Aston Martin DB11 Volante unveiled

This is the new Aston Martin DB11 Volante, a stunning convertible sibling for the DB11 coupe. It’s being offered with a Mercedes-sourced 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine that produces 503bhp and drives the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic gearbox. The 0-62mph sprint takes 4.1 seconds, with the car accelerating on to a top speed of 187mph.

The eight-layer convertible fabric roof is available in red, dark silver or grey silver. It can be operated at speeds up to 31mph and takes just 14 seconds to open and 16 to close.

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Standard equipment includes a torque-vectoring system and a limited-slip differential for improved grip and cornering, three driving modes and a retractable spoiler for better aerodynamics. All DB11s come with an Alcantara suede-fabric headliner, LED headlight, and heated, power-adjustable leather seats with colour-matching door and centre console inserts.

Keyless entry and go, all-round parking sensors, a 360-degree top-down camera and an eight-inch infotainment systems with sat nav are also included in the list price. There are two small rear seats, but these will be best reserved for children or adults in an emergency.

Options include Caithness, Balmoral or Duotone leather finishes, piano black, open-pore ash and satin-chopped carbon dashboard trim details, while seven different designs for the 20-inch alloy wheels are available. You can also have wood veneer or carbon-fibre finishes for the back of the front seats.

Then choose your colour for the brake callipers and seatbelts and whether you want colour-coded or gloss-black door mirror caps and windscreen surrounds. Other options include a tracker system, a self-parking feature, blind-spot monitoring, a heated steering wheel and two premium stereos – one by Aston and one by Bang & Olufsen.

Aston Martin is known for doing personalisation rather well and if you hand the company’s Q department enough money, you can indulge your imagination for as long as your cash will last.

The Aston Martin DB11 Volante is available from £159,900, which is roughly £15,000 more than an equivalent DB11 V8 coupe. First deliveries are expected in the first quarter of 2018. While no mention has been made of a DB11 V12 Volante, this engine is offered with the coupe, so it's likely to follow in due course.