2023 Aston Martin DBS Volante

The 2023 Aston Martin DBS Volante is a grand touring convertible with a twist: it's not just elegant and plush - it's also a violently powerful sports car that will rip your head off at a moment's notice. Aston Martin builds its Volante drop-tops with the intention of offering pleasurable cruising cars designed for European summer road trips along the coast, but this the DBS Volante is a different kind of animal, and the automaker adds a generous helping of spice to the mix. Sporting a 5.2-liter twin-turbo V12 engine producing 715 horsepower and 663 lb-ft of torque, this masterpiece of British engineering can sprint to 62 mph in only 3.6 seconds. Those figures make the Aston Martin DBS Volante eligible to fight competitors such as the Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible and Ferrari 812 GTS - it's not nearly as expensive as the latter, but will still set you back around $350k in the USA. Is it worth it? We think it is.

The new Aston Martin DBS Volante convertible is a great example of sports cars hiding two personalities under the metal. As a daily driver or sea-side cruiser, the DBS Volante feels just as relaxed as any grand tourer you'll come across on the Amalfi Coast. It can't match the Bentley Continental GT for outright comfort, and its sporty nature can be felt on the roughest of road surfaces. Push a bit harder, and the DBS Volante turns into a different beast entirely. With 715 hp furiously rushing to the rear wheels, this roofless banshee can quickly become tail-happy. If you want to stick through the corners at maximum velocity, we suggest engaging Sport Plus mode to stiffen up the dampers - and then hold on for dear life. The throttle needs to be fed in slowly. Treat the DBS Volante with the respect it deserves, and it will deliver. Steering response isn't instant and it's quite heavily weighted, but the overall experience is engaging, even for drivers of sharper tools. Braking is linear yet responsive, which is reassuring considering you'll likely want to push the 2023 DBS Volante every chance you get.

Buying a car like the 2023 Aston Martin DBS Volante isn't a decision that's made after making logical considerations. This is the heart telling the mind what it wants, and the heart desires a barnstorming British sports car that looks just as good as it goes. At least, our hearts do. The DBS Volante isn't the sharpest or most comfortable among its peers, but it has a distinctive charm, curves in all the right places, and a glorious soundtrack. It's a thrill to drive but will require you to be just a little cautious about how hard you slam that throttle. And, with some much-needed updates on the horizon - hopefully including an updated infotainment system, which is one of our few gripes - the gorgeous drop-top will be worth the hefty price asked of it. Nothing in this segment is particularly cheap, but we're happy to shell out for this British bombshell - it's still one of the most rewarding convertibles on the market.