The 2026 Aston Martin Vantage Roadster Is An Open-Prime Thriller

With a row of automobiles lined up and the Palm Springs desert serving as their backdrop, Aston Martin’s Government Vice President and Chief Artistic Officer, Marek Reichman, begins his walk-around. A designer by commerce, Reichman strikes shortly across the Vantage Roadster parked on the fringe of the lot. He highlights its numerous creases and curves, his phrases swiftly portray the imaginative and prescient he and the model’s design crew had for it. His tone, nevertheless, says one thing else.

It’s regular for automakers to work in a little bit of fluff when presenting a brand new automotive, however Reichman’s remarks are transient and to the purpose. He’s not making an attempt to persuade us that the automobile {that a} dozen different writers and I are about to drive for the primary time is a handsome machine. His tone conveys a way of certainty, as if to say: “This automotive is gorgeous. I do know it, and so do you.”

It’s the same story as Simon Newton, Aston’s Director of Automobile Efficiency, breaks down the roadster’s mechanicals. Newton explains that, by creating it alongside the coupe, he and his crew might implement focused options to make sure its torsional rigidity from the start. As such, the convertible will get away by being simply 132 kilos heavier than the coupe, added structural parts and folding prime included. 

From there, Newton’s presentation wraps up in a couple of minutes. Just like the coupe, the Aston Martin Vantage Roadster develops 656 horsepower from a 4.0-liter V8. It rides on the identical suspension setup, together with Bilstein’s DTX adaptive dampers; the one distinction is a retune to account for the convertible’s added weight within the rear. And whereas its 3.6-second time to 60 mph is a tenth slower than the coupe’s, it tops at 202 mph simply the identical. “Nicely, it drives similar to the coupe,” Newton concludes. And as I stroll out to my assigned automotive, that’s a prospect price getting enthusiastic about. 

Not way back, Aston Martin sang a very completely different tune. Since 2015, a minimum of 4 CEO’s have referred to as Gaydon residence, with Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll taking possession and becoming a member of as Government Chairman in 2020. On the time, the carmaker had a lineup with loads of visible attraction, however one which didn’t ship a world-beating driving expertise or provide the newest tech.

The turning level got here in 2023 with the arrival of the DB12. This grand tourer didn’t simply re-establish the British model as aggressive, however propelled it to the highest of the ultra-luxury meals chain. The DB12 Volante, the refreshed DBX 707, and the Vantage coupe carried the torch, every making related leaps when it comes to efficiency and attraction.

On the transfer, I be a part of the freeway heading west out of Palm Springs with Idyllwild’s woodsy winding mountain roads as my vacation spot. Whereas the Aston Martin Vantage Roadster proudly wears the sports activities automotive title, it’s a stellar grand tourer. Its fabric prime opens or stows in 6.8 seconds at as much as 31 mph, which means it’s fast. Extra importantly, its hushed cabin confirms Aston’s claims of matching the coupe’s noise and vibration ranges at freeway speeds. 

Given its sports activities automotive positioning, the Vantage doesn’t provide a softer Consolation setting for high-speed cruising. As an alternative, it begins in Sport, shifting to Sport+ and Observe, with Moist and Particular person serving as alternates. Nevertheless, as you’ll be taught later, this automotive’s stiff construction doesn’t must lean on overly agency suspension, permitting Sport to behave as a comparatively plush pseudo GT mode.

As with the refreshed DBX 707 and the DB12, this open-top Vantage makes a considerable leap ahead when it comes to inside high quality. It sports activities an nearly completely leather-wrapped cabin, and on this tester’s case, is contrasted by matte carbon fiber trim and aluminum accents. Whilst you’ll nonetheless discover loads of plastic buttons, those you work together with most frequently are bodily, not touch-sensitive. In the meantime, important contact factors reminiscent of its A/C controls, drive mode wheel, and kit selector all make use of metallic building.

Aston’s tech suite was as soon as its Achilles heel. Nevertheless, due to the introduction of a configurable digital instrument cluster and a ten.25-inch central show, that’s now not the case. The latter runs an in-house developed infotainment system that’s thoughtfully laid out and straightforward to function on the transfer. 

New for the roadster, the carmaker up to date its cluster graphics, relocating the gear indicator away from the tach’s decrease edge to the place it ought to’ve been within the first place: proper within the center. Coupe house owners shall be pleased to be taught that Aston Martin plans to roll out this up to date structure as a part of an over-the-air software program replace. 

Coming down the freeway off-ramp, I change to guide mode and spin the drive mode selector into Sport+. Simply earlier than I get to the winding highway past the bushes, a well-placed stopped signal offers me the seconds wanted to stow the highest because the Aston Martin Vantage Roadster fills the air with crackles from its valved exhaust. 

