Aston Martin DB9

Okay, can anyone say James Bond car while smiling rather coyly? Well that's precisely what sports car aficionados can expect from the Aston Martin DB9, that…and then some. A badge on the kick plate tells us that the DB9 is "hand built in England" but it still feels more like a corporate product as opposed to the— admittedly often wayward— individualism of pre-Ford Astons. That's not to say this car doesn't "match up" to its many competitors, it certainly does.

The Aston Martin DB9 is a superb example of British automotive engineering. Many who live in large cities have seen more than just a few of these cars motoring around recently and they are gorgeously seductive to watch. Stunning styling, sumptuous appointments and a brawny V12 engine make the Aston Martin DB9 one of the most desirable cars in the world.

The Aston Martin DB9 is a full throttle (every pun intended) assault on the Porsche— and all other world-class sports car manufacturers, for that matter. It takes Aston's credibility as a sports car builder to a new level and is one of the most exciting cars an automaker has ever produced. It also challenges the iconic styling of a vehicle like the Porsche 911 with drop-dead looks of its own. The waiting list for the Aston Martin DB9 convertible is already 18 months long. This year, the company expects to sell 800 DB9 convertibles in North America alone and 300 coupes. The coupe starts at 87,000 pounds and the convertible at 94,300. In a world obsessed with glamour, the Aston Martin DB9 is a hymn to the virtues of understated elegance. It is a Hugo Boss suit in a colossal Versace emporium; a supermodel at a Hugh Hefner party and a piece of filet minon in a fusion world.

If there is one thing the Aston Martin DB9 doesn't lack, it’s inherent beauty. Few cars can blend such simplicity of line and shape into such a cohesively perfect whole. There is none of the gauche "jewelry" that leaves a Mercedes-Benz SL looking nouveau and yet the Aston still manages to appear extremely classy, well beyond rich and up market. And while a Porsche 911 cabriolet always looks like there's a bit missing, the Aston Martin DB9 looks like it was engineered from the ground up to be a soft top which, of course, it was. The Aston's 450-hp, 6.0-liter V12 is 5,935cc of absolute motoring "nirvana". From the deep bass rumble that accompanies the first prod of the starter button to the coyote-like howl above 6,000 rpm, this engine coaxes, seduces, engages and completely enthralls. The Aston Martin DB9 is the pure embodiment of British glamour in design. Over the years, Aston Martin automobiles have earned a place in the hearts of car aficionados around the world, and have become icons in the realm of true world-class prowess.

Usually purchased by the first-time Aston customer, the Aston Martin DB9 has been subjected to an extensive and painstaking program of personalization that has resulted in almost every aspect of the interior and exterior being altered in some way. To this end the interior was completely re-trimmed with quilted 'Jet' leather, a color and finish of hide specially made by Bridge of Weir for this project. The center console is gloss black to match the dash panel, while alloy switches have been fitted to the ventilation controls. A set of contrasting crimson seatbelts complete the interior makeover to startling effect.

The Aston Martin DB9 feels like a delicately crafted luxury good. Driving it, surrounded by all that quilted leather and hearing the exhaust's bellow, it's a very special place to be. The Aston Martin DB9 is the sort of car you'd park outside your house as an ornament and wash rather lovingly on a warm summer Sunday morning. It's indeed automotive art and it's undeniably cool.