First Impression: Aston Martin DBS/DBS Volante

Aston Martin is known for a few things: style, performance, and James Bond. The Aston Martin DB5 from Goldfinger is one of the most iconic film cars. The most recent Bond films feature the Aston Martin DBS, a super grand tourer introduced in 2007 to replace the Vanquish. The DBS is one of the best all-around grand tourers on the market. The convertible version is called the DBS Volante.

I first saw the Aston Martin DBS at the 2011 Houston Auto Show. Star Motor Cars in Houston showed off several Aston Martin and Lotus cars. Star Motor showed of the DBS and the DBS Volante at the 2012 Houston Auto Show. It is a sight to behold. It is nice to see a James Bond car up close. The cars were roped off, so I could not touch or get into the DBS. The Volante is one of the most beautiful convertibles I have ever seen.

The DBS is powered by a 6.0L V12 connected to a six-speed manual. The engine produces 510 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque. It goes from 0 to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds and reaches a top speed of 191 mph. It is fast, but there are faster and quicker grand tourers out there. Prices start at $273,104. It is a little expensive.

It was reviewed by Top Gear on Series 10, Episode 7, where it set a power lap time of 1:23.9. The Volante version of the DBS was driven by Jeremy Clarkson in Romania on Series 14, Episode 1. It was also featured on www.jaylenosgarage.com. It was in both Casino Royale and Quatum of Solace. It is playable in Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, Test Drive Unlimited 2, 2 Days to Vegas, Project Gotham Racing 4, Forza Motorsport 3, James Bond: Quantum of Solace and James Bond: Blood Stone.

Final Thoughts: It is a beautiful car. This is one of the most stylish cars on the market. It is fast, but there are faster cars out there. This is a car for cruising, not for racing. It combines style with performance. I love the styling on the modern Aston Martins. Aston Martin was once in financial trouble, but now it are flourishing in a tough economy.


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First Impression: Aston Martin DB9

Aston Martin is known for style, performance, and luxury. In 2004, Aston Martin released the DB9, a 2+2 seat, two door grand tourer. The DB9 succeeded the DB7. The DB9 was one of the last Aston Martin cars built when Ford owned Aston Martin. The DB9 Volante is the convertible version.

The DB9 is a frequent guest of Houston Cars and Coffee. This is one of the best looking cars on the road. Not many cars can match the style of Aston Martins. The DB9 is a gentleman's car.

The DB9 is powered by a 6.0L V12, paired with either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission, that produces 469 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque. The DB9 goes from 0 to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds and reaches a top speed of 190 mph. It weighs 3,880 lb. Prices start at $189,915 for the coupe and $203,015 for the Volante.
It is quick, fast, and a tad bit heavy. It is a little pricey though.

Jeremy Clarkson raced Richard Hammond and James May from London to Monte Carlo in a DB9 during Top Gear Series 4, Episode 1. Top Gear featured the DB9 Volante during Series 6, Episode 3. Top Gear considered the DB9 so cool that it was too cool to be placed in sub-zero, the DB9 had to have its own category dubbed the "DB9 sub-zero fridge." The DB9 is drivable in Test Drive Unlimited, Test Drive Unlimited 2, Midnight Club: Los Angeles, Highway Madness, Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights, RayCity, Driver: Parallel Lines, Driver: Renegade, Forza Motorsport, Forza Motorsport 2, Forza Motorsport 3, Project Gotham Racing 3, Gran Turismo 4, Gran Turismo 5, Asphalt: Urban GT, ToCA Race Driver 2, Grand Theft Auto IV, Crash Time IV: The Syndicate, Shift 2: Unleashed, Need For Speed: Most Wanted, Need For Speed: Carbon, Need For Speed: Pro Street, Need For Speed: Undercover, Need For Speed: Carbon Own the City, and Full Auto 2: Battlelines.

Final Thoughts: What A Car! It is stylish, quick, fast, cool, and just plain gorgeous. Its the total package. Its heavy and expensive though. It continues the Aston Martin tradition of style and performance. This is a car that is meant to be driven.