The figures are downright absurd. Whereas Aston doesn’t try to hide this twin-turbocharged V8’s AMG origins, bigger turbochargers, the next compression ratio, and revised camshafts permit it to provide 153 hp and 85 pound-feet of torque extra than within the earlier roadster. At 4.0 liters, its displacement is unchanged. Nevertheless, that doesn’t cease its output from rising to 656 hp and 590 lb-ft. In different phrases, that’s why the convertible is just a tenth off the coupe’s time to 60 mph regardless of lugging round an additional 132 lb.

As I return to the throttle on the way in which out of the primary of many corners with a lush forest consuming the desert surroundings, the Vantage solutions with brutal acceleration. It responds with no momentum misplaced to lagging turbos as a wave of low and mid-range torque kicks in. It’s an eight-speed computerized, a ZF-sourced unit, that rips by means of gears shortly as you lean on the accelerator. And whereas downshifts can generally take a break up second, it’s fast sufficient to make the roadster really feel fast. 

But as spectacular as its straight-line efficiency is, nothing outshines this drop-top’s blaring engine notice. It’s characterful, filling the air with genuine crackles and burbles as you come off the throttle. Get again on it, nevertheless, and also you’ll encounter a V8 sound not like any AMG on sale right now. Aston’s distinctive quad-tipped exhaust system permits it to tune the notes’ traits, barely elevating its pitch and making it sound extra unique than most burbly Mercs. 

Just like the coupe, the Aston Martin Vantage Roadster isn’t only a grand tourer with a robust engine. The British carmaker envisions it as a sports activities automotive, and that’s exactly what it’s. Its suspension pairs a double-wishbone setup within the entrance with a multi-link rear axle, with all these parts carrying over from the coupe unchanged. The identical goes for its Bilstein DTX adaptive dampers. Nevertheless, they make use of up to date tuning to account for the roadster’s added weight within the rear. 

This added heft comes courtesy, partially, of this automotive’s new rear construction. Aston Martin modified how the physique attaches to the roadster’s again finish to make sure its torsional rigidity. This pairs with extra structural reinforcements to stiffen its construction to compensate for its open-top nature. Moreover, the carmaker reworked its roll-over bars to make sure they’re as robust as gentle as attainable. Like its fixed-roof twin, this convertible counts on a bonded aluminum chassis and a transaxle out again to attain its near-perfect 49:51 weight distribution. Nevertheless, a pair of up to date transmission mounts was essential to make sure its experience stays constant from roadster to coupe. 

On the highway, all meaning is that chassis actions are virtually undetectable behind the wheel. Extra importantly, the Vantage doesn’t must depend on rock-hard dampers. And as I click on out of Sport+ and into the highest Observe setting, its suspension hardens, however by no means to the purpose of spoiling the experience. 

The Aston Martin Vantage Roadster touts a lightest attainable dry weight determine of three,670 lb, which is to say it’ll are available in a lot nearer to 4,000 lb in preventing type. That stated, what you are feeling in tighter corners is that this automotive’s dimension, not its weight. Just like the coupe, the roadster has a widened entrance and rear monitor. It rides on 21-inch wheels as commonplace, wrapped in 275/35 and 325/30 Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 rubber. That’s an equivalent setup to what you’ll discover on the bigger DB12. 

Its grip ranges are astounding, and due to its well-controlled physique motions, it stays secure between bends, feeling solely a contact under-damped over giant undulations at pace. Like most fashionable sports activities automobiles, its electrical energy steering is ultra-quick and responsive, however not overly communicative. That’s even with this automotive’s use of a non-isolated steering column. And, though a brisk drive on a mountain highway isn’t sufficient to overwhelm this automotive’s commonplace set of metal brakes, Aston Martin presents carbon-ceramics as an non-obligatory further. 

But, as fabulous a sports activities automotive because the Aston Martin Vantage Roadster is, its price is probably going its important downside. As of writing, pricing for this automotive has but to be introduced, with the primary contributing issue being latest tariffs imposed by the U.S. authorities on foreign-made autos. Whereas a latest settlement reached with the British and the American authorities sees that obligation shrink from over 25 % to 10 %, we nonetheless don’t but know the way a lot this roadster will price.

For context, the coupe I drove final 12 months carried a base determine of $194,500 and an as-tested value of $291,000. The roadster will seemingly begin above the $200,000 mark, though by how a lot stays to be decided. Regardless, paying over $300,000 for Aston’s open-top sports activities automotive is an actual risk as soon as optioned. 

As I head again in the direction of Palm Springs, the supply of Reichman and Newton’s confidence is obvious. The Aston Martin Vantage Roadster wants no fluff or excuses as a result of it delivers. It’s gorgeous, sporting one of the vital evocative shapes on 4 wheels. Powered by a rowdy powerhouse of a V8, it’s as thrilling on a again highway as it’s fast. Consider its structural enhancements, and also you get an open-top sports activities automotive that’s simply as thrilling as its coupe counterpart whereas additionally sporting an equally excessive degree of refinement. 

Nevertheless, provided that the brand new Vantage coupe already obtained a value improve of over $45,000 because it entered its newest era and the roadster is anticipated to do the identical, additional tariff-fueled hikes might make an in any other case stellar machine an unpalatable one.