2025 Aston Martin Vantage Roadster Review: No Compromise

We very much like the Aston Martin Vantage here at Car Throttle. When we drove the coupe for the first time last year, we described it as ‘probably the best-driving Aston ever, save for the ultra-special, limited-run stuff’.

In fact, we even brought it along as one of a trio for our 2024 Car Of The Year showdown. Had that been on some lovely open, wide, not-potholed European road, it could’ve won the lot – but the versatile Toyota GR Yaris bested it because it was better-suited to UK roads as something to jump in. Not a slight at the Vantage at all, really.

When Aston Martin proclaimed the Roadster as a “no compromise” drop-top version during its launch presentation, naturally, it had our interest.

That leads to us being able to pretty simply explain what the car we have today is, then. Imagine an Aston Martin Vantage coupe, but with the hard top replaced with a soft top.

We know, “That’s obvious”, but in this case… It’s quite literally that. No extra strengthening beams as is often commonplace with drop-top versions of sports cars, no bespoke suspension tuning. In fact, the only difference aside from that roof is a change in the gearbox mount just to reduce vibrations a little bit.

The result of that is a car that weighs just 60kg extra compared with the coupe. No compromise seems a fair comment, then.

That’s a result of both cars being developed simultaneously when the Vantage was overhauled for its pretty extensive facelift, rather than coming up with the drop-top later down the line and adjusting accordingly.

Which means it shares all the same updates elsewhere. Its front cross member sits further back, making for stiffer double wishbone mounting points. You’ve got the extra rear axle rigidity thanks to strut tower strengthening, plus new adaptive dampers.

It also means the 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 reflects the specs of the coupe. That means, courtesy of some Aston Martin re-engineering of the AMG-built unit, you’ve got 656bhp and 590lb ft at your disposal.

Still sent through ZF’s versatile eight-speed automatic gearbox, quoted 0-62mph rises by a tenth to 3.5 seconds, though it matches the 202mph top speed of the coupe. All that in a ‘baby’ Aston Martin convertible. 2025 really is quite something.

In theory, then, you’re expecting we’ll tell you it drives pretty much like the coupe, just with the option of dropping the roof? Err, yes. Thanks for reading.

Ah, you wanted more? Well, he who giveth, or however the Queens of the Stone Age song goes.

Well, it means out on the road, it feels like a much more complete car than what came before it and, by virtue of the conclusion we came to with the coupe, makes it probably the best convertible Aston Martin has ever made.

Its engine doesn’t feel overly excessive despite the big gains in power, allowing the car to neatly balance between being a comfortable GT car and bona fide supercar when you decide to unleash the taps. Better still, with the roof down, you get to take in the full eight-cylinder orchestra.

Left in Comfort, those adaptive dampers do a generally decent job, if a little firm-set. The engine’s character is a little more sedate, but for cruising around Monaco or the Italian Riviera, it works wonderfully.

Changing to Sport or Sport+ dramatically changes its character, awakening the sports car within. Steering feels direct, the front end super pointy and its rear sublimely playful.

Outside of a buttery-smooth race track, which, let’s face it, will be practically every Roadster, damper settings in Sport+ are far too firm. We suspect you’d touch it once, and never again – better off accessing the more aggressive engine settings in individual mode.

It also benefits from the new Adjustable Traction Control system with several adjustment settings, which gradually brings out the animal within the Vantage, but out on the road, there’s little desire to mess with it. Turn it off, and well, good luck with that one.

Optional carbon ceramic brakes as fitted to this test car are, frankly, brilliant, but probably overkill for the roadster unless you are hellbent on tracking it. All of which, really, applies to the coupe too.

Naturally, the Roadster does command a bit of a premium compared with the coupe – a £15,000 jump to £180,000 before you start fiddling with options.

Given there’s, accurately, no compromise here, we think it’s worth it just to hear that V8 in all its glory. Don’t be shocked if Aston Martin customers agree.