Title says it all. I know we have people here who have driven many special cars, including ownership and extended use. Does anyone have much experience with Aston DB9's? Particularly the driving experience compared to 997 911's and X150 XKR's. Now obviously the 911 is the sports car of the bunch, and the DB9 and XKR are more Grand Tourers, but what are they like in the real world. Nice weather DD, long distance tourer, back road carver. Also open to any other similar vehicles, but for me it absolutely has to be a 2+2 even if the rear leg room is theoretical only. The +2 requirement is for dogs and (for me) non negotiable, otherwise this conversation would go no further than Boxster/911/Vantage. In all cases I'm talking convertibles NOT coups. I'm also two / three pedal agnostic. Any comments on real world running costs will be (anxiously) welcomed.
THX
Sonic
UberDork
3/29/22 4:48 p.m.
I looked at them hard about 5 years ago, and drove a Volante automatic. At the time my daily driver was a CLS63. I came away from the experience thinking that my CLS was a better car in every way except not as pretty. It was fast, sounded good, would be a good GT car, just wasn't different enough from what I already had and liked. The interior build and materials quality was lacking notably for something in that range. I ended up with the NSX instead as I didn't need two GT cars.
In reply to Sonic :
Thanks, I was hoping for more on the driving dynamics front. All the contemporary road tests were pretty complementary. I don't have a Merc to fall back on though!
Would love a real sports car, and the 911 seems to be the only choise, but I must have a drop top and theoretical back seats.
thx
DB9.... reaching for the stars Adrian?
While I'm still working, I still know a few people who worked on those- at least think they did, as it was the car right after the Vanquish. And I know the car is the Vanquish chassis (for the most part).
I've owned a 2008 since 2012, but the coupe. It's a heavy car, and drives like a heavy car. It's a tourer, not a sports car. They look great, sound great, and if you have a long drive, great place to be. The interiors fall apart. I parked it at my Fathers house in Charlotte when COVID hit in March 2020 and flew home thinking I would grab it a month later. It's still there, and I haven't thought about it since, so that should tell you something. If you want a sports car, this is not it.
alfadriver said:
DB9.... reaching for the stars Adrian?
If by "stars" you mean Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Craig, etc.... 
It is in every way but size worse the then Vantage. I really do not like the Vantage.
Reliability concerns aside a XKR is a better built car for the same money. I would get a Pan-American long before I would even look at the DB9. But since reliability is a thing I can tell you that 2 of the 3 people I know who bought new DB9's ended up lemoning the car. One went back to Bentley and loves it.
A used Flying Spur is such a deal right now for the same money.
I have driven many of these cars and would agree with all the comments. These are not sports cars these are GT cars
The one that I really want for some reason is the DB7 from the early 2000s with the supercharged straight six and a manual trans. To me it is a modern interpretation of the bond car from the 60s. I would take a tin top but that is just me. I test drove one and loved it. There is something simple about it that I absolutely love. Everything about it is good enough and yet it was one of those cars that is more than the sum of its parts.
In reply to dean1484 :
That would be from the late '90s, as far as I know, those versions stopped when the V12 came out in '99.
j_tso
HalfDork
3/30/22 8:42 a.m.
In reply to dean1484 :
Plus the DB7 uses Miata door handles inside so many here will feel right at home.
Thanks all. You are collectively doing a good job of talking me out of this. Nothing imminent, but in the next couple of years I do want to replace the damn Boxster with a 2+2 drop top sports car. Early DB9's, 997.1's and late XKR's are all available in the $40-45K range for a nice weather DD come weekend toy.
Tom_Spangler (Forum Supporter) said:
alfadriver said:
DB9.... reaching for the stars Adrian?
If by "stars" you mean Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Craig, etc....
Lol, Bond wouldn't drive an Porsche.....Hang on, there was that dalliance with BMW a couple of decades ago, so never say never again.....
In reply to dean1484 :
In reply to alfadriver :
I also love the 6cyl DB7's, to me a more appealing car than the V12. Yes Eric I know your views on the two engines, but I am a life long Jag fan, and my father had two Mk II's and a 3.6L 5 speed XJ-S Cabrio. I actually love the fact that it's a 'Jag in Drag', despite most people making that statement as a criticism. The problem is they are really old cars now. Not just in age, but the basic platform goes back to the 60's, and it just seems too old to ask it to be a part time DD and long distance cruiser.
I wonder if any of the Lexus LC500s will drop into your price point soon?
johndej said:
I wonder if any of the Lexus LC500s will drop into your price point soon?
Not by a long shot, but if they did that would be different. REally nice cars.
Adrian_Thompson (Forum Supporter) said:
In reply to dean1484 :
In reply to alfadriver :
I also love the 6cyl DB7's, to me a more appealing car than the V12. Yes Eric I know your views on the two engines, but I am a life long Jag fan, and my father had two Mk II's and a 3.6L 5 speed XJ-S Cabrio. I actually love the fact that it's a 'Jag in Drag', despite most people making that statement as a criticism. The problem is they are really old cars now. Not just in age, but the basic platform goes back to the 60's, and it just seems too old to ask it to be a part time DD and long distance cruiser.
The DB7 is basically an XJS, when the new Jag XK8 at the time at least got updates. The Vanquish and everything post that were a totally new chassis.
