Aston Martin Reviews

It is impossible to pick out the 2008 model of the Aston Martin Vantage V8 from a crowd.Only the most anal Aston spotter will know to look at the wheels, then exactly which set of alloys moves the 2009 up and above the '08 Vantage.But things change, in every way, when you tickle the throttle.The Vantage has a bigger V8 engine that delivers big ticks in all the boxes — improved power, torque and economy, and fewer emissions — to justify a midlife update that delivers few visual bragging rights.There is a new console in the cabin with an updated dash, but the real action is all in the go-faster bits. The gorgeous Vantage body, so obviously from the same family as James Bond's DB9, is unchanged.“Why would we change something that already is so perfect?” says Ulrich Bez, the head of Aston Martin.The arrival of the updated Vantage coupe and roadster comes almost a year after the British company moved out of the Ford house and into private ownership. Since then it has been trading profitably, doing record numbers and building the foundation for a long-term independent future. It is even talking to Mercedes-Benz, and other brands, about collaborations.“We are independent and can talk to lots of people. In the past we have had more Audi parts in the cars,” Bez says. “It's very normal in this business to talk to other people to see what advantages there might be.”The advantage in the '09 Vantage has all come from inside Aston, with product development director Ian Minards leading a team that has refreshed the engine and done the updating to put some much-needed storage space — and the inevitable iPod link and Bluetooth connection — into the cabin.There is no news yet on what the changes will do to the price of the Vantage in Australia, where it runs from $245,000 as a coupe and $269,000 as a convertible, but even the jump in the luxury car tax is going to make a big difference by the time the first 2009 models arrive.The latest Aston engine has increased in capacity from 4.3 to 4.7 litres. Power has improved 11 per cent to 313kW, torque is up 15 per cent to 470Nm and fuel use and emissions are down 13 per cent.The result is a 0-100km/h sprint down to 4.7sec with a top of 290km/h.Aston has also tweaked the suspension with a new optional sports set-up and improved the semi-auto Sportshift.Drivers will know the difference from the console and a plug-in starter that replaces a regular key ignition.ON THE ROADTHE big news is the overtaking power of the latest Vantage.It is quicker in all the vital statistics, but the real measure of a usable sports car is its ability to cover ground quickly and pass anyone who's dithering.Get caught behind a tractor, a car-caravan combo and a truck running in convoy — as we did on a quick sprint on sensational rounds near the Nurburgring race circuit — and the Vantage is out, up and gone in double-quick time.There is no fuss or bother, just a clear road ahead and wonderful V8 thunder echoing behind.The extra pull from the 4.7-litre V8 is obvious for a lot of the time, and that means the work has been successful, with no worry about the cut to fuel use and emissions. It's the sort of work every carmaker is doing now.Pushing the Vantage V8 to the redline is great fun and comes with a sensational V8 soundtrack. It changes character at 4000 revs, just after the active exhaust switches to loud, and is one of the best powerplants in the business with a smooth response and great punch.Cornering grip is great in all conditions, but apart from a slightly smoother ride, the suspension does not feel particularly different. It is not something most people will pick, but they will notice the hi-tech key — it takes some learning, and restarts can be fiddly — and the new storage in the centre console.It's a pity the console design makes shifting so tough in the manual Vantage — you have to cock your elbow at a silly angle to clear it. Aston admits it is a compromise in favour of the Sportshift auto and space for a phone and other small items.“If you are complaining so much about the console, does that mean we got the rest of it pretty right?” asks product spokesman Dave King, after the preview drive. And he is right.Some people complain the Aston does not have the straight-out sports-car punch of a Porsche, but the British car is very different in the way it looks and drives. It is very quick, but is best as a very fast grand tourer with the ability to sprint on demand.The changes to the 2009 Vantage are only minor, but that is because the car was so good in the first place. So keep an eye on the wheels when you see one rumbling past next year. INSIDE VIEWASTON MARTIN VANTAGEON SALE 2009PRICE To be advisedENGINE 4.7-litre quad-cam V8POWER 313kW at 7000 revsTORQUE 470Nm at 5750 revsGEARBOX Six-speed manual and Sportshift, rear-wheel drivePERFORMANCE 0-100km/h, 4.7sec; top speed, 290km/hECONOMY 13.9 litres/100km (13.2 litres/100km Sportshift)EMISSIONS 328g/km (312g/km Sportshift)

