At 6:30 this morning, a stunt driver shooting a scene for the upcoming James Bond flick, Quantum of Solace, lost control of an Aston Martin DBS while filming a chase scene and plunged into Lake Garda in Italy. The film's executive producer, Anthony Waye, said that the scene was being shot in the pouring rain, and although the DBS didn't survive it's unplanned excursion into the water, the driver sustained only minor injuries and was released from the hospital earlier this afternoon. MI6 declined to comment on the incident, but a spokesperson for the agency remarked that the submersible kit for the Aston was under development. Too little, too late Q.

With Aston Martin now operating as an independent sports car manufacturer and the lineup down to only the DB9 and Vantage, there's some speculation as to what the Geneva show holds for the brand. Autoblog has collected some of the rumors, and coupling them with what we already know, we can make some educated guesses.

While we're waiting for the Rapide and One-77 to arrive, Aston is likely to tempt us with new top-of-the-line models of both of its existing cars. Speculation calls for a V12-powered Vantage and a DBS ragtop to debut soon; both could drop in Geneva.

The Vantage V12 RS appeared at last year's Geneva show and was confirmed for production as a limited-edition 600-horsepower coupe. Carbon-fiber body panels and an extendable spoiler set the V12 apart visually, while the 6.0 liter V12 under the hood, sourced from the DBRS9 race car, promises upgraded performance as well.

As for the DBS roadster, it was also confirmed at last year's Geneva show, and we've already spotted prototypes in winter testing. Based on the spy photos, apart from a slightly revised greenhouse the DBS Volante, as it's likely to be called in Aston Martin tradition, will be identical to the coupe apart from the soft top.

Aston Martin will premiere the DBS Volante at the Geneva Auto Salon on the 3rd March 2009. Completing the DBS line-up, the new Volante will afford customers the combination of the DBS’s already-established benchmark sports car characteristics with all the thrills of open-air motoring.

Broadening the DBS’s character, the DBS Volante will appeal to drivers who wish to combine the excitement of driving a finely-tuned sports car with the invigorating feeling of being open to the elements. This juxtaposition of ultimate performance and openness stirs the senses on any drive whether an exhilarating jaunt on favoured roads or cruising on lengthy journeys. ‘Volante’, meaning ‘moving with light rapidity’, perfectly defines the performance potential and the dynamic characteristics of the DBS Volante.

Featuring a motorised retractable fabric roof, the DBS’s beautiful profile is preserved whether up or down. When the roof is closed, it provides a warm comfortable ambience and when open, it neatly disappears behind the new tonneau cover at the touch of a button.

Aston Martin’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ulrich Bez said: “The DBS Volante delivers the utmost relaxed driving experience with the hood up or down. It combines engineering excellence with design perfection.

“The DBS Volante offers a subtle mix of power and performance. Adding to this, the fine craftsmanship – it is an unparalleled ownership and driving experience.”
Conceived as a Volante from the outset, Aston Martin engineers opted for a fabric hood to closely follow the silhouette of the DBS coupe and due to its lightweight properties, minimise overall weight gain. Fully retractable in only 14 seconds and at up to speeds of 30 mph (48 km/h), the roof will automatically stow under the newly sculpted tonneau, maintaining the DBS Volante’s perfect form – hood up or down.

Power is provided by Aston Martin’s hand-built all alloy 6.0-litre V12 engine producing 510 bhp (380 kW / 517 PS), and 570 Nm (420 lb ft) of torque with a top speed of 191 mph (307 km/h) and 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) time of 4.3 seconds. The nature of the V12, and in particular the torque available at all engine speeds, serves to provide effortless driving in all situations.

Aston Martin’s 16th convertible in 95 years, the DBS Volante draws on the marque’s extensive experience in designing iconic ‘Volantes’ and is a 2+2 featuring two occasional rear seats, ideal for young people or extra luggage. In standard specification, the DBS has a rear-mounted six-speed manual gearbox, while an automatic six-speed ‘Touchtronic’ option is also available. As with the coupe, the Volante is offered with carbon ceramic brakes as standard providing exceptional stopping power. Benefitting from materials derived from the motorsport and aerospace industries, the bonnet, front wings and boot lid are made from carbon fibre all helping to reduce weight.

The DBS Volante also comes with Bang & Olufsen’s renowned ‘BeoSound DBS’ in-car entertainment system, featuring 13 speakers as standard equipment. The BeoSound DBS has been expertly tuned by Bang & Olufsen’s Tonmeisters and Aston Martin’s acoustic engineers specifically for the Volante resulting in a system that senses when the roof has been retracted and adjusts the sound stage to compensate for extra wind noise, providing an unrivalled automotive audio experience.

The DBS Volante will be built at Aston Martin’s global headquarters at Gaydon, Warwickshire with customer deliveries expected to commence during quarter three 2009 and prices will be confirmed at the Geneva Auto Salon.

Aston Martin will be taking the covers off the new DBS Volante at the 2009 Geneva International Motor Show. The DBS Volante is AM's 16th convertible in its 95 year history and represents the ultimate combination of luxury with open air sports car performance. The motorised retractable fabric roof can be opened in just 14 seconds and stows away under the newly sculpted tonneau.

Powered by Aston Martin's 6.0-litre V12 engine with 510bhp (380kW) and 570Nm (420 lb ft) of torque, the Volante is not just a poser's car. Naught to 100km/h comes in 4.3 seconds and top end is 307km/h (191mph). It's a proper performance GT with two rear seats though Aston does concede the rear seats won't be as spacious as those of a normal sedan. This is not a normal car however, it's a DBS Volante.

The two available gearbox choices are a 6-speed manual and an automatic six-speed ‘Touchtronic' that can be engaged via paddles. Keeping the car on the road are 8.5' x 20 Pirelli P Zero 245/35 front wheels and tyres as well as 11 x 20 Pirelli P Zero 295/30 at the rear. Stopping power comes from carbon ceramic brakes. Engineers have utilised measures like carbon fiber front wings, boot lid and bonnet to reduce weight. In the end it weighs 1810kg which is similar to mid-sized German luxury sedans.

Inside passengers get comfortable to features like the Bang & Olufsen's BeoSound 13-speaker sound system, integrated iPod connector, a USB connector and a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) satellite navigation system.