While the Vanquish uses light materials in its construction, it uses a lot of them, resulting in 3897 pounds of car. Driving briskly, you get the impression that the Vanquish is rather heavy, yet it doesn't feel unwieldy. The mass doesn't grow the faster you drive, but neither does it shrink. It does seem to slightly dull the response of the V-12. The six speed automatic translate exacerbates the sensation, seeming to operate only in slow motion. Downshifts slowly bring the engine up to the appropriate rpm. Around town, it makes for a powertrain that feels soft and relaxed, not quick to do anything, not wanting to be bothered by the trivialities associated with haste. The powerband feels out of reach, and with it the excitement the orange bodywork so clearly promises.
In keeping with its Grand Touring intentions, the Vanquish offers greater headroom and more legroom than does the outgoing DBS. The cockpit is large, but outward visibility, especially through the windshield, feels bunker-like, although not intrusively so. You get the sense that the tall center console can barely contain the V-12 that sits just ahead of it. That V-12 is right there, brooding and beating and waiting for the chance to fill its intake plenums with oxygen, then scream.
For a moment we forget how the Vanquish Volante will breathtakingly gain speed, flashing from 0 to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds on the way to 183 mph; how the 565 hp and 457 lb-ft of torque are diplomatically modulated by the rear-mounted, six-speed automatic transmission; how the chassis, which is fourteen percent stiffer than the old DBS Volante, is as self-possessed as an explosive ordnance disposal technician.
Sleek, elegant, and powerful, the 2014 Aston Martin DB9 is mostly unchanged for the new model year, but then you don't mess with success, For 2014, Aston Martin has priced the DB9 from $185,400 and the DB9 Volante from $200,400, a $400 increase over last year. Delivery and destination fees (not included) are $2,825.
While no new features join the spec sheet for 2014, last year's additions of a pop-up navigation screen, rearview camera, and automatic headlights help keep it up to date. The navigation system continues to be a weak spot in the Aston Martin ownership experience, proving slow and frustrating. On the entertainment front, the DB9 succeeds, however, with an available Bang & Olufsen 1000 watt audio system that's on par with the Naim, Burmester, and Bowers & Wilkins alternatives in competitors' cars. An optional carbon fiber package adds interior and exterior trim in the material, and while it definitely is (and looks like) the real thing, the available leather headliner is a better direction for the DB9's nature unless you have the convertible's standard power top and glass rear window.
Despite the pair of vestigial seats on standard models, the front row is comfortable and properly roomy for a car that should see its share of road trips. An available composite sport seat package includes a rear seat deletion, and the loss is less than the gain. You'll be using the space for luggage either way, as the trunk is very small even amongst its sportier alternatives.
For those that might consider driving their DB9 on the track, carbon ceramic brakes are standard, providing not just good stopping power but better heat tolerance for extended hard use.
The careful balance required for grand touring ride and handling like the DB9's requires a solid platform to build from, and the all best aluminum, bonded and riveted chassis and body provide it. Despite the aluminum focus, the DB9 isn't especially light: a typical example weighs about 3,800 pounds. In the context of some competitors, however, it's not nearly as heavy as it could be.
Despite its grand tourer nature, the DB9 is quick, launching to 60 mph in just 4.6 seconds and capable of a top speed of 186 mph, For both the coupe and DB9 Volante convertible, under the hood there's a 6.0-liter V-12 engine loosing 510 horses and 457 pound feet of torque. Last year's 40 horse power jump woke the DB9 back up, and it continues to exude the purest of grand tourer experiences: fast, comfortable, and quiet thought it will bark with provocation. A six speed paddle shifted ZF automatic transmission clicks quick shifts, but lacks the crisp, throttle blipping precision of a modern dual clutch. You wouldn't expect the DB9 to be fuel efficient, and it's not: the EPA estimates 13 mpg city and 19 mpg highway for 15 mpg combined.
Its gorgeous exterior form aside, the interior's tightly fitted leather and clean wood or carbon fiber trim feel current, too. An LCD touchscreen sits front and center, and the crystal tipped key/fob is a unique feature that rises above the gimmick. The details are simple and restrained, the total effect one of sophistication.