A full-bodied, well-rounded white  vintage, I mean Vantage. Martin, Aston Martin.The littlest example of the newly-freed Aston Martin (no longer part of the Ford empire) might not cover quite as much road space as its DB9 sibling, but that doesn't make a difference to onlookers.The little Aston has almost no bad side to look at and despite being low-slung and compact, other drivers know you're near them in traffic and they make it their business to have a long look.Designed as an alternative to the long-standing class leader, Porsche's 911, the V8 Vantage Coupe is the new 'entry-level' product for the British marque; priced at a cool $245,000.It's a two-seater, with moderate luggage space and not a lot of cabin room for gargantuan folk, but the cabin has plenty to like and few things to loathe.Leather covers much of the cabin; from little sports seats and the dashboard; with suede-finish on the roof lining.A grippy helm and snappy paddle shifters for the six-speed automated manual give the driver a sense of anticipation prior to firing the engine using the start button. Some of the switchgear is straight from Volvo and Jaguar; no doubt helping with production costs but perhaps not what someone might want after settling on the British thoroughbred.One of the quirks within the instrumentation is the sweep of the tacho, which runs anti-clockwise, in the opposite direction to the speedo. Both needles move quickly when requested, but the 4000rpm is marked by the active exhaust braying with intent.The alloy engine sits behind the front wheels and low in the engine bay, which gives the Vantage crisp steering and handling.It sits firmly on its optional 19in alloy package (wrapped in low-profile Bridgestone rubber). That was expected, but at 1630kg it's heavier than I thought it would be. The double-wishbone suspension hangs on magnificently, picking up every road imperfection but firing through bumpy corners without hesitation.Stopping power is delivered with brute force by ventilated (and grooved at the front) discs - 355mm at the front and 330mm at the rear, with a four-piston Brembo calliper on the front. SnapshotAston Martin V8 Vantage coupePrice: $245,000Engine: 4.3-litre 32-valve quad cam V8.Transmission: six-speed manual (optional Sportshift clutchless manual), rear-wheel-drive with LSD and ESPPower: 283kW at 7000rpmTorque: 417Nm at 5000rpmPerformance: 0-100km/h five seconds/ top speed 280km/hSuspension: aluminium double-wishbone suspensionFuel usage / emissions claim: 15.1 l/100km, on test 15 l/100km, tank 80 litres, 360g/kmDimensions: length 4380mm, width 1865mm (excluding mirrors), height 1255mm, wheelbase 2600mmtrack fr/rr 1570/1560mm, boot capacity 300 litresWeight :1630kgWheels: 19in alloys. In its class:Audi R8: $259,900Jaguar XKR coupe: $228,300Porsche 911 Carrera 4S: $243,000Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG: $164,474 

Aside from the purchase price, it would be expensive to insure, fuel, maintain and repair. But while the Aston costs the same as some other desirables, it simply isn't like the others. The DB9 needs a learned hand, a vacant road and a cool head to find respect.Otherwise it is a migraine.It is not an easy car to drive — especially in comparison with its step-sister, the Jaguar XK coupe — and nor is it especially comfortable, despite Aston clearly marketing this as a fully fledged Grand Tourer.The GT name fits, as long as the road surface is smooth — as it is in the important markets of Europe and the US but fairly rare in the antipodes where precious road tax is used to pave votes, not roads. In saying that, the DB9 isn't uncomfortable in the same way as crossing the Nullarbor by dray. Leather-wrapped seats with pedantic hand stitching are form-fitting so extended kilometres don't cause muscle pain.The steering wheel falls perfectly to hand, and the foot wells are unexpectedly wide, a product of Aston putting the engine at the front and the gearbox at the back. The instruments are big and clear and the switchgear is man-size, and suitably identified in simple language.But there is precious little personal storage space. Aston Martin's owner's manual is only 75mm deep, not because it looks chic but because it's the only size that fits in the envelope laughingly called the glovebox. The boot will take a soft overnight bag and another one for the make-up.Be happy with that because Aston has dispensed with the spare wheel.Puncture? There's