Aston Martin + Rolls-Royce unveil the Volante Vision Concept aircraft
The Aston Martin Volante Vision Concept is the British luxury carmaker's first foray into personal aerial mobility: a hybrid-electric vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft designed for three adults, built in partnership with Rolls-Royce (the aerospace and defense division, not the motorcar company), Cranfield University, and Cranfield Aerospace Solutions. Revealed in 2018, the Volante Vision previews a future where Aston Martin's design language extends from road to sky, enabling autonomous inter-city air travel with the same attention to craft and aesthetics that defines the brand's cars.
Who Built It: A Collaboration of British Aerospace Expertise
The Volante Vision is not a solo concept: it brings together four British institutions with complementary expertise. Aston Martin contributes design vision and brand identity. Rolls-Royce provides propulsion engineering and hybrid-electric power system knowledge drawn from decades of aerospace development. Cranfield University supplies research capability and academic engineering rigor. Cranfield Aerospace Solutions adds practical aircraft integration and systems knowledge. Together, the four partners represent a credible cross-disciplinary team for developing a luxury VTOL concept, moving the project beyond pure design exercise toward genuine engineering exploration.
What Is the Volante Vision Concept?
The Volante Vision is a concept for an autonomous, hybrid-electric VTOL aircraft accommodating three adults. It is designed for urban and inter-city air travel: taking off and landing vertically, bypassing road congestion entirely, and connecting city centers or urban nodes with short-duration flights. The hybrid-electric powertrain advances in aerospace electrification and autonomy are central to the concept, with Aston Martin positioning the Volante Vision as a practical personal aircraft rather than a vanity exercise. The fluid, sculpted bodywork applies the same design vocabulary Aston Martin uses for its cars: long overhangs, tapered forms, and surfaces that express speed even at rest.
Design Philosophy: Art and Technology United
Aston Martin's EVP and Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman described the ambition directly: "We are at the beginning of a new generation of urban transportation, vertical mobility is no longer a fantasy. We have a unique chance to create a luxury concept aircraft that will represent the ultimate fusion of art and technology. We have used forms and proportions that express the same devotion to design, engineering and beauty that shape our cars." The statement reflects a deliberate strategy: rather than designing the Volante Vision as an aircraft that happens to be luxury, Aston Martin approached it as an Aston Martin that happens to fly.
Explore Flying Vehicles and Aircraft at TheArsenale
The Volante Vision points toward a future where luxury and personal air mobility converge. At TheArsenale, we cover the most advanced personal aircraft available today. Discover the Centauri Valkyrie private aircraft, a design-led personal plane that shares the Volante Vision's ambition for beautiful aviation, or explore the XPENG X2 eVTOL flying car. Browse the full air collection at TheArsenale, including flying cars, eVTOL aircraft, and ultralight personal planes, alongside the airplanes and drones collection for the complete range of aerial vehicles available at TheArsenale.
