Don’t fancy a new Vantage Roadster? You might like this rare Aston DB7 Volante by Zagato instead

The new Aston Martin Vantage Roadster is pretty cool, sure, but what if you wanted an extra four cylinders, a manual gearbox and more bespoke styling? This ‘DB AR1’ by Zagato might just fit the bill.

One of just 99 ever built, it was created specifically for the American market since homologation issues meant the DB7 Zagato coupe was never officially sold there - and demand was strong for it across the pond. 

To get around the problem, Zagato took a standard DB7 Volante chassis and gave it the same styling upgrades as the coupe - including the revised front grille and fresh taillights - but with twin cowls behind the seats to mimic Zagato’s trademark ‘double bubble’ from the coupe.

There’s no solid roof either, merely a rain cover to protect the cabin. Speaking of which, this one gets a ‘Soft White’ leather finish within the ‘Bowland Black’ exterior, and it’s truly stunning. From the aluminium switchgear and the black wood trim to the diamond-quilted sports leather seats, the condition is befitting of a car that’s covered just 5,844 miles so far - despite being 22 years old.

In terms of performance, the AR1 carries over the regular 5.9-litre V12 from the DB7 Vantage, producing 435bhp and 410lb ft. Get your changes on the six-speed manual bob on and you’ll hit 60 in 4.9s en route to a top speed of 185. Oh, it’s fitted with an active sports exhaust too, so the song it sings should be pretty holy. 

It’s expected to fetch between £184,000 and £225,000 when it goes up for auction this month at RM Sotheby’s - more or less what the new Vantage Roadster should cost when it lands later this year. There are worse decisions to make.