Spotted: Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster top down

With its official debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show a little over a month away, Aston Martin engineers decided it would be a good time to take the latest prototypes to the Nürburgring test track for some open-top motoring.

The car will have the same 380 horsepower powerplant as its coupe counterpart, and a modestly higher $130,000 price tag. The Roadster and Aston Martin DBRS 9 (see recent spy shots) are both expected to go on sale next year. Our spy shots show a black Vantage Roadster with its top down, and a silver model with its top up. Gallery after the jump...