RE: Aston Martin DB9 | The Brave Pill

[DonkeyApple]

BigBen said:

DonkeyApple said:

Two Ford engined GTs. Both very nice but with sufficient subtle differences between them to make the choice between the two quite simple for most people.

Which Fords were those engines used in? I don't think it was any of the UK line up.

They weren’t were they? They built the V12 in Germany for AM and their V8 was built under license in the UK by JLR staff. Both agreements have sadly been terminated with Ford by their respective license owners. The sad end of a great era.

[amgmcqueen]

TVR Sagaris said:

They have taken the pictures with it half on the kerb, on the edge of a junction. What the hell?

Typical Aston driver.....

[anonymous-user]

Supposedly the AJV8 was developed (both the original and the updated direct injection versions) entirely by Jaguar in the UK and then manufactured by Ford, and shares little or nothing with other Ford engines (except a predilection for timing chain issues), but I don't imagine for a second that the 8 blokes and a sheepdog working in engineering at AML in the mid 90s had the resources to contribute much to the V12 and the early ones at least have Duratec V6 pistons and rods

Wikipedia reckons that the Duratec derived 6 litre DOHC V12 in the Ford Indigo concept car of 1996 is the same engine that AML then used, which seems entirely plausible. Aston certainly needed something to replace the aging Tadek Marek V8 for the Virage/Vantage/V8 replacement, and a blown Jaguar I6 may have been OK in the bitsa DB7 but was never going to cut it in a real Aston Martin.

The Duratec V6 itself has it's origins in the Mazda KLZE engine but was fairly extensively reworked by Ford.

Does it really matter though? A DOHC all aluminium 6 litre V12 is a fabulous thing and the engine has proven to be robust and reliable; what more could you want powering your beautiful GT?

[Krikkit]

Surprised no-one's pointed out that the "Sun Tzu" quote in the article isn't his, or even a real quote attributable to anyone as it's a mistranslation.

https://www.reddit.com/r/ChineseLanguage/comments/...


OT, much love for the DB9. Those saying buy an XKR instead are missing the point of 4 more cylinders.

[anonymous-user]

Ford Indigo V12:


DB7 V12:


Certainly look very similar.

[Sebastian Tombs]

BigBen said:

Which Fords were those engines used in? I don't think it was any of the UK line up.

Not UK market, but


A Lincoln, rather than a Ford, but this had the Jaguar V8 and was very closely related to the S Type.


And as for the Aston V12, Not UK market, not any market, but...

[markbmw]

Powerfully Built Company Director said:

I had no idea this was a thing... I thought the great wars of PH were limited to PCP purchases and (lately) the furloughing of Mexman.

As for the Brave Pill - meh, brave if you are blinkered to the prospective bills. Otherwise seems fairly pedestrian.

Jags are nice cars but i don’t feel they’ve retained the same position in the market they had years ago. That and (whisper it) greater car finance options have made them more middle ground to me.

Apropos of nothing, how about this for a brave pill? Love the advert, if not the car... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/153968373761

Brave pill? Fckn stupid pill more like 😉

[R400TVR]

Just want to add that anyone who's said that an Aston is better than a Jag should remember that Aston Martin are just another mass production car, the same as Jaguar. The last wholey hand made Aston, aside from specials, was this. Still the only Aston I'd buy.

[ddom]

R400TVR said:

Just want to add that anyone who's said that an Aston is better than a Jag should remember that Aston Martin are just another mass production car, the same as Jaguar. The last wholey hand made Aston, aside from specials, was this. Still the only Aston I'd buy.

Oh yes please.....

[RMDB9]

R400TVR said:

Just want to add that anyone who's said that an Aston is better than a Jag should remember that Aston Martin are just another mass production car, the same as Jaguar. The last wholey hand made Aston, aside from specials, was this. Still the only Aston I'd buy.

what a beauty, especially the front. could only become even better if Zagato had a go at it.

[swisstoni]

RMDB9 said:

R400TVR said:

Just want to add that anyone who's said that an Aston is better than a Jag should remember that Aston Martin are just another mass production car, the same as Jaguar. The last wholey hand made Aston, aside from specials, was this. Still the only Aston I'd buy.

what a beauty, especially the front. could only become even better if Zagato had a go at it.

There’s a first time for everything I suppose.

[WJNB]

ddom said:

Tyre Smoke said:

Two main problems with the Jag...