a 1800-number to ring and someone will be right along. In the meantime, there are issues to discuss like when the children come along for the ride. Like, where to store their lower limbs.My daughter played origami in the back seat, buckled and bowed behind a passenger seat firmly forward and with her head forced forward because of the low roof height. She's 15.Clearly, the superb leather trim has clearly been wasted in the twin scalloped portals at the back.Best they simply become much needed storage space.I will also whinge about the ignition key that must be slide into a barely visible hole in the steering column. It's only partially over because it is extremely awkward to twist given the proximity of the fascia.Once clicked over, with a modest assembly of panel lights for consideration, it's over to the centre console for a stab at the start button.And here's where the fun starts. Here's that first dousing in the waters of fear as 12 pistons start their roaring, journey in the hot cylinders of hell.Prod again at the row of transmission selection buttons on the dash. But wait, there's more.Now release the right-side handbrake and firmly twist the steering wheel while applying judicious weight to the accelerator. Familiarity brings exploration and you find the Sport button — basically hell with an extra serving of cayenne pepper — then the paddle shifters behind the steering wheel rim.You will tempt fear by coaxing the engine on a bit further to revel in its seamless power-delivery set.It starts with a hollow, lonely cry as the engine passes through 3000rpm then takes on a deeper note hitting 5000rpm, then it's a gutteral scream of as the tacho swings towards 7000rpm.Being inside this can while the mechanical bits are going berserk is akin to being strapped naked, wearing only spurs, to the back of a peckish lion and then digging your heels in.The rush of speed, usually the most dominant of adrenalin-pumping senses, gets overwhelmed by the ear-thrashing roar of raw, raging power.This is James Bond's ride so Aston doesn't hold back, cutting the rope that once civilised 450 horsepower (it sounds a lot more menacing than 335kW, doesn't it?) to sling its aluminium-can body down the bitumen at speeds of up to 300km/h.SNAPSHOTDB9 COUPEPRICE: $245,500ENGINE: 6.0L/335kW/570NmPERFORMANCE: 0-100km/h 5.1 seconds, top speed 300km/hECONOMY: 16.5L/100km official; 16.8L/100km tested 

Red moons don't come along very often and neither do Aston Martin convertibles. Apparently this new Vantage V8 Roadster is the 14th example since 1950, but you almost never see one on the road and I wouldn't be surprised if I'd witnessed more lunar eclipses.Watching this week's ochre orb rise over a splendid powder-blue example, one of the first in Australia, was a rare alignment of stars indeed.This soft-top version of the Vantage Coupe is unlikely to be a common sight, even when Australia's full quota, a couple of hundred, perhaps, have been handed over to buyers.But in Aston terms, it will be relatively high volume. The company is currently building more cars than at any time in its history, 7000 last year, or about one-third more than Ferrari.The recent sale by former owner Ford now means development work is going full-throttle under new shareholders. Annual production is expected to hit 10,000 when the Rapide four-door joins the line-up in 2009.Convertibles account for more than half current output and the majority of those will be the V8 Roadster. The larger V12-powered DB9 Volante is nearly $100,000 more expensive, and you need a blue moon for that one.For such an exclusive brand, the Aston appeal has remarkable cut-through. Some badges inspire unprovoked hostility in passers-by, but an Aston is greeted with almost universal admiration that even envy cannot dilute.Aston expects this car, of all its models, to attract more women buyers, but judging by the response merely to a mention of the brand, it already has a fair bit of appeal.The V8 Roadster, like other Astons I've driven, has an extraordinary ability to cross the gender divide.The Roadster commands a $24,000 premium over the coupe and shares most of its engineering, including aluminium underpinnings, lightweight bodywork, 4.3-litre V8 and six-speed manual transmission (or the option of a two-pedal, auto-clutch version of the same gearbox).With a starting price of $269,000 it's pitched against a formidable line-up of premium convertibles including the Porsche 911 4S Cabriolet, Mercedes-Benz SL 500 and Jaguar XKR.None of these cars is a slouch when it comes to looks or performance. But with a 0-100km/h time of just 5.0 seconds, the Aston is competitive against all but the quickest. To this non-objective observer, it