23 May 05
I've no idea how Aston Martin got the DB9 through the various noise tests it has to pass before being certified as fit to sell, but I'm sure glad they managed it. The engine may be based on two fused Mondeo V6 motors, but the sound they make is one of the best you'll hear from any new car: off-hand I'd say only a Ferrari V8, Porsche flat-six and Lamborghini V12 sound better.
Personally, I won't be rushing out to buy a DB9 Volante and only partly because I could not conceivably afford one but, then again, I was probably just about the last person on the minds of its designers when they created it. I'm really not terribly fussed by how cars look or how people I'll never see again perceive them. I'd much rather all those efforts were channelled into providing a sublime driving experience - something I do feel able to appreciate.
But, as I mentioned in the first paragraph of this tale, that's not what's important here. What matters is whether the DB9 will fulfil the hopes and expectations of those who do want to make a statement about themselves, their taste and their wealth. And while I must point out that the result is flawed and dynamically inferior to the cheaper DB9 coupe, I must also accept that, for them, it is everything they have waited all this time for. And, quite probably, more besides.
Road Test: Aston Martin DB9 coupe
Gallery: Aston Martin DB9