Adrian_Thompson (Forum Supporter) said:
Tom_Spangler (Forum Supporter) said:
alfadriver said:
DB9.... reaching for the stars Adrian?
If by "stars" you mean Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Craig, etc....
Lol, Bond wouldn't drive an Porsche.....Hang on, there was that dalliance with BMW a couple of decades ago, so never say never again.....
The first Bond car was actually a Sunbeam Alpine.
alfadriver said:
Adrian_Thompson (Forum Supporter) said:
In reply to dean1484 :
In reply to alfadriver :
I also love the 6cyl DB7's, to me a more appealing car than the V12. Yes Eric I know your views on the two engines, but I am a life long Jag fan, and my father had two Mk II's and a 3.6L 5 speed XJ-S Cabrio. I actually love the fact that it's a 'Jag in Drag', despite most people making that statement as a criticism. The problem is they are really old cars now. Not just in age, but the basic platform goes back to the 60's, and it just seems too old to ask it to be a part time DD and long distance cruiser.
The DB7 is basically an XJS, when the new Jag XK8 at the time at least got updates. The Vanquish and everything post that were a totally new chassis.
Yup, but the X150 version of the XKR was a totally new all alloy structure. The DB9 uses the then new Aston VH I (Vertical Horizontal, referring to it's ability to be modified for other products by stretching it) platform.
Snowdoggie (Forum Supporter) said:
Adrian_Thompson (Forum Supporter) said:
Tom_Spangler (Forum Supporter) said:
alfadriver said:
DB9.... reaching for the stars Adrian?
If by "stars" you mean Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Craig, etc....
Lol, Bond wouldn't drive an Porsche.....Hang on, there was that dalliance with BMW a couple of decades ago, so never say never again.....
The first Bond car was actually a Sunbeam Alpine.
If we want to get picky, the first Bond car was a tuned 1930 Blower Bentley. BTW, Cubby Broccoli was incensed at the amount they had to pay to rent the Alpine for filming in Jamaica.
wearymicrobe said:
It is in every way but size worse the then Vantage. I really do not like the Vantage.
Reliability concerns aside a XKR is a better built car for the same money. I would get a Pan-American long before I would even look at the DB9. But since reliability is a thing I can tell you that 2 of the 3 people I know who bought new DB9's ended up lemoning the car. One went back to Bentley and loves it.
A used Flying Spur is such a deal right now for the same money.
Totally different cars. It looks like the DB9 may be too GT, so the Panamera is way off base. Also the first gen Panamera makes an Pointy-Ack Aztec look good. The only Panamera I'd be interested in is the newer wagon, but that would be to replace the Volvo wagon and not the Boxster. Rolls haven't made anything non vomit inducing since they got taken over by the Germans. I think their new motto is 'When Gauche is too tasteful for you'. Now, the new generation Bentley Conti GT's are things of beauty, but magnitudes out of my price range, and really not in scope as a 'sports car'.
Adrian_Thompson (Forum Supporter) said:
Yup, but the X150 version of the XKR was a totally new all alloy structure. The DB9 uses the then new Aston VH I (Vertical Horizontal, referring to it's ability to be modified for other products by stretching it) platform.
IIRC, the new Aston chassis that did share a lot with Jag over time. It was an interesting platform idea- although the concept of gluing a car together is better when the heat source was behind the glue- like for an elise.
The DB7 was a stop gap to get Aston a little modernized, which allowed for everything after it- good or bad. Sharing with Jag and not. Realistically, the same can be said of the XK8- it was a warm over of an XJS, but everything after was new. Both ended up being good things.
Having no idea about the VH I, it's interesting how that follows some good old, reliable, ideas. I'm sure Alfa wasn't the only company that had one basic chassis that could be stretched between a 2 seat roadster to a 4 seat 4 door sedan back in the 60s.
Adrian_Thompson (Forum Supporter) said:
Tom_Spangler (Forum Supporter) said:
alfadriver said:
DB9.... reaching for the stars Adrian?
If by "stars" you mean Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Craig, etc....
Lol, Bond wouldn't drive an Porsche.....Hang on, there was that dalliance with BMW a couple of decades ago, so never say never again.....
Agreed. But we were talking about Astons, so......
Anyhow, no love for the greatest Bond car of all?
In reply to Tom_Spangler (Forum Supporter) :
Absolutely love for Esprit's, but I'll take mine in 'For your eyes only' Essex Turbo trim rather than NA series I from 'The spy who loved me' submarine trim. Anyway, Elon Musk owns the tSWLM one. And while they are great cars, and I'd love to own one, even more after watching Harry Metcalf on Harrys Garage use one for touring in winter to visit filming locations from FYEO, the trouble is that whole drop top +2 thing!
I thought XKRs were even cheaper than that by now. 40k gets your pick of the litter. I've only had an X100, so not much useful information from me. Only other car recommendation, maybe an E93 M3?
I have zero firsthand experience with Astons, but your list of requirements screams out to me as a nice fit for the M6... V8, V10 or TT V8 depending on vintage, drop top, 2+2... WELL inside your price range... Decent twin clutch or 6 speed slushbox...
The look is definitely not for everyone, but it's a really fun car without the Aston Martin tax or part procurement issues. I'd slot it closer to the GT than the 'sports car' side of the spectrum, but it certainly punches in its class in both, imho.