has the edge in terms of beauty and cabin ambience.The Roadster manages the neat trick of looking good even with the roof up, which is not the best angle even for expensive drop-tops. Sharply raked A-pillars mean the fabric forms a low, taut cabin line (almost) as persuasive as the smooth hardtop. The convertible also retains that car's grille, headlights and wrap-around tail-lights with their appealing LED details.The same pronounced style crease flows from the signature side vent, and the shapely form of the wheel arches turns the flanks into an almost sexual statement.It's gorgeous, but if it's gorgeous with its roof up, top-down it's irresistible. The three layers of fabric which make the cabin feel well insulated when in place, fold in a swish 18 seconds.The roof is slickly packaged behind the cabin, avoiding any suggestion that it's an awkward piece of cargo, while the boot space, which is weekend-for-two-in-a-warm-location size, stays the same regardless.Nice touches include the fared-in headrests and concealed fuel-filler cap, which can be hard to find unless you know where it is.The car's lines come into their own now, and the cabin can show off an expanse of contrast-stitched leather punctuated by gun-metal coloured plastic and metal for the functional bits.The switchgear and control placement mirrors other Astons and has some endearing quirks, such as the high-mounted buttons used to select D, R or N in the automated manual version I drove. The counter-rotating dials are also unique, with the speedo describing a conventional arc but the rev-counter needle flicking anti-clockwise. There's no redline marked and an almost complete lack of ornamentation, save for a little analogue clock.The seats are a highlight both to look at and to occupy. Set appropriately low, the driving position is marred only by excessive reflections off the top of the dash into the front glass, and a complete inability to see the end of the long bonnet.Aston has a minimalist approach to standard equipment and in the Roadster it's sparse, which means the starting price really is where you begin. Sat-nav, heated seats or Bluetooth compatibility are just a few features you might expect at this price, but they're extra. So is cruise control.I'd do without most of them. The cheap steering-wheel buttons for cruise and stereo are about the only jarring note in the cabin — and the volume control didn't work. But that was the exception in a car that felt tight, well-built and nuggetty solid.Aston claims exceptional rigidity for this Roadster, and it's not difficult to believe because it is substantially heavier than its Porsche and Jaguar rivals.It's the length of a hatchback but weighs as much as the larger DB9 Coupe.On the road, it has the hunkered-down feel of a small car running big rubber.The 1.7 tonne weight is extremely well disguised because the mass sits low to the ground and the car responds to inputs cleanly.After a few hundred kilometres I found myself braking and turning in earlier for corners, but carrying more speed.The steering wheel and pedals are all pleasing to use with vestiges, at least, of an unmediated sportscar just beneath their civilised surface. It turns in with poise and alacrity and the brakes are strong.The ride quality is firm but acceptably so, and Aston eschews adaptive suspension and other trickery, such as variable-ratio steering. The road noise thrown up by tyres is the main detraction from refinement.One complex piece of technology is the Sportshift automated manual gearbox, a development of systems used by many of the exotic brands. The difficulty of low-speed manoeuvring we've encountered with these gearboxes has been addressed with a 'crawl' function, which edges the car forward or back for parking just like a conventional torque converter automatic.In D, the shifts are sufficiently smooth and around town it's the default choice, although the best way to learn this transmission is to use manual mode, changing gear via the steering wheel paddles, all the time. Slight throttle adjustments can make all the difference to shift quality and timing.In a nice touch, the numerical gear display turns red as the upshift point approaches, although the system will allow revs to be held at maximum without changing up for you.On an open road, manual mode is clearly superior and not just because it blips the throttle and swaps ratios faster than any pro. Automatic can choose strange times to change gear- mid-corner on a couple of occasions. It's unclear whether the software would eventually learn a driver's style.And with your fingers on the paddles, you can control the engine note. Like the coupe, the stainless steel exhaust system opens