Money.CNN.com: Aston-Martin V-12 DB9 Volante

New_Mexico_Sunset_on_Rt66 · 08-08-2006, 04:04 PM

http://money.cnn.com/2006/08/04/auto..._db9/index.htm

Aston Martin: 12 cylinders, top down, full speed ahead
British supercar offers high-speed, high-style cruising with a few quirks.
By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNNMoney.com staff writer
August 8 2006: 1:07 PM EDT

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Tradition can be a such a wonderful thing. It keeps us in touch with our past and it communicates our varied cultures.

But sometimes it's a pain.

In the Aston Martin DB9, for example, you put the key into the ignition and turn it, but nothing happens. You have to reach across and press the backlit glass button with the winged Aston Martin logo etched into it.

The 12-cylinder engine starts up with a rough growl then settles into a low-rev rumble.

Having to insert a key then press a button seems to me like a silly bit of make-work just to start a car. But it's a tradition.

Next, you pull a tiny toggle in the center console and up and away goes the cloth roof, folding backward into the trunk, leaving the sky above you and the open road ahead.

Another button press, this time on the "D" for Drive button. The $185,000 DB9 Volante I was driving for the day had a 6-speed automatic transmission controlled, not by the usual gear-selection lever, but by push buttons in the dashboard for Park, Reverse, Neutral and Drive.

I learned quickly to be gentle on the gas pedal. The DB9 moves out without hesitation. After a few blocks of city traffic to the nearest highway entrance, the car and I were cruising happily north out of the city.

The point of a V-12 engine isn't just power, by the way. At 5.9-liters and a maximum output of 459 horsepower, you can get more power with a V-8 and it costs less, too.

<story continues at link>
http://money.cnn.com/2006/08/04/auto..._db9/index.htm

Daddy 'rike.

Murrow · 08-10-2006, 12:05 AM

One of the most beautiful cars in the world!

New_Mexico_Sunset_on_Rt66 · 08-12-2006, 01:36 PM

Yea, I've heard it dosen't perform as well as a Porsche or Ferrari. But because there aren't many out there, thats why its my dream car.

08-08-2006, 04:04 PM	#1 (permalink)
New_Mexico_Sunset_on_Rt66 7.0 Liter LS7 V8 Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Cedar Rapids, IA (formerly sunny New Mexico (y muchacho lo falto)) Drives: '02 Corvette Z06, '01 Silverado LT 4x4 Ext Cab, 19 Posts: 5,674	Money.CNN.com: Aston-Martin V-12 DB9 Volante http://money.cnn.com/2006/08/04/auto..._db9/index.htm Aston Martin: 12 cylinders, top down, full speed ahead British supercar offers high-speed, high-style cruising with a few quirks. By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNNMoney.com staff writer August 8 2006: 1:07 PM EDT NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Tradition can be a such a wonderful thing. It keeps us in touch with our past and it communicates our varied cultures. But sometimes it's a pain. In the Aston Martin DB9, for example, you put the key into the ignition and turn it, but nothing happens. You have to reach across and press the backlit glass button with the winged Aston Martin logo etched into it. The 12-cylinder engine starts up with a rough growl then settles into a low-rev rumble. Having to insert a key then press a button seems to me like a silly bit of make-work just to start a car. But it's a tradition. Next, you pull a tiny toggle in the center console and up and away goes the cloth roof, folding backward into the trunk, leaving the sky above you and the open road ahead. Another button press, this time on the "D" for Drive button. The $185,000 DB9 Volante I was driving for the day had a 6-speed automatic transmission controlled, not by the usual gear-selection lever, but by push buttons in the dashboard for Park, Reverse, Neutral and Drive. I learned quickly to be gentle on the gas pedal. The DB9 moves out without hesitation. After a few blocks of city traffic to the nearest highway entrance, the car and I were cruising happily north out of the city. The point of a V-12 engine isn't just power, by the way. At 5.9-liters and a maximum output of 459 horsepower, you can get more power with a V-8 and it costs less, too. <story continues at link> http://money.cnn.com/2006/08/04/auto..._db9/index.htm Daddy 'rike. __________________ 1979 Chevy Van 1978 Pontiac Firebird 1985 GMC S-15 Jimmy 1992 Pontiac Grand Am 1998 Oldmobile Intrigue 2002 Chevrolet Camaro Z-28 1972 Chevrolet C-10 P/U 1979 Chevrolet K5 Blazer 2002 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 2001 Chevrolet Silverado LT 4x4 Ext Cab "Sometimes you gotta say, 'What the *******'. "What the ******* gives you freedom, freedom creates opportunity, ... opportunity - makes your future." - 'Risky Business' 1983 Last edited by New_Mexico_Sunset_on_Rt66 : 08-08-2006 at 04:07 PM.

08-10-2006, 12:05 AM	#2 (permalink)
Murrow 3.8 Liter Supercharged V6 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Atlanta Posts: 684	Re: Money.CNN.com: Aston-Martin V-12 DB9 Volante One of the most beautiful cars in the world! __________________ "The only difference between a Mercury franchise and the Titanic is the Titanic had a band." - Dealership Consultant John Pico

08-12-2006, 01:36 PM	#3 (permalink)
New_Mexico_Sunset_on_Rt66 7.0 Liter LS7 V8 Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Cedar Rapids, IA (formerly sunny New Mexico (y muchacho lo falto)) Drives: '02 Corvette Z06, '01 Silverado LT 4x4 Ext Cab, 19 Posts: 5,674	Re: Money.CNN.com: Aston-Martin V-12 DB9 Volante Yea, I've heard it dosen't perform as well as a Porsche or Ferrari. But because there aren't many out there, thats why its my dream car. __________________ 1979 Chevy Van 1978 Pontiac Firebird 1985 GMC S-15 Jimmy 1992 Pontiac Grand Am 1998 Oldmobile Intrigue 2002 Chevrolet Camaro Z-28 1972 Chevrolet C-10 P/U 1979 Chevrolet K5 Blazer 2002 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 2001 Chevrolet Silverado LT 4x4 Ext Cab "Sometimes you gotta say, 'What the *******'. "What the ******* gives you freedom, freedom creates opportunity, ... opportunity - makes your future." - 'Risky Business' 1983

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