Aston Martin DB9
It’s evolution rather than revolution for the 2008 incarnation of Aston’s
ubiquitous DB9. No surprise given that the ‘old’ DB9 has to be
one of the most beautiful cars of the last ten or twenty years. External changes
are limited to new alloys and minor detailing so all but the most fanatical
of Aston aficionados would struggle to tell it apart from its predecessor.
It’s still jaw-droppingly beautiful.
Inside, the changes are more obvious - there’s a new DBS style centre
console and a new sat-nav system. The overall impression is one of sporting
luxury. It walks a fine line between beauty through functionality and enough
extraneous little touches to create a real sense of occasion - aluminium knurled
switch-gear, carbon fibre or burred walnut finishes, hand-stitched Scandinavian
leather (barbed wire is banned so the leather’s never scarred), dials
reminiscent of a high quality Swiss chronograph.
Insert the key and the dash display greets you with the words Power, Beauty
and Soul. No doubt intended for American tastes but apt nonetheless. As soon
as you press the start button the sumptuous burble of the V12 sends a tingle
down your spine. Slip it into drive, floor the throttle and the DB9 takes your
breath away - not just because it’s incredibly fast but because of the
emotion it stirs in you – the sound, feel and sensation of immense power,
now up to 470bhp. This is nothing new to existing DB9 owners, it’s just
that the extra power and speed of the 08 model heightens the experience.
Once you’ve calmed down and assessed the DB9 more objectively you appreciate
just how accomplished the DB9 is. The auto box, sharpened up for 08, is delightfully
smooth and changes with incredible speed, even when leaping two gears in semi-auto
mode using the F1 inspired paddle-shifts. Sumptuous seats and the addition
of Bilstein dampers make it a comfortable ride, perfect for driving from one
end of the country to the other.
Handling and grip are awesome, which is not surprising given the lengths Aston
has gone to. Thanks to a front-mounted lightweight engine that’s linked
via a carbon fibre prop-shaft to a rear mounted gearbox, the DB9 has perfect
50/50 weight distribution and requires only the minimum of electronic wizardry
to keep it glued to the road. The result is poise and handling befitting a
sports car rather than a GT.
And herein lies the DB9’s true genius. It’s first and foremost
a GT. The level of comfort and ride, kit spec, sense of occasion and its ability
to eat mile after mile effortlessly ensure this and make it very easy to live
with. But it also handles and thrills like a sports supercar. Power Beauty
and Soul indeed.
0-62: 4.8 secs
Top speed: 190mph
Price: £113,950
Saab Turbo X
The special edition Turbo X (pronounced cross) has quite a lot to live up to.
Back in the old days, Saab pioneered turbo charged rally cars with much success
and their Black Turbo, to which the Turbo X pays homage, was one of the great
cars of the 80’s. Whilst the 9-3 based Turbo X is a different beast,
Saab are hoping that its legacy will be just as significant for the marque – its
state-of-the-art 4 wheel drive system will allow Saab to unleash the full performance
potential of their universally admired turbo engines.
First impressions are impressive. The subtle bodykit, low posture and black
paintjob and black leather interior give it a lean, mean, purposeful look.
Once inside, Saab’s cockpit inspired dash adds to the aura. It’s
a triumph of driver focussed, ergonomic design with everything easy to read
and use. Build quality’s good too with the seats worthy of a special
mention as they’re arguably the most substantial and comfortable around.
Safety and kit-levels are, as usual for Saab, high too.
At the business end, Saab has re-engineered and turbo-charged GM’s Holden
derived 2.8 V6. It’s a premium spec engine and lends itself well to Saab
tweaking that raises out-put to 276bhp and 295lb-ft of torque. It’s a
fine, smooth and responsive motor that endows the Turbo X with blistering performance
both from standstill and at overtaking speeds. The high levels of torque also
make for a relaxing drive when the mood suits – minimal gear changes
are needed to make good progress.
But it’s the handling that’s the star of the show. The Turbo X
is the first production Saab to use 4WD. In this case it’s the latest
version of Haldex’s intelligent ‘cross wheel’ drive system
and an electronic limited slip diff to put power through the most appropriate
wheel to ensure maximum grip. To put this in context, Audi’s Quattro
system is based on the previous incarnation of Haldex’s 4WD system. So
no matter how fast you’re driving the handling is composed, predictable
and responsive and the power of the 2.8 is always well marshalled with wheel-spin
and torque steer (the snatch you sometimes get through the steering wheel in
a front-wheel drive car under hard acceleration) totally absent.
If there’s one criticism that could be levelled at the high performance
variants of the 9-3 it’s that the ride is a little firm. A firm suspension
is the price you pay to get high grip levels in a front wheel drive car. Since
the 4WD set-up has inherent grip the immensely quick Turbo X seems to have
slightly softer springs and rides better. A great win-win.
Is there a downside? Well, it’s pretty thirsty in these fuel conscious
times which is no surprise given the performance on tap but the main drawback
is the limited production run of 2000 with only 500 reaching the UK. To manipulate
a well-know ad slogan: The future is good. The future is, er, black.
0-62: 5.4secs
Top speed: 155mph (limited)
Price: £32,495
We’ve found the cars – now you find the excuse for a long drive
POWER, BEAUTY
AND SOUL