One-off Aston Martin Vantage GT12 Roadster revealed
Private one-off Aston GT12 Roadster unveiled at Goodwood Festival of Speed
Aston Martin’s bespoke tailoring service has created a one-off Vantage GT12 Roadster, revealing the car this morning at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
A one-off customer commission completed by Q by Aston Martin, the GT12 Roadster is said to take the original Vantage GT12 Coupe’s hardcore ethos, adding in “the visceral thrill of open-top driving”. It uses the same 595bhp naturally-aspirated 6.0-litre V12, and the same seven-speed Sportshift III automatic gearbox.
Conceived and delivered in just nine-months, the car has been revealed to the public on the Aston Martin stand at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. It’s the first time a customer has been able to call upon the full scope of Aston’s Q engineering and design team to commission a one-off fully personalised model.
• 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed
As you’d expect, from the front the GT12 Roadster looks very similar to the existing Coupe, with the same wide stance, deep splitter and vented bonnet. The Roadster is finished in a more subtle metallic grey, unlike the lairy white and orange Coupe we drove last year. At the rear, the Coupe fixed rear wing is replaced with a smaller boot spoiler, while at the bottom you’ll find a huge diffuser to channel air out the back of the car.
Like the standard Vantage, the GT12 Roadster loses its roof, to reveal a beautifully trimmed chocolate-coloured cabin, with Aston Martin badges embroidered in the headrests. The centre console and infotainment system are lifted from the standard car, with lashings of carbon fibre on the dash and doors. Subtle Q badges complete the look.
• Aston Martin Vantage GT12 Coupe review
Under the skin, the team at Q by Aston Martin have installed a unique suspension setup to ensure the Roadster handles as close to the Coupe as possible. The lucky buyer will benefit from magnesium inlet manifolds, a lightweight magnesium torque tube and a full titanium exhaust system.
CEO Andy Palmer said: “The Vantage GT12 Roadster 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.”
Vice president and chief Special Operations officer David King also commented: “In just nine-months we took a customer’s dream and realised it, with a fully-formed, exactingly engineered and fully road-legal one-off. That is the essence of the Q by Aston Martin service”.
No price has been revealed for the one-of-a-kind Aston Martin Vantage GT12 Roadster, but the lone buyer is likely to be paying at least double what they would for a Coupe. With the sold-out standard GT12 commanding a £250,000 list price, the Roadster could easily have cost more than £500,000 to design and build.
Does the idea of a production Vantage GT12 Roadster get you hot under the collar? Let us know in the comments below...
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