It was all about an unquantifiable yet totally real, pure, visceral experience that few cars can match, combined with a luxuriant interior replete with layers of soft, supple leather, even softer suede and deep, rich carpeting, planks of hardwood, chunks of billet aluminum, along with plenty of analog meters and digital displays, a crystal key fob slotted into the centre stack, metal-finished primary gauges spinning the tachometer needle the wrong way just because, an actual handbrake lever at your beck and call (albeit to the left of the driver’s seat), powered seat, lumbar, memory, and heated cushion toggles on each side of the centre console, and big round push-button gear selectors on that just noted centre stack (a traditional shifter is unnecessary when paddles are at hand). The last time I performed the feat was at the wheel of a DB9 Volante in identical Stratus White paint, and although that model’s V12 merely pushed 470 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque through the rear wheels it hardly mattered. And no, it’s not because the numbers on some graph rate a given Vantage, Vanquish, Rapide or this DB9 more capable than a 488 GTB, 570S or Turbo S, but rather because the Aston is so undeniably beautiful, produces the most soul-stirring sounds, and on a more personal note pulls such indelibly stamped memories from more than a few unforgettable flings over the circuitous Salinas Highway (SR 68) outside of Monterey, California that I’m immediately transported back to one of the most enjoyable weekends of my career. There are so many of the above in my neighbourhood that I hardly take notice when one blasts past, but an Aston Martin cruising by forces a certain reverential respect.
Still, as I cruised through Vancouver’s opulent West Side, I realized the company should’ve named the colour “Status White” instead, as it stops passersby in their tracks mid conversation, is supernaturally capable of pulling eyeballs away from phones and into the real world (if only for a moment), and causes nods of respect from those young guys with the aforementioned supercars as they pull up and stare. After all, this Stratus White DB9 GT Volante is 50% slower than the Maranello-born supercar I just noted, and that’s just too much discrepancy for a frail young ego to accept. Heck, even today’s base 911 does the deed in 4.6 seconds.Īn Aston Martin is a scarcer sighting, the brand normally eliciting the business of a slightly more mature buyer. Yes, some nameplates never die, although the 911 Turbo hardly needs 4.8 seconds to reach 100 km/h anymore. I’m not judging, because I did much the same with my friends when I was 20-something, even if the cars we bantered about wore names like RS 200, 959, ZR-1, Testarossa, and 911 Turbo. Not if you overhear a gathering of university kids comparing specs on the latest supercars. Now with 540 horsepower and 457 lb-ft torque under its long, elegant hood, the British coupe flashes past 100 km/h in just 4.5 seconds, while the 59kg heavier Volante drop-top does so a notch slower ― although with the roof lowered it feels faster, and that’s what really matters, right?
Also, look for some minor styling enhancements and a new instrument panel. Aston Martin has updated its stunningly beautiful albeit very well seasoned DB, adding “GT” lettering to its name and 30 more horsepower to its 6.0L V12.
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