The first time I took an Aston Martin on a road trip out of the Coachella Valley, my co-driver — on assignment for Car and Driver — insisted we stop along the way for time-consuming photos. We missed lunch. I wouldn’t let that happen twice. Not in the 2026 Vantage Roadster. Not on this perfect midspring day of lupines, poppies, and manzanita blossoms. The charcuterie board that awaited in Temecula was top priority.
That car I drove in October 2013 was the Vanquish Volante, a formidable and expensive convertible. Aston Martin had invited reporters from near and far to drive from The Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage to Banning, then through the San Jacinto Mountains. When my partner and I finally made it to the midday destination, the buffet was cleared away.
My new seatmate, Graeme Fletcher of Canada’s National Post, showed no interest in photography. He drove the Vantage Roadster on the first leg of the circuit I’d cruised in 2013 and carried us all the way to Idyllwild. We swapped seats, and I slid behind the wheel. Quite the whoopee machine, the Vantage Roadster measures 176.9 inches long — 4.7 inches shorter than the original Ford Mustang — but packs a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine that generates 656 horsepower. We made it to Gaspar’s Restaurant at Altisima Winery with dispatch, and plowed into the olives, blue cheese, Marcona almonds, and fig jam. Baguette sandwiches with truffle fries followed, as did satiety.
After our repast, we engaged again with the Vantage Roadster. As one of six test cars in that media preview, ours was distinguished by its captivating Magnetic Silver exterior and Spicy Red Bridge of Weir leather interior. We were fully exposed in the cockpit, but if Alfred Hitchcock’s birds had descended, we wouldn’t have been consigned to Tippi Hedren’s fate — the power top lifts into place in 6.8 seconds, and the mighty engine rockets from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, reaching a top speed of 202 mph. The four integrated exhaust pipes produce a sound like bellowing beasts on a circus train.
The Vantage Roadster is the drop-top variant of last year’s Vantage Coupe. They’re both the work of Marek Reichman, Aston’s chief creative officer and general provocateur. For 20 years, Reichman has sculpted Aston Martins as the company emerged from mismanagement and financial constraints back to automotive significance. Increased brand visibility is provided by the Aston Martin Formula 1 team, with the Vantage Coupe serving as F1 safety car and the luxury DBX707 SUV as medical car.
The cockpit commands attention in Spicy Red Bridge of Weir leather.
Quad exhaust tips amplify the guttural roar of the 656-horsepower twin-turbocharged V8.
A redesigned center console streamlines controls with a push-button shifter and ignition switch.
The Vantage Roadster’s front-engine, rear-drive layout renders a classic, stubby British speedster with a proud, sensual beauty.
Reichman ranks among the Big Three of European design deans for good reason. The Vantage Roadster’s front-engine, rear-drive layout renders a classic, stubby British speedster with a proud, sensual beauty.
In addition to a punctual lunch, my other objective of the day stemmed from my fascination with the Pacific Crest Trail. Since reading Wild, I’ve hiked PCT segments in Riverside, San Bernardino, and Tuolumne counties. I’ve nothing but respect for the stalwarts who complete a long trail end to end. You could say I’m a through-hiker groupie.
Graeme and I retraced our course through Anza to the Highway 74 junction where I hoped to cross paths with hikers at Paradise Valley Cafe. It offers a worthy menu and kind service, and is a resupply point for PCT hikers who have mailed themselves packages of dehydrated food. Here, they can rest their feet, enjoy a beer and a meal, charge their phones, and reconnect with the real world.
At the Paradise Valley pit stop, I met Katie Nealon and Eric Reichle (trail name Titanium), of Pennsylvania. Reichle hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2017. He and Nealon, a novice, started the 2,650-mile PCT some 20 days earlier at Campo, near the Mexican border. They’d already endured heat, aching shoulders and feet, and thorny shrub attacks. A chilly, wet weekend lay ahead, but their commitment to the trail hadn’t wavered.
“It’s different from the Appalachian Trail, and it’s unintimidating enough for a first-time through-hiker,” Reichle told me.
“We did our own research and decided it would be the best one for us to do — a whole different journey,” Nealon confirmed.
As much as I might dream of being in my 20s again and hiking the PCT, my preference was most assuredly cozying up inside a $212,900 Vantage Roadster and roaring away.
2026 aston martin vantage roadster
Base Price
$212,900
Body Style
Two-door, two-passenger convertible with Z-fold roof
Power
4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8
656 horsepower; 590 pound-feet of torque
Transmission
8-speed automatic
Speed
0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds; top speed of 202 mph
Fuel Economy
15 mpg city; 22 mpg highway; 18 mpg combined