Approaching its ninth year on the market, the Aston Martin DB9 captures the brand's essence and ethos in a timeless package. A brief attempt to replace the DB9 with the Virage ended with the newcomer off the market within two years, more a statement of the DB9's strength than the Virage's weakness, the Aston Martin Vanquish is a grand tourer that was introduced in 2001 as a successor to the ageing Virage range. The first-generation V12 Vanquish, designed by Ian Callum.
In keeping with its Grand Touring intentions, the Vanquish offers greater headroom and more legroom than does the outgoing DBS. The cockpit is large, but outward visibility, especially through the windshield, feels bunker-like, although not intrusively so. You get the sense that the tall center console can barely contain the V-12 that sits just ahead of it. That V-12 is right there, brooding and beating and waiting for the chance to fill its intake plenums with oxygen, then scream.
For a moment we forget how the Vanquish Volante will breathtakingly gain speed, flashing from 0 to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds on the way to 183 mph; how the 565 hp and 457 lb-ft of torque are diplomatically modulated by the rear-mounted, six-speed automatic transmission; how the chassis, which is fourteen percent stiffer than the old DBS Volante, is as self-possessed as an explosive ordnance disposal technician.
Sleek, elegant, and powerful, the 2014 Aston Martin DB9 is mostly unchanged for the new model year, but then you don't mess with success, For 2014, Aston Martin has priced the DB9 from $185,400 and the DB9 Volante from $200,400, a $400 increase over last year. Delivery and destination fees (not included) are $2,825.
While no new features join the spec sheet for 2014, last year's additions of a pop-up navigation screen, rearview camera, and automatic headlights help keep it up to date. The navigation system continues to be a weak spot in the Aston Martin ownership experience, proving slow and frustrating. On the entertainment front, the DB9 succeeds, however, with an available Bang & Olufsen 1000 watt audio system that's on par with the Naim, Burmester, and Bowers & Wilkins alternatives in competitors' cars. An optional carbon fiber package adds interior and exterior trim in the material, and while it definitely is (and looks like) the real thing, the available leather headliner is a better direction for the DB9's nature unless you have the convertible's standard power top and glass rear window.
Despite the pair of vestigial seats on standard models, the front row is comfortable and properly roomy for a car that should see its share of road trips. An available composite sport seat package includes a rear seat deletion, and the loss is less than the gain. You'll be using the space for luggage either way, as the trunk is very small even amongst its sportier alternatives.
For those that might consider driving their DB9 on the track, carbon ceramic brakes are standard, providing not just good stopping power but better heat tolerance for extended hard use.
The careful balance required for grand touring ride and handling like the DB9's requires a solid platform to build from, and the all best aluminum, bonded and riveted chassis and body provide it. Despite the aluminum focus, the DB9 isn't especially light: a typical example weighs about 3,800 pounds. In the context of some competitors, however, it's not nearly as heavy as it could be.
Despite its grand tourer nature, the DB9 is quick, launching to 60 mph in just 4.6 seconds and capable of a top speed of 186 mph, For both the coupe and DB9 Volante convertible, under the hood there's a 6.0-liter V-12 engine loosing 510 horses and 457 pound feet of torque. Last year's 40 horse power jump woke the DB9 back up, and it continues to exude the purest of grand tourer experiences: fast, comfortable, and quiet thought it will bark with provocation. A six speed paddle shifted ZF automatic transmission clicks quick shifts, but lacks the crisp, throttle blipping precision of a modern dual clutch. You wouldn't expect the DB9 to be fuel efficient, and it's not: the EPA estimates 13 mpg city and 19 mpg highway for 15 mpg combined.
Its gorgeous exterior form aside, the interior's tightly fitted leather and clean wood or carbon fiber trim feel current, too. An LCD touchscreen sits front and center, and the crystal tipped key/fob is a unique feature that rises above the gimmick. The details are simple and restrained, the total effect one of sophistication.
Approaching its ninth year on the market, the Aston Martin DB9 captures the brand's essence and ethos in a timeless package. A brief attempt to replace the DB9 with the Virage ended with the newcomer off the market within two years, more a statement of the DB9's strength than the Virage's weakness, the Aston Martin Vanquish is a grand tourer that was introduced in 2001 as a successor to the ageing Virage range. The first-generation V12 Vanquish, designed by Ian Callum.
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