Automotive Einstein

Barely a month passes without a product announcement from Gaydon, headquarters of Aston Martin. Aston is the uncrowned king of the limited-edition premium-car scene, and it applies all the marketing tricks of the trade to keep the business going. Totally new models are rare, but regular cosmetic updates, engineering upgrades, and tasty special-value packages seem to keep the Aston Martin community happy.

Photo Gallery: Sneak Preview: Aston Martin – Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: Sneak Preview: Aston Martin – Automobile Magazine

The V8 Vantage offers entrance into the exclusive club of Aston Martin ownership at a price not much more than that of an optioned-up Porsche 911. Of course, you can always spend more on the V8 Vantage S or the V12 Vantage. Even at $185,650, the twelve-cylinder Vantage strikes us as a comparative value. The Vantage’s shorter chassis makes it lighter and more nimble than its more expensive siblings, and the V-12 engine is the same 510-hp V-12 found in the DBS. It is 0.2 second quicker to 60 mph and yet sells for $94,926 less than Aston’s most expensive car. The Vantage’s appeal extends deeper than numbers, too. It’s a true driver’s car. Regardless of which engine is under the hood, the Vantage rewards the driver with communicative steering, responsive handling, and authoritative thrust. The V12 Vantage is available only as a coupe with a six-speed manual. The V8 Vantage offers a choice of a manual or a six-speed automated manual transmission and is available in either fixed-roof or droptop form. Like the rest of the Aston range, the Vantage boasts an exquisite interior with clumsy ergonomics and a simple, slightly outdated style. The smaller wheelbase also means a tighter cabin, which can be an inconvenience for taller drivers. The N420 edition adds a dose of visual distinction with carbon-fiber body add-ons, carbon-fiber sill plates, a sport suspension riding on ten-spoke wheels, and Alcantara seat inserts.

Your eyes will struggle to believe it, but every body panel save for the door skins and the roof is unique to the Virage, which debuted in the spring of 2011. The visual similarity between the Virage and its platform mates is fitting, however, since the 5.9-liter V-12 engine makes 490 hp here, exactly 20 hp less than the DBS and 20 hp more than the DB9. For an additional $17,000 over the cost of a DB9, the Virage gets twenty-inch wheels, carbon-ceramic brake discs, and a ten-setting adaptive Bilstein suspension. As in all Astons, the interior is covered in high-quality, hand-stitched leather. The familiar paddleshifted six-speed automatic is the only transmission. Not surprisingly, the Virage drives like all Astons do, with gracious athleticism and impeccable composure. It is responsive without being abrupt, agile without being edgy, and fast without being frenetic. However, those attributes are readily available in a DB9 and DBS, so aside from the fact that it fills the smallest of niches in the carmaker’s lineup and is the newest fashion, the Virage’s value to Aston Martin and its loyalists seems dubious.

Concept cars typically lose a large portion of their sex appeal as they move from the auto show floor to the dealer showroom. That was not the case for the Rapide, which is every bit as visually arresting as the original concept. Aston Martin’s svelte four-door makes its most obvious competitor, the Porsche Panamera, look bloated and fat. The trade-off for that sensual sheetmetal is that rear-seat passengers have to limbo under the low roofline, squeeze through a small door opening, and fold themselves into a cramped back seat. The Rapide is powered by the same 470-hp, 5.9-liter V-12 found in the DB9. The engine doesn’t sound especially melodic from inside the car, but it’s loud enough outside to startle pedestrians with a prod of the throttle, and it’s capable of launching the Rapide to 60 mph in just 5.0 seconds. A genuine sports car, the Rapide pummels roads with ferocious speeds and can reach 184 mph. Like other Astons, the cockpit is ergonomically challenged, but the gauges themselves, like much of the Rapide’s cabin, are works of art. For an even richer experience, check out the Luxury model, which adds glass switchgear, a six-piece luggage set, ventilated front and rear seats, and a dual-screen rear entertainment system — not that many people would be comfortable spending more than an hour or two in the back seat of a Rapide.

Even eight years after its debut, the DB9 is the embodiment of automotive cool. Not as hard edged as a Ferrari or as flamboyant as a Lamborghini; not as plummy as a Bentley or as proletarian as a Jaguar. It is today, as it was forty years ago, a wonderful car for the discriminating enthusiast — an athletic grand tourer that’s stylish enough to attract a crowd and fast enough to leave it behind. The 190-mph speedster is powered by a V-12 engine that develops 470 hp and endless bragging rights — unless you’re parked next to a DBS or a new Virage. Those two cars offer all of the DB9′s best attributes with a firmer ride and more power. You won’t hear any apologies from the DB9, though. It drives with a dynamic sharpness yet is elegantly refined, masterfully combining luxury, sport, and comfort. With the manual out of the picture, the DB9′s only transmission is a six-speed, paddleshifted automatic. Four push buttons at the top of the center console select park, reverse, neutral, or drive and add to the sense of occasion you feel when driving an Aston. Unfortunately, the gearbox is neither as smooth nor as quick as those found in the best six-figure sports cars. The most memorable aspect of the DB9 is its sleek, flowing sheetmetal, which makes the coupe look as if it had been milled from a block of aluminum. The convertible version of the DB9, known as the Volante, has an incredibly stiff structure; Aston Martin designed its VH architecture for open-top duty from the start, and it shows.

The DBS sits atop the Aston Martin heap, although you’d be hard pressed to tell that just by looking at it. Aesthetically, the DBS wears the same face, shape, and character lines as the Virage and the DB9. You can distinguish the DBS from lesser Astons by its deeper front spoiler; extra-wide, guppy-style intake for the oil cooler; large rear spoiler; flared wheel arches; and wider rear track. Unless the cars are parked next to one another, the differences are pretty subtle, except in price: nearly $70,000 separates the DBS from the Virage. Like that car, the DBS can be had either as a coupe or a Volante (convertible) and as a two-seater or a two-plus-two. Weighing less and packing 20 more hp than a Virage, the DBS is estimated to go from 0 to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds en route to a top speed of more than 190 mph. Despite legitimate performance credentials, the DBS is often overshadowed by the more emotional Ferraris and Lamborghinis. Those who buy a DBS won’t be disappointed, however. It features carbon-ceramic brake rotors, carbon-fiber body panels, and a six-speed manual transmission. A ZF six-speed automatic is optional. The sure-to-impress Bang & Olufsen audio system is standard and, on the Volante, can sense whether the top is up or down and adjust its sound level accordingly. The Carbon Edition model, which goes on sale in early 2012, adds ten-spoke, gloss black wheels; has an even more plush cabin swathed in leather and trimmed in carbon fiber; and comes in three colors — flame orange, ceramic gray, and carbon black metallic.

Previously, you could order an Aston Martin DBS Carbon Black Edition in any color you desired, so long as it was Carbon Black. For 2012, however, that’s no longer the case: the new DBS Carbon Edition is essentially the same car, albeit it isn’t tied to a paint palette that would make Henry Ford proud.

Photo Gallery: First Look: 2012 Aston Martin DBS Carbon Edition – Automobile Magazine