe forms with a similar recipe to before. The new Vanquish uses a modified version of the bonded aluminum chassis from the DB-series Astons, but with more power and a more extroverted design to justify a higher price tag and lower-volume production. That makes for a grand tourer that's extravagant yet simple—and one that holds lessons for how to make a car feel special regardless of price.
Read more: 10 Of The Fastest Non-Supercars In The World, Ranked By Top Speed
Too Much Personality?
Past Vanquishes received the Aston Martin design language at 110% strength, with bigger grilles and more pronounced fenders to emphasize their higher-performance intent. That's also the case with the new car, but its sheer size works against that attempt to create drama.
The Volante is as wide as many SUVs, so while its grille is comically oversized—one social media commenter compared the Volante to Kirby—it still needs additional winglets to be in scale to the car's width. This two-seater is also about as long as a four-seat Bentley Continental GTC, and actually has a longer wheelbase. Designers wanted to emphasize the long-hood proportions of a classic front-engine sports car, while accommodating a long V12 engine that's also set far back in the chassis. But it's another element that's out of balance, and distracts from the overall design.
The soft-top convertible conversion was at least well-executed. With the top down, the high, short rear deck is nicely emphasized. As in the coupe, the chopped-off tail is distinctive and nice a throwback to the Aston Martin DB6. It's also a reminder that cars don't need to be conventionally attractive to make an impression—people stared as we motored through Manhattan on our way form Aston's Park Avenue showroom to a less-crowded locale north of the city—but they do need to look different.
A Special Engine
The styling is also (somewhat) justified as a herald for Aston Martin's twin-turbocharged 5.2-liter V12. This is the same Aston-designed engine introduced in the DB11, but it's received numerous upgrades that push output to 824 horsepower and 737 pound-feet of torque in both the Vanquish coupe and convertible. Aston claims the Vanquish is the most powerful front-engine V12 production car in the world, which is only really notable as a dig at Ferrari, which just launched a front-engine V12 car named after that distinctive engine.
The V12 is now exclusive to the Vanquish, which makes the name choice of the V8-powered DB12 a bit unfortunate, but makes the Vanquish feel truly special. The performance numbers are impressive—zero to 62 mph in 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 214 mph for the convertible—but it's the subjective qualities that really impress.
Deployed through the ubiquitous ZF eight-speed automatic transmission in a rear transaxle configuration for better weight distribution, all of that torque gives the Vanquish the flexibility to waft along on the gentlest of throttle inputs, or leap forward in a more dramatic fashion, should the mood take you. And while the Mercedes-AMG V8 in other Astons sounds fantastic, the V12 is still wonderfully unique, with a higher-pitched and more mechanical signature. Our test car's titanium exhaust system (stainless steel is also available at a $14,900 cost savings) gave it an added sharpness.
Chassis Tuning That's Simple And Satisfying
The Vanquish Volante weighs in at a hefty 4,420 pounds which, combined with this convertible's large footprint and prodigious power, could make it a bit tricky. There's plenty of technology—from active anti-roll systems to rear-wheel steering—that can make a big, heavy car more tractable, but Aston only used it sparingly for a more authentic driving experience.
Rather than piling everything on, Aston chooses a given piece of hardware to perform a specific function, Simon Newton, the automaker's director of vehicle performance, explained over lunch during our drive day. One example of that is the Vanquish's electronic rear differential, which can fully lock to help rotate the car in corners, making it feel more nimble than its long wheelbase suggests. Yet, unlike many other big-and-powerful performance cars, it doesn't feel like technology is canceling out physics. And that's more satisfying regardless of speed.
Keeping things engaging at lower speeds is crucial in a car like the Vanquish because, quite frankly, you're never going to fully unleash it on public roads. We likely didn't press either pedal more than 60% down at any point (carbon-ceramic brakes scrub off speed as effectively as the engine layers it on), but that was plenty entertaining. Handling that keeps this engagement going between straightaways is the part that's easy to overlook, but that's not the case here.
Still Needs The Right Road
Our route consisted of some highway driving to escape Manhattan, followed by tight, technical roads in and around Harriman State Park north of the city. On the drive up the Palisades Parkway through New Jersey, the Vanquish was perfectly pleasant in its default GT mode. The press materials say this more relaxed mode was designed to let the car "breathe with the road," and the suspension indeed felt plush and compliant without fully disconnecting the driver from the road.
