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Most people can’t justify the hefty sum it takes to own an Aston Martin — or as you may know it — James Bond’s car. Entry into this rather exclusive club begins at $155,000, and by the time you add some of the precious few, but almost necessary options, the all-new DB9 can quickly top $175.000.
That high-end market is exploding with great cars and the DB9 is easily comparable to almost any upper-end, street legal GT or sports car on the planet — except the most extreme or unaffordable in any meaningful sense of the word. Fortunately for Aston Martin, buyers at this level don’t consider price nearly as much as the more subjective aspects of the car — precisely where Aston Martin holds its best advantage.
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Dr. Ulrich Bez, president
of Aston Martin
and designer of the DB9 |
The Aston Martin DB9 is an all new vehicle in the Ford-owned British carmaker’s lineup, It defies any comparison with its predecessor, the DB7, which although very nice, had more in common with 1970’s vintage Jaguars than anything else.
I had the recent honor of being one of only a dozen American journalists invited to seriously drive the new DB9 at an event in Southern California, where we met Dr. Ulrich Bez himself, president of Aston Martin and formerly chief of research and development for Porsche. The DB9 was a personal hands-on design and development project for Dr. Bez, who considers the DB9 “his” car.
The Aston Martin DB9 is a strikingly beautiful, hand-built automobile, crafted for people who appreciate the finer aspects of uncompromised engineering, attention to the minutest details, absolutely blazing performance, and of course, possess a unique sense of style and beauty.
The DB9 is all about maximum personalization. You can get it in any color with a known paint code, or have paint mixed to match anything from the color of your loved one’s eyes to their sexiest lingerie. This is much more than a mere automobile. It makes a personal statement about the owner, who that person is, and how they see themself and their place in the world.
With stunningly gorgeous lines, and aluminum/composite construction, all on a sports-car-specific platform, The DB9 could be considered the virtual equivalent — at least on paper — of Aston’s 200+ mph, V12 Vanquish. Equal except for the $100,000 or so extra dollars the Vanquish commands. Money aside, some features of the DB9 actually surpass the Vanquish making this an astounding automobile — regardless of price.
Walkaround: Aston Martin knew the Vanquish look was a winner, and with similar styling, only the trained eye might distinguish the fact it’s the DB9 blowing by you rather than the Vanquish.
That “Look” is embodied in the signature front grillwork and very aggressive, flared fender stance. The DB9 also features side grills, machine gun nest vents in the hood, and virtually all the James Bond film clichés.
The careful use of chrome accents makes the DB9 appear much lower and narrower overall when in fact, it’s about the same size as the Vanquish. Also, the DB9 nose sits lower to the ground than the Vanquish without appearing to.
The attention to detail is simply startling. For example, the DB9 utilizes a flush-fitting, perfectly machined, lever to open its “swan wing doors” from the outside. The doors are a point of distinction for the DB9, opening out and up about six inches. This allows occupants more exit room by freeing up space just where your feet need to touch ground — a stylishly novel, yet very practical bit of engineering. There’s also a surprising amount of trunk space for this type of car — just right for your golf clubs or a weekend-size suitcase and hanging bag.
While you’re back there, note the dual, chrome, tipped, three-inch exhaust pipes, which emit a deep intimidating snarl under acceleration, and a subtle, but threatening note at idle. The sound is so satisfying that while driving, I enjoyed listening to it more than the DB9’s impressive Linn audio system — especially downshifting.
Interior: The cabin is built around the driving experience. The exceptionally comfortable interiors in the DB9 are hand-finished leather and “single piece” cuts of wood, with minimal brushed aluminum accents to compliment the easily readable instrumentation. Four different wood finishes can be specified including bamboo and something called “piano black.” Personally, as much as bamboo is now politically correct and does have a pleasant, light finish to it, I still loved the rosewood colored mahogany. It just has a very warm, rich feeling that appeals to my personal sense of style. But no matter which one you choose, order the full wood compliment, including door tops.
There are only dash-mounted buttons to start the car and engage the transmission. Although the DB9 is loaded with technology, including an optional Linn 5.1 surround sound system and satellite navigation, there’s no complicated electronic user interfaces to deal with, as the controls are easily reachable and obvious in their simplicity. In this age of electronic overkill, the communication between car and driver, and back, is simply natural and intuitive.
Finally, every time you climb in your Aston Martin, you’ll see the sill plate announcing this car was custom built just for you. Oh YES…
Under The Hood: The Aston Martin DB9 features a silky smooth, 6-liter, four valve, four-cam, 450 horsepower, V-12, capable of 186 mph. It’s mated to the exquisite, 6-speed Touchtronic 2 automatic transmission. The gearbox is engineered as a transaxle to achieve the near ideal 50/50 weight distribution that makes the DB9 such a handling dream.
Behind The Wheel: On the open road, devoid of traffic, this car is astonishingly fast and extraordinarily competent. Floor it, and instantly the DB9 will snap to your neck in a way that will put a permanent smile on your chiropractor’s face. It simply explodes with more raw power and sound than you can ever imagine without experiencing it.
Having an engine with this much torque, the low-end throttle response and surge can be surprising at first, but you also quickly learn to handle it.
All great cars seem to have a sweet spot where they perform best. The Aston Martin is no exception, really beginning to find its groove at about 90. It just keeps improving the farther you climb up the speedometer, however, this is also a feeling you’ll simply never be able to adequately explain to the police. Cruising at 140 on the open road within sight of the Mexican border, I was extremely comfortable — especially when considering that was the fastest I’d ever personally driven — except on a racetrack. Meanwhile, another driver just blew by me.
Steering wheel-mounted paddle shift levers replace any kind of tunnel or column mounted shifter. It even blips the throttle before a downshift, exactly mimicking a genuine double-clutch move. It really needs to be experienced to be believed. I don’t why anyone would opt for the manual — no matter how pure a driver you consider yourself.
Handling is astonishingly certain with no weight imbalance on either end. The DB9 sweeps through high-speed turns with authority and practically no body roll — no matter if you lift off the throttle, get on it, or what line you take. On less than ideal road surfaces, you’ll find yourself driving faster than normal, but with less effort. This car doesn’t isolate you— it makes you a natural part of it, with your attention focused down the road.
Should the driver get carried away and downshift too enthusiastically (read, with revs too high ) as I nearly did more than once, the car goes into full automatic mode, disabling the paddle shifters entirely. Even in full automatic mode (“D” on the dash), the DB9 delivers crisp, predictable shifts every time that are better than just about any other car on the road.
Steering is optimal, offering some — but not too much — feedback through the thick, comfortable-feeling wheel. Hard, emergency braking doesn’t spoil the fun either. There’s no drama, just controlled linear braking courtesy of huge discs and 19-inch Bridgestones.
Whines: If I think long enough, I may find something inconsequential.
Bottom Line: Dr. Bez has seemingly built the Aston Martin DB9 to pick up where Porsche left off with the 911. The Carrera S is a great car — fast, engaging, extremely fun to drive and the one I’ve always acknowledged that if money were no object, I’d personally own. No more. As 911 owners all know, with some engineering refinements the 911 could be even better. But it would be very difficult to say that about this car. The Aston Martin DB9 is as much about personal style and the person who owns it, as it is about raw performance and stunning beauty. It’s become my new personal favorite simply because it’s one of the greatest automobiles I’ve ever driven. |
