AN open top version of the Aston Martin Vantage has been announced with prices starting from £126,950 - some £12,000 more than the coupe model which was launched in 2018.

The new roadster will be on the road in the second quarter of the year and like the coupe is powered by a 4.0-litre V8 twin turbo engine mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

With 510ps on tap the Vantage Roadster has a 0 to 60 acceleration time of just 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 190mph.

It has a fabric roof which can be opened and closed in around 6.7 seconds and the British sports car maker is claiming it as the fastest full operating cycle of any automatic convertible system.

Overall, the convertible treatment adds some 60 kilos to the weight of the car compared to the coupe and boot capacity at 200 litres is only 70 litres down on its hard top sibling.

The introduction of the Vantage Roadster sees a range of new options introduced across the Vantage range.

To mark the 70 Anniversary of the Vantage nameplate, Aston Martin is introducing the company's iconic ‘vane' grille as an option, available on both coupe and roadster as an alternative to the track-inspired ‘hunter' grille featured on the coupe from its launch.

There is also a new range of optional alloy wheel designs in a choice of finishes while a manual seven-speed transmission is being offered as an option on the coupe, having initially only been available in the limited-edition Vantage AMR.