Off the parkway, GT mode's steering setting didn't feel precise enough for the back roads, where the car's width also impeded confidence. Things didn't get better in Sport and Sport+ modes (there are Wet and Individual modes as well), which added more weight that just made the small corrections needed to fine tune the line into corners more difficult. The two sportier drive modes also firmed up the dampers, providing the necessary grip and body control for attacking corners, but making the ride too stiff on imperfect pavement. Returning to the PR copy metaphor, the Vanquish was holding its breath.
This is a car that can cope with the tight turns and narrow width of typical "fun" roads, but feels like it would be more at home on a road with more gradual, sweeping corners—or eating up the miles at a slower pace. That's not surprising given the Vanquish Volante's dimensions, and Aston still has the Vantage and DB12 for those who prioritize corner-carving ability.
No Convertible Tradeoffs
The quality of modern convertibles means it's easy to for granted that the Vanquish Volante's immense torque doesn't make the entire car wad up like a ball of aluminum foil every time you press the accelerator. Removing the roof compromises structural rigidity, but the time when that might have been a concern is long past.
The Volante has some extra structural bracing to account for the lack of a fixed roof, which also provides a 75% increase in lateral stiffness compared to the previous DBS Superleggera Volante, according to Aston. From behind the wheel, the Vanquish Volante felt as solid and substantial as a fixed-roof car, and wind buffeting with the top down was minimal, even at highway speeds. Taller drivers should fit below the windshield, as Aston claims the Volante was designed around its six-foot-plus chief creative officer, Marek Reichman.
The soft top opens in 14 seconds and closes in 16 seconds at speeds up to 31 mph, according to Aston. The fabric roof insulated the cabin from sound as well as one would expect in a car with a base price close to $500,000. Stowing it doesn't leave much trunk space, but the transaxle is likely more of an issue in that regard. The only reminder of the bad old days was the air conditioning, which kept us cool even with the top down, but couldn't deal with New York's summer humidity and so left condensation on the carbon-fiber dashboard trim.
CarPlay Ultra Is Underwhelming
Aston Martin is now rolling out Apple CarPlay Ultra across its lineup, allowing the smartphone-connectivity feature to assimilate not only the Vanquish Volante's main 10.25-inch touchscreen, but its identically-sized digital instrument cluster as well. After CarPlay Ultra's long gestation period, the final result was a bit anticlimactic. The experience just wasn't that different from using standard CarPlay (or Android Auto), so this is one new tech feature that there's no need to wait for in more mainstream cars. Which is good, because most other automakers appear to be passing on CarPlay Ultra.
Big convertibles are unlikely to ever make a true comeback, but the Volante's relatively spacious interior certainly makes a good argument for them. Its design matched the drama of the exterior, with an inclined center console and wing-like door panels that suggested the speed this car is capable of. The touchscreen was also easy to reach from the driver's seat, the knurled controls were a delight to use, and the seats had adequate bolstering without being constricting.
As with other high-end cars, though, what really makes the Vanquish Volante stand out is the scope for customization, including numerous options for upholstery colors and wood or carbon-fiber trim. Those options, of course, add significantly to the price tag. But it's unlikely that customers care.
2026 Aston Martin Vanquish Volante Verdict
Speaking of price, our test car had a $489,700 base price after the $5,000 destination charge and $1,700 gas guzzler tax. Numerous options, mostly cosmetic, brought the as-tested price to $595,300. The satin-finish silver paint alone cost $20,100. That's to be expected of a high-end car like this, and there aren't exactly a ton of choices when it comes to 12-cylinder cars these days, but the Vanquish still has some competition.
Even though it's swapped its W12 engine for a V8 plug-in hybrid powertrain, a Bentley Continental GTC Speed does most of what this car does, with a lower starting price that leaves more headroom for those personalization options. The Bentley does feel a bit more technological and detached than the Aston, but it's still great to drive. The Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider leans even more into the emotional side of things, although it might be harder to get a reservation for one.
In a world awash with fast, expensive cars, though, the Vanquish Volante offers an important takeaway. Driving it is a memorable experience, one that's achieved not just by piling on power and by technology, but by fundamental attention to detail. Basic chassis tuning, a special engine, and an attention-grabbing design are what make this car stand out, and those are all things that can be applied to normal cars. Wagyu beef is delicious, but you don't need it to make a good burger.
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