1. It's missing 4 cylinders.

2. It's not an Aston.

I see the usual Aston snobbery at play. It’s just a modern Aston, when you attend an event you know the proper Aston owners will make you park at the end

You are so accurate with that last statement.
As a passenger with an Aston owning chum I have attended many AMOC rallies & gatherings including Regent Street & 007 special events in London & the members smug snobbery & degree of pre-occupation with themselves & only their cars took my breath away. The outstanding example was in a lovely rural pub at the end of a rally & witnessing how the owners interacted with each other. Basically as each owner bragged on about his car the other owners were obviously not listening but just waiting for a pause so they could start jabbering about their car, or wherever possible cars plural. The result was a series of disconnected mini-presentations to an audience not remotely interested until it was their turn.
At the rallies themselves division between the cars era's was very clear both in how they were displayed & how owners distanced themselves from each other. Snobbery abounded twixt very early Feltham built cars, Newport Pagnell & Gaydon built cars, those tainted by Ford & anybody turning up in a flash new Vantage would be studiously avoided.
Never in my wildest dreams would I ever want to own an Aston Martin primarily because I have little faith in their reliability & would never ever want to attend a rally or meeting with one.
But then I have been spoiled by the joy of meeting some lovely down-to-earth not up-themselves members whilst owning lesser British classic sports cars & early Japanese sports cars.

[tberg]

R400TVR,
This may be the last exclusive Aston Martin, but it still looks like it's a Ford Mustang body kit covering it.

[DonkeyApple]

WJNB said:

You are so accurate with that last statement.
As a passenger with an Aston owning chum I have attended many AMOC rallies & gatherings including Regent Street & 007 special events in London & the members smug snobbery & degree of pre-occupation with themselves & only their cars took my breath away. The outstanding example was in a lovely rural pub at the end of a rally & witnessing how the owners interacted with each other. Basically as each owner bragged on about his car the other owners were obviously not listening but just waiting for a pause so they could start jabbering about their car, or wherever possible cars plural. The result was a series of disconnected mini-presentations to an audience not remotely interested until it was their turn.

Made me chuckle. Such a good précis of many environments these days. You find the same ‘downloaders’ in the yacht marinas and on the gun pegs. I’m old enough now to have no shame in simply wandering off once they’re on around item three of their speech. Alternatively, should they enquire as to what your line of work is simply respond that you’re a debt collector and look at their eyes while doing so.

[SFTWend]

Bought a "timeless" DB9 last year basically because Aston's were my favourite make since childhood (007, The Persuaders) and I'd wanted one ever since. Whilst lovely it didn't feel as special as I'd hoped. Stunning looking and cosy leather interior but for a GT the ride was too firm and the hard ride didn't give it particularly sporty handling.

After three weeks of the car continually failing to start, fault undiagnosed and despite a new battery, I returned the car and got my money back. As it was being winched onto the low loader a chap from round the corner drove past in his recently aquired XKR 5.0. I thought to myself, you silly billy, I paid well over twice the price of the Jag basically for a badge and a bit prettier body.

[DBSV8]

ddom said:

R400TVR said:

Just want to add that anyone who's said that an Aston is better than a Jag should remember that Aston Martin are just another mass production car, the same as Jaguar. The last wholey hand made Aston, aside from specials, was this. Still the only Aston I'd buy.

Oh yes please.....

that reminds me of a friends car .....although his was extensively modified to double the power output and was the first Aston fitted with a turbo ,.......Virage 7.0 LE running over 700 hp and with over 1000' pounds of torque

the cost of the bespoke modifications are eye watering

video from Nicholas Mee just before he bought her

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHTdRmj5-rM

[RMDB9]

Isn't she pretty? What a boy!

[Stick Legs]

Very nice cars, if course they’re expensive to run but still DIY-able if you are keen & willing to learn.

As for the Jaguar vs AM debate; ever was thus:

E-Type vs DB5
XJ-S vs V8 Series cars
XK8 vs DB7
XKR vs DB9

My own experience is having owned many XJ-S’ and driven a few (1980’s) V8’s & (1990’s) Virages.
The Aston achieved nothing that a good XJ-S couldn’t, but it’s still not as special.

I ‘m looking at either a Jaguar or an AM, not sure which ones yet, but if I end up Jagging again it’ll only be because I didn’t have the financial gumption or wherewithal to own an AM.