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Frist Impression: Aston Martin Vanquish/Vanquish S

The Aston Martin is one of the best cars to ever be seen in a movie. With its incredible styling and high performance, it is easy to see why it earns that distinction. The Vanquish is another one of a long line of stylish, high performing grand tourers wearing the Aston Martin badge. Production for the Vanquish started in 2001 and ended in 2007, when it was replaced by the DBS. The Vanquish was upgraded to the Vanquish S in 2004 when Aston Martin released the DB9.

I recently saw an Aston Martin Vanquish at the June 2011 edition of Houston Cars and Coffee. It is a shame that the Vanquish did not get much attention because it is a beautiful grand tourer. The Vanquish S has improved suspension and aerodynamics.

Both the Vanquish and Vanquish S are powered by a 6.0L V12 paired with a six-speed electrohydraulic manual transmission. The Vanquish V12 generates 450 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque. The 0-60 mph time is 4.3 seconds and the top speed is 189.5 mph for the Vanquish. The Vanquish S V12 generates 514 hp and 425 lb-ft of torque. The 0-60 mph time is 4.0 mph and the top speed is 204 mph. Prices for new Vanquish started around $234,000. Prices for the Vanquish S started at $255,000. These are fair prices for cars that are highly stylish and have great performance.

The Aston Martin Vanquish was the car driven by James Bond, played by Pierce Brosnan, in Die Another Day. It was also the car used for Hot Shot's vehicle mode in Transformers: Energon. Top Gear featured the Vanquish during Series 1, Episode 4, when  Jeremy Clarkson and Steve Coogan were comparing the car to a Ferrari 575M Maranello. The Vanquish S was featured on Top Gear Series 5, Episode 4, when again Clarkson and Coogan compared the car to a Ferrari 575M. The Aston Martin Vanquish is playable in Project Gotham Racing 1, 2, 3, and 4; Taxi 3: Extreme Rush; Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2; Midnight Club 2; Crashed; London Racer II; Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights; Test Drive Unlimited; Split/Second; Asphalt: Urban GT; Taxi Raser; Gran Turismo 3 A-spec; Forza Motorsport 2 and 3; The Italian Job; Gran Turismo 4 and 5; and many other games.

Final Thought: It is a shame that this car did not have a crowd around it at Cars and Coffee. It is a beautiful car. It should have been the main car in other movies besides Die Another Day. Normally when a car is being replaced, the replacement should outperform its predecessor. However, the Aston Martin Vanquish S was quicker and faster than its replacement. the Aston Martin DBS. There was one problem with the Vanquish. It used paddle shifters to change gears. The car did upshift properly. But it did not downshift properly. This flaw was stated by Jeremy Clarkson when he reviewed the car. Other than the gear changing problem, the Vanquish and Vanquish S were great cars.

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First Impression Aston Martin V8 Vantage

Aston Martins are known for having power, beauty, and soul. In 2005 Aston Martin started production of the Vantage. The Vantage is a front engine, rear-wheel drive, grand tourer that is available as a two-door coupe or two-door convertible. Does this Aston have power, beauty, and soul?

The Aston Martin Vantage is a frequent guest at Houston Cars and Coffee events. I occasionally see these cars on the Houston roads. Like all current Astons, the Vantage is beautiful. Henrik Fisker did a great job designing this car. This car just has great lines. It has beauty and soul, but does it have power?

The Aston Martin Vantage is powered by a 4.7L V8, paired with either a six-speed manual or six-speed semi-automatic transmission, that produces 420 hp and 346 lb-ft of torque. It goes from 0 to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds and reaches a top speed of 180 mph. It is not quite fast enough to be called a supercar. Prices for the V8 Vantage start at $120,000. There are cars that are quicker and faster than the V8 Vantage and for just as much money as the V8 Vantage. Compared to its competition, the V8 Vantage is lacking in power.

