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Aston Martin DB9

We know, we know, the Aston Martin is James Bond’s car of choice.  Ok, now that we are through that detail, let’s take a look at a worthy exotic vehicle, the Aston Martin DB9.  While this vehicle is definitely priced in the exotic category, it does offer styling, performance and reliability that make it perfect for pretty much everyday driving.  Whether you are tearing up the curves in Switzerland or racing down the autobahn or even stuck in NY traffic, the Aston Martin offers plenty to be excited about.

Aston Martin DB9

Under the Hood of the Aston Martin DB9
The DB9 enjoys lots of power from its 6.0 liter, V12 engine that offers a whopping 450 horsepower and 420 lb ft of torque.  This amount of torque will give you immediate whiplash if not careful.  Married to this engine is a choice of two transmissions.  The first is a manual 6 speed and the second is an automatic triptronic transmission.  If you are wondering about acceleration, the DB9 definitely offers quick acceleration- less than 5 seconds from 0 to 60 and with its large 19 inch wheels, the DB9 offers incredible handling and performance.

Inside the DB9
If you like what is under the hood, you will love the details and luxury found inside the DB9.  Only the best leather is used for the seating and there is plenty of wood within the vehicle to enjoy.  Add in quite a nice sound system and plenty of technology to remain comfortable no matter the temperature outside, the Aston Martin is one of the best ultra luxury sports cars available.  The price for this vehicle is about $180K.  It should be noted that besides the coupe version, there is also a very nicely done convertible as well.

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage

Aston Martin is of course the first choice for James Bond in many of his movies, but also an extremely stylish, refined and powerful vehicle.  While there are many exotic vehicles with plenty of brash and muscle to put Aston Martin to the sideline, Aston Martin continues to create vehicles that even though they are considered exotics are a little more milder and understated fitting quite a few personality types.  The Aston Martin V8 Vantage is no different.  The Vantage is a wonderful vehicle that offers a wealth of luxury, sport and nice lines.

Aston Martin V8 Vantage N400

Under the Hood of the Aston Martin V8 Vantage
This V8 engine offers plenty of power.  The Vantage gives enthusiasts 420 horsepower and 470 lb ft of torque.  The engine is matched with a 6 speed manual transmission.  As far as speed is concerned, the Aston Martin Vantage is definitely an exotic.  Expect to break the 0 to 60 mph mark in less than 5 seconds flat (actually 4.7 seconds).  If you like going real fast, you will definitely get a thrill from the Vantage’s top speed of 180 mph.  Other specs that enthusiasts should note are the wonderful 19 inch wheels (Bridgestone Portenzas) and a nice suspension with double wishbone to give drivers a no nonsense vehicle that eats corners for breakfast.

Inside the Vantage
The Vantage is not only beautiful on the outside, but also is very enjoyable once inside the cabin.  One thing to note is a counter clockwise RPM gauge.  Other than that, the interior is quite comfortable offers a great sound system, supple leather and an informative dash.  Besides being very sporty, there are plenty of luxury options available and the list is much too long to list.  Taken as a whole, the Vantage is definitely a winner.

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2009 Aston Martin Rapide

Aston Martin is known as the vehicle that James Bond prefers and for decades this car maker has become popular due to this image of luxury, speed and a high price tag.  Today, the Aston Martin still makes extremely fast and beautiful vehicles that are extremely expensive and one of the newest vehicles entering the market in 2009 is the Aston Martin Rapide.

Aston Martin Rapide

The Aston Martin Rapide follows the philosophy and the motto of Aston Martin: power, beauty and soul and once you lay your eyes on this vehicle you realize how wonderful as well as sporty the lines are.  The Aston Martin Rapide looks and is very smooth.  In fact this long vehicle seems to slide down the road hugging it incredible close.  There is a lot to be excited about including the 6 liter V12 engine that produces 480 horsepower.  It should be noted that it uses the same engine as the DB9 and since the Aston Martin Rapide has a much longer wheelbase, it has an added 30 horses where the DB9 has only 450.  Besides a high performance engine, the transmission is a ZF touchtronic gearbox, which makes it push button easy (literally) to switch from park to drive to reverse to neutral.

Besides plenty of performance, the Aston Martin Rapide offers incredible luxury inside.  With luxurious room in the cabin, there is room for 4 comfortably.  In addition, the seats are made with a special hide called shagreen, this is made from the skins of sharks and rays.  The digital dash is also extremely impressive giving the driver all the information necessary.  Overall the Aston Martin Rapide should be a big winner when it debuts in 2009.  While this vehicle is expected to be very expensive, as of publishing this entry the price is still not set.

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2009 Aston Martin DB9 Coupe

With the new James Bond flick coming out in about a month, it is time to revisit the car that made a name for Bond- the Aston Martin.  Aston Martin has had a storied existence and is definitely one of the most prestigious luxury sport cars with a European heritage.  While the price tag may be hard to swallow, the beauty and performance these vehicles offer is quite unique.  The 2009 Aston Martin DB9 Coupe is no exception.