up all the stops at 4000rpm and sounds like the brass section of big band.But unlike the coupe, in the convertible the volume is turned up to full, and it's like you're in the dance hall rather than listening to the recording.This V8 engine doesn't feel quite as quick as its vital statistics suggest, it can even go off the boil a little on inclines with the tacho showing less than 3000rpm, but it spins very enthusiastically and the sound it makes has a slightly  feral quality that's extremely addictive.This Aston doesn't need a full moon, red or otherwise, to reveal the beast within. SnapshotAston Martin V8 Vantage RoadsterBody: Two-seater soft-top convertibleEngine: 4.3-litre V8Outputs: 283kW at 7000rpm; 410Nm at 5000rpmTransmission: Six-speed manual or six-speed clutchless manualPerformance: 0-100km/h in 5.0 secondsPrice: $269,000On sale: Now 

A lot has been happening at Aston Martin lately. First the British sports car starred alongside Daniel Craig in the James Bond film Casino Royale.Then it starred in its own big-screen ownership extravaganza, which culminated in a $1 billion move away from Ford and into private hands.It has also been building up to an attack on the Le Mans 24-hour race in June with its DB9 racer.And it has been finalising plans to transform its four-door flagship, the Rapide, from a great-looking concept into a showroom contender.But Aston is a car company, which means it lives and dies by the quality of its cars.Based on its newest, the V8 Vantage Roadster, which was unveiled last week, Aston Martin is doing just fine and will have no trouble hitting its production target of 7000 cars this year.The Vantage Roadster is the droptop development of the Vantage coupe. It combines the best of British with a bright fresh-air future.It looks gorgeous, drives extremely well and has the classic Aston touches that will keep existing fans happy and draw new ones.It is not cheap, from $269,000, and it is not perfect, with a cramped boot and lousy digital dials.But it provides more proof of why Aston is ready to fly solo out of the Ford nest.And why the company is well into profit at the same time as Jaguar is doing it tough with a red bottom line."This car delivers a smile. I think a modern sports car has to be like this," Aston Martin chief executive Ulrich Bez says."We want to have this attachment you feel to a car. But we don't make cars that do spectacular things. This is the past. No one can drive like that on public roads."Bez, who has put his personal stamp on Aston, emphasises that the Vantage Roadster is a real-world sports car. not a weekend-only exotic track machine.The newcomer takes familiar Aston pieces and reworks them for the droptop drive.It is built over the company's patented VH chassis, which uses lots of bonded high-strength aluminium.It also uses the 4.3-litre quad-cam Aston V8 engine and rear-wheel-drive.It has lots of extra strengthening, mostly at the base of the windscreen and below the floor. And it has a new Sportshift automated-sequential manual change for its six-speed gearbox.The performance is just what you would expect from an Aston with 283kW and 410Nm, with a claimed 0-100km/h time of 5.0 seconds and a top of 280km/h.Fuel economy is not so good, with a combined figure of 15.0 litres for 100km.The droptop conversion runs deep, though it has been done with an old-fashioned cloth top and not a new-age metal roof. It is a one-touch operation, which will put the top up or down at up to 40km/h.It has a heated glass roof and pop-up rollover bars that are triggered in a potential crash.The boot is behind the roof and will hold two sets of golf clubs.Aston is investigating a load-through port between the seats to tap the available space in the roof compartment.Standard equipment is much as you would expect, with heated leather seats, alloy wheels, a punchy sound system and a meaty steering wheel.The suspension is fully independent, it has anti-skid Brembo disc brakes at each corner, airbags and electronic stability control.Cruise control costs extra, the same as satellite navigation, and the Sportshift gearbox puts another $8250 on the bill.Bez cannot see the need for standard cruise control, but admits it will be considered if Australians have a 100 per cent take-up rate.The first V8 Vantage Roadsters are being readied for local deliveries from June.No one is talking about the exact allocation for Australia, but Aston intends to build about 3000 Vantages this year and about 80 per cent of those will be Roadsters.The droptop percentage is expected to fall after the start-up surge, but the long-term prediction is about 50:50.And the Sportshift is likely to be the choice for at least 80 per cent of owners.

