The Aston Martin Dream Machine....We all have mental images of ourselves tootling around in the snazziest car in town and for me, that would be the 2010 Aston Martin DBS Volante.
In 2008, Aston Martin introduced the James Bond-ish DBS Coupe, which Design Director Marek Reichman, (who's kind of a dish himself) described as looking like" a tough guy in a dinner suit." In 2009, they gave us the ragtop version, the $286,500 DBS Volante (Volante means convertible in AM-speak) that looks like the tough guy's killer girlfriend. The folks at Aston Martin are justly proud of the supercar engineering and performance of the DBS models but what blows me away is the sheer elegant sensuality of their design. These cars are so beautiful that you want to stroke them and the fact that they are meant for serious driving is an added pleasure.
The basics of both models are the same, a lightweight carbon fiber body driven by a massive 6.0 liter V-12 engine that kicks out 510 HP accompanied by a lovely deep, throaty growl. There's a choice of a six-speed manual transmission or the Touchtronic automatic gearbox but whichever you opt for, you'll still sprint from 0-62 MPH in a mere 4.3 seconds and floor it to a maximaum speed of 191 MPH. Happily, the carbon ceramic brakes are standard and should you lose it despite the incredible stability of the DBS, the Volante has pop-up rollover bars hidden behind the rear compartment. That rear, by the way, has what looks like two seats (they actually call the car a 2+ 2 with a straight face) but unless your friends are munchkins, forget about taking them for a spin.
I did wonder why a ragtop rather than the increasingly popular folding hardtop in a car capable of these speeds. It was, I was told, a question of weight and trunk space. Certainly, there's a fair amount of room in the trunk for your own stuff if you don't want to spend big bucks for the specially-designed Aston Martin luggage. We test drove to the supermarket (Okay, it wasn't exactly a typical supermarket) and stowed all our pricey gourmet groceries with room to spare for an armload of dry-cleaning and a shopping bag from Neiman's. And that is one of the most surprising aspects of the DBS or the Volante. It's very much a supercar but it isn't just a trophy to add to your garaged collection. You can really use it as your everyday car and feel as if every day is a holiday.
Since Aston Martin is one of the few car makers that pay more than lip service to customization, you may design your own individual car. For a price, they'll paint it any color that catches your fancy but there are a couple of luscious new shades exclusive to the Volante. A pale, silvery green called Hardly Green and a deep, rich Magma Red, the color of hot lava. There are a multitude of choices in leather and wood but I love the piano black lacquer on the console and the carbon fiber trims. Other options to tag on are the $570 rear wind deflector (if you plan to talk to your passenger at high speeds with the top down) the $3,785 graphite-finish forged aluminum 20" wheels, personal sill placques at $295 a pop (if you can afford this car you deserve to have your name on it) and the $220 Smokers pack because even if you don't smoke, the frosted glass ashtray is so smashing you can always keep your loose change in it. Then of course, you might consider the incomparable, and at a cost of $5,380 the most elite of all car accessories, hand-made leather saddlebag designed to straddle the rear console. Cunningly designed with saddle pockets, rolls and a pair of leather-wrapped thermoses emblazoned with the AM logo, you could think of it as a family heirloom and long after the car is history, you and your heirs will be using it slung over the arm of a sofa.
By now, you are somewhere well north of 300K but boy!...have you got a car.
Too expensive to even dream about? Reputedly, Aston Martin is about to hatch the Cygnet, a teeny-tiny city car based on Toyota's iQ. Basically, it will be Toyota engineering with customizable Aston Martin styling, which should make it the only small car on the road that's a status symbol. Promise...I'll tell you more about the baby swan later.
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