Motorweek reviewed the 2009 Aston Martin V8 Vantage. Top Gear reviewed the V8 Vantage during Series 7, Episode 1, comparing it to the Porsche 997 Carrera S and BMW M6. Top Gear also compared the V8 Vantage to the Jaguar XKR during Series 9 Episode 1. Top Gear reviewed the V8 Vantage Roadster during Series 10, Episode 5. Top Gear US reviewed the V8 Vantage during Season 1, Episode 2 "Blind Drift." The V8 Vantage is playable in Stuntman Ignition, Project Gotham Racing 2, Saints Row and Saints Row 2 (Zenith), Split/Second (Cobretti Iridium), Project Gotham Racing 4, Test Drive Unlimited, Need For Speed: Shift, Mercenaries 2: World in Flames (Carbyne), Real Racing, Ridge Racer 7, Car Town, Midnight Club: L.A. Remix, Shift 2: Unleashed, Test Drive Unlimited 2, and Midnight Club: Los Angeles.

Final Thoughts: The V8 Vantage is an Aston Martin with beauty and soul, but it lacks power. It is expensive for a car that reaches 180 mph. There are cars on the road that are faster than the V8 Vantage and cost less. Aston Martin addressed the power issue by putting a 6.0L V12 found in the DBS that produces 510 hp. The V12 Vantage can outperform the DB9 since it is lighter. The V12 Vantage goes for $180,000. If the top speed was not limited to 155 mph on the Jaguar XKR, I would probably go with the Jag over the V8 Vantage and save about $30,000.

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First Impression: Aston Martin V12 Vantage

Aston Martin is known for making cars with power, beauty and soul. In 2005, Aston Martin started production of the Vantage. The Vantage is a beautiful car, but it weighs over 3,400 lbs. The 4.3L and 4.7L V8 engines were lacking in power. In 2009, Aston Martin decided to put the 6.0L V12 engine found in the DBS and put it in the Vantage. The result is a faster version of Vantage, called the Aston Martin V12 Vantage.

I recently saw the V12 Vantage and the 2011 edition of Houston Cars and Coffee. I thought it was just another Vantage until I saw what was under the hood. The V12 engine barely fits in the engine compartment, even after the space-saving modifications done to the engine compartment. The V12 Vantage gets new rear diffuser, an adjustable rear-spoiler, carbon-ceramic breaks, carbon fiber trunk lid, and and vented carbon fiber hood. These changes improve the styling of a beautiful car. I just love the styling of all current Aston Martins.

The V12 Vantage is powered by a 6.0L V12 engine, paired with a six-speed manual transmission, that produces 510 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque. The V12 Vantage goes from 0 to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds and reaches a top speed of 190 mph. Prices for the V12 Vantage start at $176,995 dollars, plus a destination charge of $1,615 and a $3000 gas guzzler tax. This car is beautiful, fast, and a little bit expensive. But few cars can match the styling of an Aston Martin. It is definitely $60,000 better than the standard Vantage.

The V12 Vantage has been reviewed by Jeremy Clarkson during Top Gear Series 13, Episode 7. Rutledge Wood reviewed the car during Top Gear US Season 1, Episode 2. The V12 Vantage has also made a stop at Jay Leno's garage. The V12 Vantage has also been featured on Top Gear Australia, Top Gear Apocalypse, Clarkson: Duel, and Cars.TV. The V12 Vantage is playable in Test Drive Unlimited 2, Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, Need For Speed: World, Need For Speed: The Run, Forza Motorsport 3, Forza Motorsport 4, and Driver: San Francisco.

Final Thoughts: This is a much improved Vantage. It is more powerful and better looking than the V8 Vantage. It is still not as beautiful as the DBS or DB9. The V8 Vantage has beauty and soul, but lacks power. The V12 Vantage as beauty, soul and power. The V8 Vantage was overpriced at $120,000, but the V12 Vantage is worthy of the near $180,000 price tag.

