MOTORINGpage 2 »

Aston Martin

WHEN YOU SET A CALL FROM ASTON MARTIN offering you the loan of a DB9 for a few days it is akin to getting a call from the latest James Bond girl inviting you to spend the weekend with her. The prospect is exciting, but you have a nagging doubt that you might not be able to match her expectations. Despite this I knew my reader would expect me not to shirk the task and so I bravely accepted the challenge.

This exotic car was delivered to me by pantechnicon, which was unable to negotiate the narrow lane to my house, so I met it on a main road where the driver handed me the key and waved goodbye. Ten minutes later I finally worked out how to start it and felt a surge of elation as the 6.0 litre V12 rumbled into life. Then I only had to release the fly-off hand-brake and press the “D” button on the dashboard to embark on our affair.

There is a degree of trepidation when you first set off in such a beautiful machine, but the further I drove the more comfortable I felt and the more confident about consummating the liaison. After two or three days we were on very good terms and I was well able to understand the satisfaction that comes with ownership of an Aston Martin.

My DB9 came in the most subtle and attractive shade of green, which did not shout at you like the red of a Ferrari or menace like the black of a Bentley Continental. It was understated and quint-essentially English in the best way, but it still left you in no doubt of its immense power and ability. Inside there were sports front seats in dark tan handstitched leather, dark brown Wilton carpets and a headlining of alcantara in a tobacco hue. It was like being in a gentleman’s club. The only jarring note was a panel of some exotic wood set into the top of the facia, which gave unwelcome reflections in the windscreen. However, this is like saying you did not like the colour of the Bond girl’s lipstick. The rear seats were so small as to be useless and the space would be better employed to provide more luggage room.

The 6.0 litre V12 engine has been recently uprated to produce 470bhp and it is mated with a six speed automatic transmission. There are paddles behind the steering wheel which can be used to override the gearbox, but frankly it is so good that I am not sure why you would bother. Effortless, unlimited power is served up with just enough discreet drama to keep you alert on normal roads and should you want Bond like excitement, Aston Martin organise track days on some of Europe’s finest racetracks for their owners.

If you buy one of these fabulous machines, you are buying so much more than just a car. Not only do you acquire a brand which has been voted No. 1 in the world, but you buy into a comprehensive lifestyle package of style, elegance and refinement. It may seem a lot to pay for a car, but an Aston should be viewed as a work of art and if you compare it with say a valuable painting, it can seem very reasonable. If you still have some assets rescued from the credit crunch you could do worse than blow them on a DB9 for a quantum of solace.

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MOTORINGpage 2 »

Aston Martin

by Roger Crabb