5 reasons why the Aston Martin DB12 Volante is one of the best drop-top GTs

There’s more to the Aston Martin DB12 Volante than it being the world’s first ‘super tourer.’

In fact, there are quite a few things that make this supercar stand out from the crowd.

Here are five reasons why it’s one of the best drop-top GTs.

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5. It’s beautiful

The Aston Martin DB12 Volante might look similar to the DB11 – which isn’t a bad thing – but the British luxury automaker‘s made a few tweaks.

For starters, it’s a fraction wider – and it’s offered with some new alloy wheel designs, too.

Speaking of which, the drop-top comes with 21-inch wheels with carbon brakes and custom-made tires.

Just like it’s hard-top sibling, the DB12 Volante features a new grille and LED headlights, which are bigger than ever before.

It also receives a new front splitter with carbon-fiber inserts for extra downforce, and new vents on the hood.

Then, around the back, there are C-shaped taillights and a slim vent on the trunk.

Last, but certainly not least, the DB12 Volante features an eight-layer fabric roof that can open in 14 seconds and close in 16 at the touch of a button, at up to 31 mph (50 km/h).

4. It’s luxurious

Inside the cabin, the Aston Martin DB12 Volante has largely the same interior as the coupe, representing a huge improvement over the DB11.

The height of luxury, everything’s wrapped in supple leather, including the redesigned dashboard and center console.

The seats are incredibly comfortable, and the driving position offers ample adjustment, too.

The chunky start button is a nice inclusion, surrounding which is a rotary controller to select the drive modes.

A quick prod of it awakes the twin-turbo V8 borrowed from Mercedes-AMG – but more on that later.

3. It’s got a good infotainment system

You’d expect a supercar carrying a $265,000 price tag to have a good infotainment system – and rightly so.

But if the truth be told, however spectacular Aston Martins look, sound, and perform, their ‘old tech’ infotainment systems have dragged them down.

Thankfully, the Mercedes hand-me-down has been replaced with an Aston Martin-specific system.

The 10.3-inch touchscreen is a massive upgrade over the DB11’s reskinned Mercedes COMAND interface, with slicker response and multi-touch gesture controls that should feel intuitive to any smartphone user.

2. It’s great fun to drive

Once you’re out on the road, the Aston Martin DB12 Volante is an absolute joy to drive wherever you go.

Ask you’d expect from a GT, it’s really comfortable for long-distance highway cruising.

There’s decent visibility for maneuvering around town – with the roof down, at least.

But where the DB12 Volante really comes into its own is on twisty roads, providing tons of grip, meaning you can accelerate hard out of corners without the tires spinning up.

Which is all the more impressive when you consider what’s under the hood.

1. It’s powerful

With the DB11, there was the choice of either a 4.0-liter V8 or a 5.2-liter V12 turbo power.

However, with the DB12, Aston has concentrated its engineering effort on a revised version of that V8 from Mercedes-AMG.

That powerplant develops significantly more than even the old DB11 AMR’s V12 managed: 671 bhp at 6,000 rpm and a healthy 15 percent more torque of 590 lb-ft from 2,750 rpm.

Sending power to the rear wheels only, the thundering V8 is good for 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 202 mph (325 km/h).