2009 Aston Martin DBS Volante Specs

That covers the road tester type stuff, but what goes beyond that is just the experience of driving an automobile this special. Top down, wind blasting all about, your backside sunk into a supple leather seat, that V-12 wooffling in your ears. Sounds corny, but try it on a fast backroad and you'll understand. Everything about the DBS feels substantial. Even though it's elegant, like a Ferrari 599 Fiorano there's muscularity about it, and it begs to be pushed. Not in a boy racer kind of way, but for the long legged Grand Tourer that it is. It's got good moves for a somewhat large and heavy machine, and its high-speed stability is faultless. You'll want to drive one from L.A. to Boston, just for the chowder. The DBS Volante is one of those cars that remind you why we love cars.

Gripes? A few. Aston's flip-up nav screen looks decidedly added on, and its interface and technology aren't as good as you'd find in any Acura or Audi. The fuel-door button is located just above the footwell -- silly placement for a function used so often. And goodness it's pricey, now the most expensive model in the Aston Martin lineup; unfortunate timing that it is being launched into a struggling marketplace. Conversely, you can't fault the car's beauty, performance, driving character, and quality. If money is no object and exclusivity is, you'll find no more elegant a tanning booth than the Aston Martin DBS Volante. Will Bond end up on one for the next film? It's doubtful Aston Martin would ask him to drive a DBS three films in a row. And he hasn't rolled in a convertible since "You Only Live Twice." We're sure the Gaydon crew will have whipped up something new by 007's next on-screen appearance.