Q by Aston Martin build the ultimate open-top Vantage for hardcore visceral thrill
Aston Martin has just unveiled its most-extreme two-seater ever in the unique form of the one-off Vantage GT12 Roadster.
The tailor made customer commission undertaken by Q by Aston Martin of the Vantage GT12 Roadster takes the original Vantage GT12 Coupe’s hardcore ethos and adds the visceral thrill of open-top driving, offering the driver an intensified sensation of exhilaration and the unfiltered fury of a 600PS V12 soundtrack.
Conceived and delivered within a nine-month period, the Vantage GT12 Roadster draws its origins from the Vantage GT12 Coupe, with a special 600PS version of the brand’s 6.0-litre normally aspirated V12 engine mated to a seven-speed Sportshift IIItm paddle-shift transmission.
Technical highlights include magnesium inlet manifolds with revised geometry, a lightweight magnesium torque tube and a full titanium exhaust system.
The most visible differences are the significant number of new carbon-fibre body panels, while beneath the skin a unique suspension helps ensure the Vantage GT12 Roadster shares the same exceptional handling characteristics as the Vantage GT12 Coupe. Naturally being a product of Q by Aston Martin, the Roadster also features bespoke paint and trim.
The Vantage GT12 Roadster is a significant landmark, for it is the first time a customer has been able to call upon the full scope of Aston Martin’s design and engineering capabilities as part of the Q by Aston Martin bespoke commission service.
Initially offered as a means of providing fully personalised colour and trim combinations, the service has been continually expanded.
With the incorporation of Aston Martin Advanced Operations – the team responsible for the original Vantage GT12 Coupe, along with low volume in-house projects such as the Aston Martin Vulcan, Lagonda Taraf and One-77 – customers can now commission highly ambitious full-scale design and engineering projects.
Dr Andy Palmer, Aston Martin President and CEO, commented: “The Vantage GT12 Roadster is a hugely exciting project. Not just because it’s sensational to look at, but because it vividly demonstrates the expanded capabilities of Q by Aston Martin.
“By incorporating the exceptional engineering capabilities of Aston Martin Advanced Operations within the Q by Aston Martin bespoke commissioning service we have a truly formidable creative team.”
