Aston Martin DBS Volante Spied

[danidmas]

http://www.worldcarfans.com/9080121.003/aston-martin-dbs-volante-spied

Aston Martin DBS Volante Spied

Topless Bond car in the cold

Without a single Aston Martin DBS having been delivered to customers, Aston Martin have taken a convertible DBS prototype into Northern Scandinavia for cold weather testing. The steel roof of the DBS will be replaced with a soft top and the layout of the side windows will be altered, but otherwise the DBS Volante (or so we expect the cabrio to be called) is identical to its coupe brother.

The engine will also be the same as in the coupe, the 6-liter 12-cylinder powerhouse produces 517 bhp with 570 Nm of torque. Top speed lies beyond 300 km/h and a 0 – 100 km/h time of just over 4 seconds should be within its capabilites.

Pricing is expected to be around Euro 300,000, but more on that when the car is revealed. We are not expecting the convertible to make it to London this summer. So will the home show then be solely used to debut the Rapide? Let us know what you think.

[pzgren]

very nice 

[sentra_dude]

I like that color for some reason, and a rare site to see an Aston in the snow. 

[TT]

I'd stll take the coupé, but this one will be a stunner for sure!

[MartinR]

Looks even cooler in the snow....and it is too, literally. Though I agree that the coupe would be the one to go for.

[stmoritzer]

Coupé for me

LOL about the Volante beeing testdriven before the Coupe is delivered

[MC12]

Looks amazing and I'm actually shocked that this has been spied already. Not even seen a normal DBS yet 

[danidmas]

The DB9 is one of those cars where the cabrio looks better than the coupe IMO... just like the Gallardo of the F355 Spider and this is no exception - I just looove it!!

Can't wait to see it in Racing Green with gunmetal grey wheels

[yg60m]

I love it as I already love the DB9 Volante 

[MartinR]

The DB9 is one of those cars where the cabrio looks better than the coupe IMO... just like the Gallardo of the F355 Spider and this is no exception - I just looove it!!

Can't agree with that, I think the DB9 looks so much better in coupe form.

[mrmojo77]

That car looks so weird in that weather. It looks good though and no doubt it will look good also when finished.

[danidmas]

Some more photos:
http://www.autoblog.com/photos/spy-shots-aston-martin-dbs-volante/

Apparently there's a debate within Aston Martin wether to call the upcoming DBS convertible Volante or Roadster. The 2+2 like the DB9 have always get the Volante denomination, while the pure 2-seater sports car get the Roadster name... but in the case of the DBS, with the backseats removed, it sits right in between both names.

Kinda stupid argument if you ask me, Volante sounds much more classy, british and unique than Roadster, and afterall, this DBS is nothing else than a hardcore version of the DB9

Link:
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/23/aston-martin-debating-dbs-convertible-nomenclature/

Aston Martin has a whole slew of new flagships on the way. The One-77 supercar has yet to be fully revealed, the Rapide four-door is in the pipeline, and the V12 Vantage is undergoing testing. But before any of those hit the market, Aston Martin is preparing to unveil a convertible variant of its current top-of-the-line model, the DBS. However reports suggest that the niche automaker is still undecided as to what name the drop-top Bond-mobile will carry.

Traditionally convertible Astons – four-seaters, particularly – have carried the Volante nameplate, as the DB9 currently wears, while the open-top version of the two-seat V8 Vantage carries the sportier Roadster nameplate. The DBS is based on the DB9 but does away with the rear seats (unless the customer asks nicely), leaving it somewhere in the middle, and leaving Richards, Bez and company scratching their heads. Have any suggestions for the Aston Martin management? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

[stmoritzer]

arent' these the same pics ?

my don't know which name, maybe Volante since it's the V12 - and keep Roadster for the Vantage

[danidmas]

arent' these the same pics ?

Yeah possibly. Same test mule, same days... but different angle