In terms of coolness, Aston Martin’s are ice cold, baby. You have proper classics like the DB5 and the DB4GT Zagato and modern classics like the Vanquish and DBS. The less said about the Cygnet the better. So now there’s a new kid on the block, the Virage, for those who want something a little faster than the DB9 but not quite as fast as the DBS.
So that’s that, then? Well, no quite. You see, it’s getting to the stage where you need a trainspotters guide to tell one Aston model from another. They’re great cars, though without a tape measure and an eye for subtle differences in head- and taillights and body vents, they’re very similar looking. Too similar, one might say.
A new trio of new DB9 offerings are joining the Aston Martin line-up, in what can only be described as a tailor-fit sports car bonanza. The three models are named “Carbon Black”, “Quantum Silver” and “Morning Frost”, and can be had in coupe or convertible flavor.
British sportscar maker Aston Martin has notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of a safety recall 1,090 DB9, V8 Vantage and DBS vehicles built between 2007 and 2008.
In a letter sent by Aston Martin to the NHTSA, the British carmaker reported that the camber bolt that holds the front bottom suspension arm was not made to specification and "could crank along its shank" (shaft).
When you think about it, the £160,000 (US$247,000) Aston Martin DBS is a little too common. Sure it's a beautiful machine with a monster V12 under the hood, but everyone and his mother has one these days. Now, what the car connoisseur needs is something a bit rarer; something that's unique. A vehicle with real motoring history coursing through its corroded veins. A fixer upper, even.
Only a few days after we showed you a set of spy pictures of the revamped DB9, Aston Martin went ahead and released the first photos and info on both the Coupe and Convertible (a.k.a Volante) versions of its best-selling sports car. For the 2011MY, the V12-powered DB9 gets a minor nip and tuck along with some mechanical and equipment enhancements.
The most prevalent changes have been made cosmetically to the front end with a new front bumper featuring a re-shaped lower intake, a bright finish radiator grille and reworked headlight bezels. The re-sculptured side sills, silver brake calipers, 20-spoke diamond turned alloy wheels and clear rear light lenses round off the external revisions.
Reason says that if you're wealthy enough to buy an Aston Martin DB9 and for whatever reason you want to upgrade to a DBS, you either replace the first one or simply add the second model to your collection. But that wasn't the case with an unnamed Russian owner of a five-year-old DB9 who approached Edo Competition to turn his car into a DBS.
The German tuning house agreed and after six months of work, the DB9 had been transformed into a DBS... replica. The conversion involved replacing the car's steel body panels with lightweight carbon fiber pieces, and adding new 20 inch wheels and numerous aerodynamic parts, such as a carbon fiber front skirt and rear diffuser.
The DB9's interior was also refinished. Edo Competition says that the choice of materials and colors was left to the customer, who, in this case, went for an Alcantara/leather interior with carbon fiber inserts and metal accents. A new high-end audio-system completes the interior makeover.