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First Impression: Aston Martin DB AR1

Zagato is a design consultancy and engineering services company that has worked with Fiat, Ferrari, Maserati, Lancia, Alfa Romeo, and Aston Martin. Aston Martin worked with Zagato on the Aston Martin DB7 Zagato, in which 99 were produced from 2002 to 2003. At that time, Aston Martin was producing the DB7 Vantage Volante. Aston Martin and Zagato collaborated on creating a limited edition car based on the DB7 Vantage Volante. In 2003, Aston Martin and Zagato created the Aston Martin DB AR1. 99 DB AR1s were created between 2003 and 2004.

I saw the DB AR1 at the 2010 Houston Classy Chassis. Its a beautiful car, but it does not stand out when a Ferrari California, Ferrari Daytona, Duesenberg, and a Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione are present. Compared to the DB7 Vantage Volante, the DB AR1 has a bigger grill and sleeker lines.

The DB AR1 is powered by a 6.0L V12 engine, paired with six-speed manual transmission, that produces 435 hp and 410 lb-ft of torque. It goes from 0 to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds and reaches a top speed of 185 mph. It cost $226,000 when it was new. It is beautiful, fast, quick, and very exclusive. The DB7 Vantage Volante has a top speed of 165 mph and cost $146,000 when it was new. Compared to the DB7 Vantage Volante, the price for the DB AR1 is fair.

The DB AR1 has been featured in Veronica Mars, The O.C., Without A Trace, Oz & James Big Wine Adventure, Las Vegas, and Ocean's Twelve.

Final Thoughts: This is a very exclusive car. It is beautiful, quick, fast, but the price was fair when it was new. Only 99 were sold to the public, and all were sold out before the car was released. I have only seen it at a Concours d'Elegance event. It would be risky to drive something so exclusive on the roads. It is good for weekend driving and car shows.

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First Impression: Aston Martin Rapide

Aston Martin is known for creating two-door grand tourers with power, soul, and beauty. Aston Martin has come out with a four door sedan, called the Aston Martin Lagonda. The Lagonda was produced from 1976 to 1990 and was named after the Lagonda Marque. It had a 5.3L V8, reached a top speed of 149 mph, had complicated electronics, and was one of the 50 ugliest cars of the past 50 years according to Bloomberg Businessweek. In 2010, Aston Martin released another four-door sedan, called the Aston Martin Rapide, named after the Lagonda Rapide.

I first saw the Rapide at the 2011 Houston Auto Show and again at the 2012 Houston Auto Show. The Rapide is one of the best looking sedans being made today. It is better looking than the Porsche Panamera, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7-Series, Maserati Quattroporte, Audi A7 and Audi A8. It looks just like the Aston Martin vantage, DB9, and DBS, but a little bit longer. The curves and sleek lines make this one beautiful sedan. The rear doors are integrated in to the car's profile very well. It looks like it is a long two-door coupe. The Rapide is one beautiful car.  I have never seen a Rapide at any Houston Cars and Coffee event or on the Houston roads.

The Rapide is powered by a 6.0L V12, paired with a six-speed touchtronic suspension, that produces a 470 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque. It goes from 0 to 60 mph in 5.0 seconds and reaches a top speed of 188 mph. The Rapide costs around $200,000 dollars. It is quick, fast, and expensive.

The Rapide has made a stop to Jay Leno's Garage. The Rapide has been featured in NCIS: Los Angeles, Fifth Gear, Auto Esporte, Ultimate Factories, Johnny English Reborn, and Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior. Top Gear featured the Rapide During Series 15, Episode 3, when the guys were comparing the Porsche Panamera, Maserati Quattroporte, and Aston Martin Rapide. It has even be featured in a couple of music videos. The Rapide is playable in Drift City, Parking, Forza Motorsport 3, Forza Motorsport 4, and Driver: San Francisco.

