| First Drive | Peebles, Scotland | Aston Martin DBS Volante |

It's fair to say that the Aston DBS has never been seen as a true successor to the mighty Vanquish. Despite that, it's a formidable car, taking the DB9 as its basis, but moving it away from the grand tourer remit more towards that of a keen driver's car. The decision then to take its top off seems a little strange. Can the DBS Volante maintain the high standards set by its hard-topped sibling?

In the Metal

Updates to the DB9 Volante's body that make it a DBS are relatively few, but the end result is a much harder edged look - and one that appears to be far lower. Thankfully the detailing allows the Volante to retain its elegance, while adding a welcome dose of aggression. Roof down, it's a dramatic shape that never fails to turn heads, yet it seems to be a car that people admire rather than go green with envy over.

Inside, the recently developed Aston-specific centre console ensures that the DBS feels as good as it looks and the leather that swathes almost every surface is both sumptuous and stylishly stitched. The DBS is actually a four seater, though like all cars of this genre, rear legroom is limited. Likewise there isn't a lot of space in the boot. Thankfully, in the seat that matters, there are few complaints.

What you get for your Money

At not far off £176,000, you'd be within your rights to expect the DBS Volante to come fully equipped as standard. And it does. The options list is more about customisation than it is adding anything new to the specification, with choices including various gorgeous 20-inch alloys and personalised sill plaques. Of course the biggest choice to make is whether to opt for the 'Touchtronic 2' automated manual transmission or stick with the standard six-speed item with a clutch pedal. Needless to say, even if the manual gearbox was extra, it'd be our choice.

Driving it

Despite the vaguely 'boulevard cruiser' image the Volante exudes, the open-topped DBS is just as good to drive as the coupé. Yet, thanks to switchable adaptive damping it has the ability to play both parts at the press of a button. It's remarkably effective too, the chassis soaking up bumps and allowing swift, relaxed progress on its default setting, but then allowing the driver to choose Sport, which not only stiffens up the damping, but also alters the throttle response and steering assistance.

In this mode, driven 'enthusiastically' on windy Scottish roads, we found little evidence of a lack of rigidity in comparison to the closed car and if there was any it would be a price worth paying for having unhindered access to the exhaust note. Roof down, the sounds emanating from the large bore pipes will have you searching out tunnels and using the lower gears just for the sake of it. Yet that's not the only trick the DBS can do; it's an accomplished chassis that engages the driver and it's very easy to maintain high average speeds across country. Where it might differ to more focused cars is that it doesn't tire you out in the process.

Worth Noting

I don't want to bore our readers with numbers and stats, but it's illuminating when you compare the Volante's specifications with those of the DBS coupé and the V12 Vantage - with which it shares the 6.0-litre V12 engine. The Volante is a significant 115kg heavier than the closed car, which in itself carries around 15kg more than the V12 Vantage. Yet all three models post almost identical acceleration, top speed, emissions and economy figures. How they go about it is what sets them apart.

Summary

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but if you're in the market for a £170,000 sportscar then ten grand here or there isn't really going to make too much of a difference, right? That's all that separates the DBS Volante from the coupé, so the decision won't be based on logic. Some will prefer the styling of the closed car and maybe even the last nth of on-the-limit ability, but the Volante is a match for the hard-top dynamically and it offers an even more distinct dual personality. Whisper it, but it could be a better car than the Vanquish ever was. Now, how do we convince Aston to take the top off the V12 Vantage?