Sitting church mouse quiet in a driveway, the V8 Vantage silhouette draws the gaze of passersby in the darkening twilight hour.The parking lights, a bank of seven LEDs stacked one on top of the other on either headlamp lens at the front, suggest this is beyond the realm of a garden variety performance coupe.It is a piece of art, this Aston, the most affordable (better make that accessible) sports car from the iconic British company at $236,300.About 330mm has been snipped off the length of a V12-engined DB9 with the end result, the V8 Vantage coming in $100,000 or so under the odds of the bigger more powerful Aston.And it is the first pure two-seater Aston for more than 50 years.Lift the featherweight wedge shaped bonnet and there is a plaque which reads, `Aston Martin, handbuilt in England, final inspection by Martyn Askill' which is attached to a cover for the cooling systems.Look further into the engine bay and the 4.3litre quad cam V8 is tucked deeper into the nose for sharper dynamics and crisper balance.It runs trick bits such as a dry sump allowing engineers to fit the V8 lower to the ground to help strike slicker cornering performance through a kinder centre of gravity.Switching focus to the tyres and brakes and the V8 Vantage runs Bridgestone Potenzas, 18-inch standard (19s are optional) with 275/40s at the rear driving wheels with 235/45s hanging off the front.There are massive ventilated and grooved discs all round with 355mm (front) and 330mm (rear) discs pinched by four piston calipers.All this is hugged by a gorgeous body that is a masterpiece of automotive art, an unfettered fusion of elegance and brutal performance.It looks tough and one twist of the ignition key followed by a press of the push button starter at the centre of the dash and the Aston rumbles to life.The gutteral tones are governed at low revs yet remain menacing to the ear.This beat is merely an entree into something much wilder.The front mid-mounted V8 which is designed exclusively for Aston, changes pitch, rising to a screaming banshee howl beyond 4500rpm which is an aural treat if your heart races to the beat of competition engines at the racetrack.This change in soundtrack comes once a bypass valve in the exhaust system opens as the rev counter needle strikes four and a half grand.For a serious bit of kit, the ride quality in the V8 Vantage is quite mute, cushioning blows by surface imperfections at lowly built-up area speeds.Pleasingly, the Vantage is no rib-rattling, harshly sprung exotic coupe for the suburbs.It is quite compliant around town but then, like the bypass valve, a new beast emerges when you want to have a bit of a blast.Once the engine pumps out its 283kW of power (7300rpm) and substantial 410Nm of torque (82 per cent of which flows at a piddling 1500rpm) the ride firms up allowing prodigious body control.The throttle has a loose feel initially yet becomes modular enough for confident application while the brake pedal is firm, willing the driver to make a confident stab rather than a tentative prod.Steering is beautifully weighted with a smooth, sweet feel biased towards neutral with only traces of mild understeer.The chassis, which contributes about 180kg to the cars total 1570kg kerb weight, is balanced and tuned to bring out the best in the Vantage which completes the obligatory 0-100km/h yardstick in 5secs.A 51/49 front-to-rear weight distribution helps strike razor sharp handling around the twisties.The short-throw 6-speed manual fits the 4.3-litre V8 like a glove.Cogs are easily picked off and changes can be smoothed out via a well disciplined left foot that should have no trouble finding the sweet spot in the clutch take-up point.This Graziano-sourced transmission from Italy is also found in other exotics such as Ferrari and Lamborghini.The Vantage's body combines aluminium, steel, composites and magnesium and is bonded and riveted, the final profile making it one of the sleekest coupes in existence.The cabin is supremely trimmed with quality fit and finish, stitched leather door and dash trim and beautifully accommodating yet supportive seats.Aston has designed a cracking layout with brilliant ergonomics and dials and switches which are simplistically uncluttered yet retain a high level of class and finesse.It is by far Aston's single biggest achievement over the previous DB7 model.The V8 Vantage is a worthy all-rounder, as sharp as any Grand Tourer going and as hardcore as most connoisseurs would demand.

