Aston Martin's AAA Bond Rating

Even If It Weren't So Closely Associated With James Bond, The DB9 Volante Would Still Be Considered One Of The World's Sexiest Cars

Up Front

"Where's my Bentley?" queried Sean Connery in 1964's Goldfinger, with a swagger and surly lip-curl that would have made even Elvis turn green.

"Oh it's had its day, I'm afraid," Q responded. "You'll be using this Aston Martin DB5."

And with a quick camera pan, the adulation and aspiration of men and boys around the globe were captured by Aston Martin's beautiful and superlative sports car. Now there's a new Bond, multiple new DB models, and, given the financial crisis at Ford (F), there may very well be a new corporate owner for the brand in the works too.

This Friday the new Bond, Daniel Craig, won't be driving the DB9 that I test-drove. [The film features a limited edition DBS, which may or may not go into production.] But he might as well have. It's a winning combination of one-of-a-kind looks, superfluous power, and top-notch luxury. It isn't the fastest, most reliable, or even the best value for the money, but there's nothing else like it.

And that's been good news for Aston Martin this year. Automotive News estimates it has sold about 370 cars to U.S. customers so far in 2006. Last year, worldwide, it sold a record 4,500 cars. Not too shabby when your model range starts over $100,000. Recently, for the first time since the 1960s, the company also managed to eke out a profit -- though that hasn't stopped Ford from trying to sell the unit.

[The appellation "DB" comes from the initials of Sir David Brown, the British industrialist and sportsman who rescued the ailing Aston Martin -- and several years later Lagonda -- after the war, when both companies had fallen on hard times.]

Nestled between the $110,000 V8 Vantage and the $260,000 V12 Vanquish is Aston's drop-dead gorgeous DB9 Volante, a convertible version of the DB9 coupe. Without options, it stickers for a tidy $175,400. On top of that, my test car had $750 walnut door cappings and a $4,545 Linn 950 watt audio system. With a dizzying $3,000 gas-guzzler tax and $1,350 transportation and handling charge, the total weighs in at $185,045.

Behind the Wheel

That chunk of change gets you a 5.9 liter, V12 engine that pumps out 450 dignified British horses. That's enough oomph to get this drop top from 0 to 60 mph in under five seconds and to a top speed right around 180 mph.

As you might imagine, everything about this car oozes confidence. Slipping into the driver's seat, depressing the brake pedal, and pressing the push-start button unleashes that Aston Martin sound and fury. The Aston engine roar is unique indeed -- thunder from the gods.

The DB9 Volante is a pleasure to drive, though the convertible provides a somewhat inferior experience to the more rigid, better handling coupe. Wheel mounted paddle shifters enable rapid gear changes and the massive stoppers do their jobs. Still, it's not quite the same race-car-for-the-rest-of-us experience of a Ferrari or Lamborghini. [Of course, like Aston Martin, these two Italian supercars have large corporate owners: Ferrari is owned by Fiat (FIA) and Lamborghini by Volkswagen.]

It's hard to quibble with its looks. Auto designers the globe over still hail the DB9's gorgeous bodywork. Henrik Fisker, the man who sculpted those lines, has made a much-vaunted career for himself and a good deal of his success is a result of this one design [see BusinessWeek.com, 10/26/06, "Pure Expression"].

Long, well-calculated lines flow backwards from the slanted headlamps to the muscled haunches. The front hood's slight rise comes down towards the traditional Aston grille, confident but not overly aggressive. That grille, meanwhile, looks better than it ever has. All in all, it's a wonderful thing to look at and sure to turn heads everywhere it goes. Even jaded Manhattanites made way for me, parting like so much water for Moses as I navigated through midtown during rush hour.

Inside, the DB9 doesn't disappoint. All the surfaces appear to have been labored over intensely. Wood trim, leather, and brushed metal are so regal they just beg to be touched. If you're like me, you'll likely find yourself sitting and running your hands over the seats and dash buttons for an unusually long time before the thought of starting it up even crosses your mind. Even for a supercar costing nearly $200,000 the interior impresses.

The cabin is full of nice touches. Turn the car on and a screen nestled between the speedometer and tachometer flashes "Power, Beauty, Soul!" The navigation system, meanwhile, can be stowed away at the push of a button. The stereo system, which pumps out a mind-boggling 950 watts, has a dedicated screen worthy of high-end home stereos like the ones made by Bang & Olufsen.

There have got to be a million fine details, certainly too many to list. But my favorite is integrated into the navigation system. The Aston is so fast, the map is sometimes forced to automatically scale to your velocity. In other words, mash the gas pedal and the nav. system pauses for a brief second and begins readjusting itself to your rapidly increasing speed. It's the kind of thing you're only likely to find in a car that has no problem cruising at way over 150 mph.

The DB9 is rated to get between 13 and 18 mpg. Good luck trying to stick to the top end of that range. A car this powerful begs to be abused. In testing composed mainly of backroad high-speed curve dicing, I averaged 13.9 mpg. Then again, if you drop $185,045 on a car, the cost of gas is likely the last thing on your mind.

Buy It or Bag It

This Aston's not for everybody though. First of all, there are plenty of better handling cars in this price class. The $175,000-plus Gallardo and $168,000-plus Ferrari F430 are obvious standouts. What's more, there are a few better handling, much less expensive cars out of this price class.

A $92,000 Porsche 911 Carrera S Cabriolet will let you have fun in the sun, get to 60 in the same time and reach top speeds right around the Aston's -- all with plenty of change left over to spend on, say, a down payment on a love nest or even a second Porsche. What's that? Comparing a DB9 to Porsche? What a brute! I know.

And, of course, that's this Aston's saving grace. You can't really comparison-shop. You wouldn't buy it just for the speed or the value. Besides its looks, which are arguably the best in the business, the DB9's virtues lie in it being an all-around, all-or-nothing package. In the end it's a supercar you might actually want to grow old with.