Aston Martin DB9 - 2009

2009 DB9 Tech Specs
The 2009 Aston Martin DB9 Coupe comes in two flavors, an automatic touchtronic transmission and a manual transmission.  The touchtronic transmission is a 6 speed that is perfect for those that like the sporty feel of a manual, but get tired quickly of using a manual- especially in heavy traffic.  This touchtronic offers a new valve box and integrated transmission controls for faster shifting.  But the really big news of this vehicle is its V12 6.0 liter engine that creates an incredible 450 horsepower.  Acceleration and top speed also don’t disappoint.  The DB9 accelerates from 0 to 60 in 4.6 seconds which is not too shabby.  Top speed for the DB9, while slower than most super cars is definitely fast enough for most drivers at 190 mph.

The Styling and Interior
Besides the great performance that the DB9 has to offer, it also includes incredible amenities, such as keyless entry and ignition, subtle, understated luxuries at every turn, 19 inch 10 spoke alloy wheels, an incredible sound system, 2 + 2 seating and much, much more.  The exterior styling is also very impressive.  The DB9 has very smooth, but sporty lines and a wonderful front fascia that is all Aston Martin.  For those with very discriminating tastes, the 2009 Aston Martin DB9 Coupe is a definite winner.  The price is currently at about $175,000.

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Aston Martin Profile

Aston Martin Lagonda Limited commonly known as Aston Martin is a luxury car unit whose headquarters is situated at Gaydon, England. The company was founded in the year 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. As the name (Aston Martin) suggests it is derived from the name of the founder (Lionel Martin) and from the Aston Hill Climbing Race situated at the Aston Clinton. As Martin often raced at Aston Hill, he decided to include it in his Company’s name.

In the year 1912 itself both Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford joined together to sell the cars made by the Singer where they also made services to other vehicles. In 1913 both had decided to start their own automobile company and the first Aston Martin came out in the year 1915 which was designed by Lionel Martin. The first car includes a Coventry-Simplex engine with four-cylinders. They were not able to continue the production due to the broke out of the First World War where Martin and Bamford had to join in the Admiralty the Royal Army Service Corps respectively.

The company again started its production after the completion of First World War. In 1920 Bamford resigned from his ownership. Later the company was financially supported by Count Louis Zborowski. Bamford and Martin again joined in 1922 with a view to produce cars for French Grand Prix. Due to poor financial condition, the company was liquidated in 1924 and the company was bought by Lady Charnwood. Once again the company failed in 1925. With the leaving of Lionel Martin the company was forced to close in 1926.

Later a new management took the charge which includes rich investors such as Bill Renwick, Augustus Bertelli and even including Lady Charnwood. This time the company was renamed as Aston Martin Motors. Renwick and Bertelli concentrated to improve the goodwill of the company as they had heard news that company was no longer in production. Till 1937 Bertelli hold the responsibility of technical director and designer of the Aston Martin cars. Not only Bertelli was a good racer but also he was very eager to race the cars which he made. Thus the fame of Aston Martin Motors increased in the national as well as international races.

Once again the company met with financial crisis in the year 1932 and this time

Prideaux Brune came for the rescue before the company was transferred to Sir Arthur Sutherland. Under Sir Arthur Sutherland, the company concentrated on the production of

road cars. Till the breakout of Second World war the production was so limited that only 700 cars were made. During the war time production was completely stopped and aircraft components were made.

The Aston Martin Motors was taken over by David Brown Limited in the year1947. Now it was the turn of Sir David Brown, the managing director of David Brown Limited to rescue the company after war. In the same year David Brown acquired the Lagonda and

both the companies shared the resources. It was during the period of David Brown, the classic DB series car started producing.

The company was often troubled by financial problems regardless of the rise in value of its cars. The company was sold to William Wilson in the year 1972 which he later passed on to Peter Sprague and George Minden, the two North American businessmen in the year 1975. It was under them the company was modernized by producing models such as

V8 Vantage, Volante etc.

When the sale sales of Aston Martin shrank, Minden and Sprague decided to stop production. Later Victor Gauntlett became a major share holder of Aston Martin and it was during his period the company’s fame spread to the gulf countries.

From Gauntlett, Ford took over the Aston Martin and placed it in the Premier Automotive Group. Under Ford, Aston Martin was very well developed. Due to financial difficulties Ford decided to sell its luxury car units like Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo car units in 2006. On 12 March 2007, Ford sold Aston Martin to David Richards, chairman of Prodrive for £479 million. Ford has also a stake in the company.

With the appearance of Aston Martin in the James Bond series films, its publicity has increased and the sales shoot up. According to Ian Fleming’s novel Aston Martin is the official car of James Bond.

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