2008 Aston Martin DB9 Volante

Open Air, Gadgets to Spare

The Aston Martin DB9 Volante convertible is the modern-day version of James Bond's classic British sports car.

Stunning styling, sumptuous appointments, and a brawny V12 engine make the Aston Martin DB9 Volante convertible one of the most desirable cars in the world.

Sleek and low-slung, the two-seat DB9 Volante convertible is also offered as a DB9 coupe with a barely usable backseat. Production is limited to 2,000 units per year worldwide.

• Aston Martin DB9 Volante Vehicle Summary

The DB9 Volante convertible has a handsome aluminum body, arguably one of the most attractive around, with a broad front grille situated between large oval headlamps. Graceful curves run rearward over a long hood and culminate in a short deck. The windshield is steeply raked and the roofline is low. “Swan wing” doors (as opposed to Mercedes' “gullwing” version) open slightly upward to ease entry and exit, and prevent the doors from swinging open too far and getting dinged.

The Aston Martin DB9 Volante convertible comes powered by a 450-horsepower version of the 6.0-liter V12 engine that is also found in Aston Martin’s V12 Vanquish S, which is no longer offered in the U.S. market. It can be mated to a six-speed manual or an automatic transmission that can be taken through the gears manually via paddles behind the steering wheel. Top speed is claimed to be in excess of 186 mph.

The DB9 Volante is constructed from an aluminum-bonded body whose light weight and rigidity are designed to aid agility and ride comfort. A rear-mounted transaxle contributes to the ideal front-to-rear weight distribution which, along with a double-wishbone suspension and 19-inch wheels and tires, creates tenacious handling without too harsh a ride. Dynamic stability control, electronic brake-force distribution, and brake assist systems are all standard.

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High-tech electroluminescent displays and conventional instruments mingle in the elegant interior. Unlike most vehicles, the DB9 Volante’s tachometer runs counterclockwise (supposedly to save space in the instrument panel) and does not feature a conventional redline to indicate the engine’s rpm limit. Here, the limit varies according to such factors as the outside temperature and how recently the engine was started; a red warning light comes on to indicate when the current redline has been reached.

The Aston Martin DB9 Volante convertible features a multilayer, fully automatic soft-top with a glass rear window that includes a heating element.

The DB9 Volante has power seats that include dual-stage heating, lumbar adjustments, and electric seat-back releases. Also incorporated are side-impact airbags and occupant-sensing technology to determine how fast and with how much force the front airbags should deploy in a collision.

Other features include a garage-door opener, remote trunk release, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, LED illumination in the door handles, and memory settings for the seats and mirrors. Front parking sensors are now offered as a no-cost option.

Options include a color-matched, leather-wrapped steering wheel, and a 950-watt audiophile-quality sound system from noted high-end home stereo component maker Linn.