E55 Utterly Outclassed...

[Guy]

Last weekend was marvellous - up to Alexandra Palace for a stroll before driving down to Guildford for a weekend with an old pal...and to see his new motor...

And there it was in the drive, a spanking new black DB9

It is absolutely gorgeous, even when it's standing still...the V12 makes the most fantastic noise, there's a real crackle from the exhausts when it starts up, [classic Starter button] and that becomes a wonderful banshee howl on the move - very very different from a throbby V8

I was busy taking pictures, until it dawned on me I was wasting driving time and delaying my chance to get behind the wheel

It's a really easy car to drive, but it feels huge - feels even bigger than the E55. I haven't checked, probably it was just my nervousness..

Performance feels about the same as the V8 Kompressor - my pal drove my car and we agreed on that, but the 'feelgood' factor in the Aston is indescribable...it's the only car I've ever driven which attracted regular thumbs up signs from other drivers and even pedestrians...is that because it's regarded as British?

The only niggles are minor - the Nav system isn't as well integrated as it could be, and doesn't fit perfectly as you can see above - [the original cars offered up for test drives apparently had a flat piece of dashboard sitting atop that beautiful curve!] The boot is tiny, considering the size of the car, [I think that's because the gearbox is back there] and the 2 rear seats would only allow for kids, or ladies of size 10 or less...but to hell with the practicalities, this is no estate car...says the old bore who has 2...

The Linn sound system is fantastic, but there was no music that beat the sound of that engine

Must remember to do the Lottery tomorrow...

 

[Steve_Perry]

Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiicceee!!

S.

 

[Will]

mmmm!

That is a special car

 

[vixpy1]

Will have to look out for it..

Had a run with a E55 estate that lives round here a couple of weeks ago.. yikes they are fast!

 

[C240Sport97]

the DB9 is the most beautiful production car on sale now ....

 

[Simon]

Thanks for sharing that with us, it's a beauty.

 

[fuzzer]

nice car

but , all that money and he has a dashmount bracket and a cark-91

doesnt aston martin have any integrated soloutions for telematics?

 

[pammy]

damn - my desk top is now all wet - droooooooooooooooooool

Tell him we are all seriously jealous and would love to give him the opportunity to compare his DB9 against othe MBs just to check of course. I think an SLK320 comparison is a must

Seriously lovely cars - does the leather have that gorgeous rich aroma? I remember Steve BCS' Vantage -

 

[Maff]

The shape of the car is lovely, such style.

The interior is something else too, the wood and leather is a nice combination, you just dont get that same 'feel' inside any MB!

 

[R2D2]

lovely car, nice photos. Well done.

 

[marc777]

Lovely car and good pics ....thanks

 

[PJH]

I hope you told him there is a GTG at Clumber Park TODAY and all of us would really love to meet him too. :bannana:

 

[fwb44]

What a sensation. What a thrill. What I'm going to say is pretty trivial by comparison but may shed light on your comment about people cheering when you drive by: when I used to drive the royal R-R Phantom V through London with its little illuminated coat of arms above the centre of the windscreen, older people would stand to attention at the roadside, salute, bow, applaud, &c. I found this faintly embarrassing until I realised they were acknowledging something special, unique, British, of undisputed value and excellence - in their perception: their Royal Family.

At this point one could make cynical comparisons between the dysfunctionality of the Royal family in particular, or any family in general, that its admirers choose to overlook in favour of their myth, and the essential truth about Aston Martin, that it is a prestige brand with international recognition but very varying mechanical provenance which owes its survival to ownership by the world's largest volume producer, which was seriously in need of an image enhancement ... but that would be to take away from the beauty and lovability of the appearances of the Royal Family, and the Aston Martin motor car. They aren't perfect, but in an uncertain age people need idols to worship, and they'll do for now.

 

[GrahamC230K]

nice car

but , all that money and he has a dashmount bracket and a cark-91

doesnt aston martin have any integrated soloutions for telematics?

IMO, far less anoying than most Porsche, SL, or similar caliber drivers all still holding their mobile as they drive.

 

[glojo]

Thank you very much indeed for posting the photographs. I had a little giggle when I saw the personal plate. No doubt it might well be the owners initials.

How would the DB9 compare to either the CL65AMG or the CL600?

The DB9 appears to have the 'heritage' factor but is it a bit like comparing a Triumph to a Honda? I am asking merely out of curiosity.

Regards,
John

I spent many an hour on Alexandra Palace boating lake Happy days!!!

 

[marcos]

I have to agree the engine sound is fantastic. Went in one in Portugal last year and the engine sound wins hands down compared to the stereo. Windows down and the feel good factor is amazing.
A DB9 is top of my list when/if I when the lottery

 

[fwb44]

The DB9 appears to have the 'heritage' factor but is it a bit like comparing a Triumph to a Honda?

I suppose 'heritage' has to continually renew itself even to stay the same, or appear to?

 

[Dave Kerr]

What a sensation. What a thrill. What I'm going to say is pretty trivial by comparison but may shed light on your comment about people cheering when you drive by: when I used to drive the royal R-R Phantom V through London with its little illuminated coat of arms above the centre of the windscreen, older people would stand to attention at the roadside, salute, bow, applaud, &c. I found this faintly embarrassing until I realised they were acknowledging something special, unique, British, of undisputed value and excellence - in their perception: their Royal Family.

At this point one could make cynical comparisons between the dysfunctionality of the Royal family in particular, or any family in general, that its admirers choose to overlook in favour of their myth, and the essential truth about Aston Martin, that it is a prestige brand with international recognition but very varying mechanical provenance which owes its survival to ownership by the world's largest volume producer, which was seriously in need of an image enhancement ... but that would be to take away from the beauty and lovability of the appearances of the Royal Family, and the Aston Martin motor car. They aren't perfect, but in an uncertain age people need idols to worship, and they'll do for now.

Might be wrong here but I thought AM were owned by FORD, I know the AM chassis is an XJ-S with 8" plasma cut off the back because when I worked at Mayflower in Coventry on the maintenance I used to see them come in on the Jaguar trucks and then watch as they hand cut the rear 8" off.
The bodies were made at Mayflower complete and then shipped off to AM for spray and build.
Mayflower wanted rid of the AM build because it was a big time loser, great when they were on full production but eventually it went down to something like 20 cars a week on a good week.

Also didn't the same guy who designed the XK8 design the AM DB7 as well, they both use the XJ-S chassis but the XK8 is 8" longer.

A mate of mine who worked in experimental built up the V12 body which is basically the same as the DB7 with flared wheel arches and different front and rear aprons, I left in Feb '99 :bannana: s***house of a place and he was working on them in '98.

It was interesting to watch the build because 30 metres away was the build of the MGF and exactly the same techniques and quality went into both.
Occasionally they used to put one of the other AM's through the electro phoretic dip I think it might have been the Volante but I'm not that sure, it was built at AM in Northampton at the time, if you ever saw one of them in body in white you would never touch them. I always remember on the rear window was pieces of 1/2" tin sheet with 1" untouched mig weld holding them on, I thought it looked terrible for such an expensive car.

As for the royal family I'd probably be censored if I aired my views about them

Dave

 

[gary350]

I see the droptop version of the DB9 Volante is on Top Gear tonight. I agree with everyone else the DB9 is my favourite car.

gary

 

[pepper&boulou]

Mmmmmm Nice.