Aston Martin Vantage Roadster launched with world’s fastest automatic roof

The British sports car is able to reach a hair-ruffling 325km/h

Aston Martin has unveiled a topless version of its Vantage, equipped with what is claimed to be the fastest fully automatic roof on the market.

After the world premiere of the new Vantage coupe in February 2024, the Roadster arrives with a soft top that opens in only 6.8 seconds to bring open air driving freedom and enhance the thunderous sound of the front-mounted V8 engine.

The "Z-fold" roof is able to open or close at driving speeds up to 50km/h, and stows seamlessly behind the seats with no need for a bulky and heavy tonneau cover. The roof can be operated when seated in the car or remotely via the key as long as the operator is within a 2m radius of the car.

The roof has eight levels of insulation ensuring cabin sound levels with the roof up are comparable to those of the Vantage coupe, said Aston Martin. The Z-fold action makes for a simpler and therefore lighter roof, leading to the Roadster being only 60kg heavier than its hardtop cousin.

“The Roadster brings all the performance, dynamic sensations and visual excitement of the coupe, with an additional dimension of top-down freedom and thrills for those addicted to open air motoring,” said an Aston Martin spokesperson.

The Roadster and Coupe were designed in parallel rather than in sequence, meaning the topless variant is a fully developed model in its own right, which meant zero compromises to performance, ride and handling and excessive additional weight, according to the British carmaker.

Tweaks were made to the suspension system to account for the change in mass and weight distribution, including recalibrated software for its rear dampers and retuned mountings for its rear-mounted eight-speed automatic gearbox, which is connected to the front-mounted engine via a lightweight carbon fibre prop shaft.

Other than that, the soft top Vantage is mechanically unchanged. Power comes from a Mercedes-AMG 4.0l twin-turbocharged V8 engine with outputs of 489kW and 800Nm  sent to the rear wheels. The Roadster blitzes 0-100km/h in 3.6 seconds - one-tenth slower than the Coupe - and reaches the same 325km/h top speed.

The handling of the grand tourer is optimised by intelligent adaptive Bilstein DTX dampers and an electronic rear differential, working in unison with the stability control system.

The cabin is equipped with Aston Martin’s latest infotainment system and a 390W 11-speaker audio system.

Vantage Roadster deliveries will start in the second quarter of 2025.