It's a steering wheel in leather and it, in turn, is attached to a car that for the first time in my life I will term as the automotive equivalent of gorgeous.Which is like the ethereal, out-of-body euphoria akin to your first date.Which makes the first date so memorable, and its translation into the first drive of Aston Martin's drop-top Volante.If somebody ever gets blase about cars, or grows green and rejects the excesses that come with fossil-fuelled transport, let them drive an Aston Martin.Like Marie Antionette reputedly calling for the masses to eat cake in response to reports the starving Parisians had no bread, the answer is Aston Martin.This amalgam of aluminium and a few of its alloys, a bit of rubber, some cows left too long in a Scottish paddock, and a 100 litres of the last remaining skerrick of fossil fuel is simply so good that it deserves bottling.On the road with the vinyl roof firmly sealed, the Volante is a coupe.The ride is quiet, cocooned and the forward motion is insulated in a manner expected of people who have too little time to worry about the nuances of traffic management.For those who appreciate this mobile distinction from the outside world, buy the coupe. Or a Holden Statesman.Drop the elaborately and hand-stitched fabric roof, however, and you return to the real world.In a car that brazenly advertises the death of acres of cows, the driver mysteriously doesn't die at the hands of animal libertarians.As it sucks the very lifeblood of every future Grand Prix champion, no grandparent stands in the way of an Aston Martin getting refuelled.It's just that type of car.Mechanically, this is a symphony of sound and the brutal meshing of various metals that live in a hostile environment of near-boiling oil and noxious gases.Its life surrounds its heart, a six-litre reciprocating engine with an outrageous 12 cylinders.This high-pressure pump drives through a six-speed automatic gearbox and, ultimately, the rear wheels.In between all this, the fragile driver hangs on. Listening, appreciating and, in some cases, close to wetting himself.Let all this go and the Aston Martin is a slingshot that isn't really made for the containment of suburbia.It'll rush to 3000rpm so quickly you thank its automatic gearbox.A blink or two later and it's closing on 7000rpm and you notice that the sound around you has changed.From the barking bass, the Aston senses higher revs and changes the baffles in the exhaust pipe so it changes pitch.Now, it's a scream in the higher register, mixed with the complaints of the mechanical components, so the sound is more urgent and more readily raises the hairs on the nape of the neck.There is no relaxing its mood, though on a more deserted road the paddle-shift changes on the steering wheel refrain the car's potency.Or you can just play numb and press big, draught-size discs on the centre dash that allocate the required gear. P for Park, R for Reverse, N for neutral and D for Drive.Oh, and the other one centering this quattro which is the press-button starter. Gorgeous.It starts with a bark, then has so much torque that it will simper off to the shops with madam in tow.One glance at the dashboard will show madam that despite this being merely an engine with room for two humans, the decor is surprisingly tempered.There's hand-stitched leather in a light tan and mahogany veneer in a burred chocolate flurry. Alloy-coloured trim shows the sporty nature of the beast, with suede for the inner layer of the electrically folding roof.There are beautifully tailored rear seats in which no child can sit.You can fit virtually nothing in the boot of any worth to an executive who can afford this car. Which doesn't appear to matter much.The passenger seemed happy, as did the ability of the Linn sound system to whack out 950W. Enough, I believe, to power a small town. I think that's gorgeous.