Aston Martin Vanquish Volante revealed

Aston Martin has unveiled the Vanquish Volante -- a new luxury sports car bringing open-top motoring to the super GT class.

Alongside the Vanquish coupe the new convertible tops the British sports car maker's lineup and has all the coupe's features. There's the coupe's 6.0-liter V12 engine and thus the same performance figures, including a top speed of 183 mph.

The Vanquish ragtop is the first full carbon-fiber-skinned convertible in Aston's 100-year history, and also boasting the stiffest convertible structure the Gaydon engineering team has ever created.

The new car's triple-skin lightweight fabric roof can be operated at up to 30 mph and takes just 14 seconds to fold.

Announcing the convertible's arrival, Aston Martin CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez said, “this car is what luxury super GT driving is all about. Great performance, fantastic style and exhilarating Volante motoring in one superb package.

“Aston Martin is celebrating 100 years of excellence in 2013, and the arrival of this new sports car -- our ultimate Volante -- underlines that our mission to make the next 100 years even more successful is starting perfectly.”

The Volante's design is the latest take on Aston's visual language, the company says. The tight waist, long side strakes and LED rear light blades are a nod to the One-77 supercar. The folding fabric roof sits beneath a tonneau and decklid aerodynamically tuned for optimum performance.

The convertible's carbon-fiber panels cloak a cabin attired in full-grain Luxmil leather, Alcantara, metal controls and satin chrome trim.

Aston Martin says the body panels are carbon-fiber because of the material's high strength-to-weight ratio and the ability to mold it to nearly any form. Weight is reduced and fewer individual body panels are required, reducing joints and providing a more coherent shape.

The company says the interior's center stack (also based on the One-77's) is one of its most striking design elements, with refinements providing a more elegant form. It is also more intuitive and accessible for both driver and front-seat passenger. The switchgear consists of illuminated glass buttons with haptic feedback.

“Vanquish Volante is a sports car, of course,” said design director Marek Reichman. “But more even than that it is the ultimate Volante. A car which follows a long line of elegant Aston Martin convertibles, this super GT is sculpted to convey sophistication as much as raw power. The aerodynamically shaped tonneau, the proportions of the folding fabric roof, the luxurious nature of the cabin -- these elements have been pored over by the design team, working with our engineering colleagues, to ensure we deliver the aesthetic appeal for which Aston Martin is renowned around the world.”

The naturally aspirated 6.0-liter V12 drives the rear wheels via a Touchtronic 2 six-speed automatic gearbox. The V12's 565 hp arrives at 6,750 rpm while the 457 lb-ft torque peak is available at 5,500 rpm. The convertible's suspension has been calibrated to deliver the coupe's crisp handling and compliant ride.

The bonded aluminum chassis includes structural carbon-fiber components using the latest aerospace bonding technologies. The goal was light weight, strength and rigidity -- the new Vanquish Volante is 14 percent stiffer than the DBS convertible it replaces.

The convertible has dynamic-stability control, positive torque control and adaptive damping with normal, sport and track modes, and the brakes are third-generation Brembo carbon units.

Look for the Aston Martin Vanquish Volante to go on sale early next year, with prices starting at $297,995.

By Wes Raynal