Simply Abu Dhabi XIII

Meanandroofless T he latest and, to my eyes, most desirable addition to the Aston Martin range is the all new for 2014 Vanquish Volante. Why the most desirable? Youmay ask. Well for me, the answer is simple. It’s a convertible. Now I understand that in the climate of Abu Dhabi, ice-cold air-conditioning makes an awful lot more sense than a topless supercar but then I’ve never claimed that my choice of personal motorcar is based on any kind of logic. For me, the essence of real driving pleasure has always been the sensation of the wind in the hair, the sheer unadulterated noise of the engine in the air and the feeling that you’re as close to the open road as it’s possible to get while still on four wheels. I also have to admit to another personal bias. It’s the simple fact that this car is an Aston Martin. A car steeped in Great British history and a tradition of both sporting excellence and gentlemanly style. In 2014, Aston Martin has passed 100 years in the business of building cars, and what a 100 years it’s been. There were the racing 3 4 4 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I