5 things to know about the 2019 Aston Martin Volante

We’ve now had a few encounters with the Aston Martin DB11, and we’re not shy about proclaiming our undying love. This is a stunningly beautiful car that drives better than it looks.

In its latest iteration, the Aston Martin DB11 will be released as a convertible, dubbed the “Volante.”

For a more complete review of the 2019 Aston Martin DB11 Volante, you can read our full first-look review as we drove through the mountains of southern France, but in brief, here are five things you need to know.

V-8 engine only

Though the coupe version of the DB11 offers both a V-12 and a V-8 engine, the DB11 Volante will only be available with the V-8. Not that this is in any way a ding. We’ve driven DB11s with both engines, and we actually like the V-8 version better – because of the lighter weight, it’s more nimble and more fun to drive.

The V-8 is a 4.0-liter twin turbo, and it’s the result of a partnership with Mercedes-AMG. It’s made by Mercedes but tuned by Aston Martin to give it that exhaust note we love so much.

It delivers 503 horsepower and 497 pound feet of torque. Top speed in the DB11 Volante will be 187 mph and 0-to-62-mph times ring in at 4.1 seconds.

Endless customization

The Aston Martin DB11 Volante configurator is a dizzying array of selections and choices. It starts with 35 different exterior paint colors that range from vibrant Cosmos Orange to a Blush Pearl pink – and everything in between.

Then you can customize pretty much every item inside and out -- from the type of leather upholstery (three choices) to the color of the brogue inlay (30 choices) to the color of the seatbelts (6 choices).

If you want to go down a rabbit hole, take a trip to the Aston Martin configurator and be prepared to lose an hour or two as you mix and match exterior paint, trim accents and leather seat colors (30 choices).

In one color configuration, I was even able to select yellow (YELLOW!!) leather seats. Yellow.

All-season drop-top driving

There is something to be said for fresh air in the middle of winter when so much air is re-circulated, and the DB11 Volante proves that cold weather shouldn’t be a deterrent to driving with the top down.

However, you don’t have to be cold. The DB11 Volante is quite warm with heated seats, heated steering wheel and rear windscreen in place.

My drive partner and I had the top down for three hours while driving through chilly mountain air and areas of snow, yet with the windows up and heat on, we weren’t really affected by the cold. I kept my jacket on but didn’t bother with a hat.

If you do opt to put the canvas top up, you’ll hardly be able to tell you’re driving a vehicle that becomes a convertible. The top has eight layers for sound and weather proofing – and it does its job well.

Decent top-down trunk space

It’s nice to have a convertible and all, but if you can’t put things in the trunk or take a top-down road trip, it takes the fun out. While the DB11 Volante’s trunk isn’t cavernous, it is adequate for most drives.

When you put the top down, it does partially fold into the trunk, reducing some of the available space. But it only loses about 1 cubic-feet of cargo volume, dropping to about 6.4 cubic-feet -- down from 7.3.

This is comparable to a Mercedes-Benz SLK and the Jaguar F-Type Convertible.

With the way the top folds into the trunk, there is more voluminous space closer to the opening, with narrower space available underneath the folded top.

There is certainly room to fit a rolling suitcase and a backpack – but perhaps not too much more.

Available in June

The 2019 Aston Martin DB11 Volante will be available in the United States starting in June with a base price of $216,495. This is about $18K more than its coupe counterpart.