Crowds flip over latest drop-top Aston

ASTON Martin has been wowing the crowds at the Melbourne International Motor Show with its first direct rival for the Porsche 911 Cabriolet – the V8 Vantage Roadster.

Priced from $269,000 – $26,000 more than the V8 Vantage coupe on which it is based – the convertible was previewed ahead of its Australian market debut in the third quarter. Just 30 examples are scheduled to be sold Down Under in 2007.

Production is scheduled to begin in July at Aston Martin’s global HQ at Gaydon near Warwickshire in the UK.

The V8 Vantage Roadster is Aston Martin’s 14th convertible model since 1950, and the latest in a long line of open-top iconic cars like the DB5, DB6 and DB7. It features a three-layer fabric roof with a fully automatic folding mechanism.

The fully automatic hood also has a glass rear window and is stowed neatly beneath the rear tonneau cover. The roof can be opened or closed in less than 20 seconds – while travelling at speeds of up to 50km/h.

Like the coupe, the Roadster has a bonded aluminium structure and is powered by a 4.2-litre 32-valve V8.

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