Final Thoughts: The Aston Martin Rapide is a beautiful, fast, and expensive four-door sedan. The curves and sleek lines give the Rapide beauty and personality. There is no other four-door car that looks like the Rapide. Those who love Aston Martin styling, can afford Aston Martins, and need a four-door car should look into buying a Rapide. The Aston Martin Lagonda was one of worst luxury cars of all time. The Rapide is the first time the Aston Martin brand got a luxury sedan right. I would consider the Aston Martin a four-door supercar, since it is fast, rare, and expensive. The Rapide is great for the track and for long road trips. It is a great four-door grand tourer.

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First Impression: Aston Martin Virage

Aston Martin is known for making luxurious, beautiful grand tourers. Aston Martin was looking to find a V12 grand tourer that fits between the DB9 and the DBS. In 2011, Aston Martin started production on the Virage, a V12 grand tourer that fits between the DB9 and the DBS. Aston Martin had previously used the Virage name for a V8 grand tourer.

I recently saw the Virage at the April 2012 edition of Houston Cars and Coffee and also at the 2012 Houston Classy Chassis event. Like the rest of the current Aston Martin range, the Virage is beautiful. It has a more refined styling than the DB9, but the DBS is more refined than the Virage. The Virage is in the middle when comparing its styling to the DB9 and the DBS.

The Virage is powered by a 6.0L V12, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters, that produces 490 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque. It goes from 0 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and reaches a top speed of 186 mph. Prices for the Virage start at $211,610. The Virage is in the middle when it comes to price and performance.

The Virage has been featured on Jay Leno's Garage. James May of Top Gear reviewed the Virage during Series 17, Episode 2. The Virage has also been featured on Auto Esporte, Fifth Gear, CSI: NY, The Car Show, and Ultimate Factories. The Virage is playable in Forza Motorsport 4 and Forza Horizon.

Final Thoughts: The Virage is a beautiful car, but I do not like it when car companies make a car to fit in the middle between two other cars. The DB9 is a great car, and the DBS is an amazing car. The Virage is better than the DB9, but it is no DBS. When any car company comes out with a new car, that company needs to make the car the best it can be. None of this "in the middle" business. To me, people would only buy the Virage because they want something better than the DB9, but they cannot afford the DBS. I want to like the Virage, but knowing that Aston Martin chose not to make the Virage the best car it can be ruins the Virage for me.

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First Impression: 2013 Aston Martin Vanquish

The original Aston Martin Vanquish was in production from 2001 to 2007, serving as the flagship for Aston Martin. It served as the Bond car in Die Another Day. In 2007, Aston Martin came out with the DBS, a grand tourer that served as the successor to the Vanquish. In 2012, Aston Martin revealed the Project AM310 Concept. The concept car became the new Aston Martin Vanquish. The new Vanquish is the successor to the Aston Martin DBS. The Vanquish is a front-engine, rear-wheel drive, two-door grand tourer.

I saw the new Vanquish at the 2013 Houston Auto Show. This was the main car I wanted to see at the auto show. However, this was not one of the seventy cars I drove during the five day event. The local Aston Martin dealership has a few Aston Martins on display, including an unfinished Vanquish. Aston Martins are known for power, beauty, and soul. The Vanquish is beautiful. It is more refined than the DBS. Compared to the old Vanquish, the new Vanquish has a small grill, sleeker side body lines, and a wider hole on the lower part of the front bumper. While the old Vanquish has beauty, the new Vanquish has both beauty and aggressive styling. The new Vanquish will turn heads when it is on the road.

The Vanquish is powered by a 5.9L V12, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission with manual shifting mode, that produces 565 hp and and 457 lb-ft of toque. It goes from 0 to 60 mph in 4.0 seconds and reaches a top speed of 183 mph. Prices for the Vanquish start at $282,110. The Vanquish has power, speed, and acceleration, but it comes at a steep price.

Final Thoughts: The Vanquish is another car worthy of the Aston Martin badge. The Vanquish has beauty, power, and soul. This car is beautiful and has an aggressive styling. Plus, it has good acceleration and a supercar speed. This is one amazing car. But it is expensive. Still, if you can afford it, take it out for a drive.

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