Is Aston making less beautiful cars?
Discussion
SpookyTheFirst said:
Hello,
In 2016, I bought the last version of the DB9, the DB9GT, a marvellous beauty, with harmonious and fluid lines.
I saw the last DB12 and found it torturated, but perhaps it is only me, what do you think?
DB12:
DB9GT:
They have just followed the trend of making cars look like the guy at the gym who has done a cycle and then another of steroids the change subtle at first then stark.In 2016, I bought the last version of the DB9, the DB9GT, a marvellous beauty, with harmonious and fluid lines.
I saw the last DB12 and found it torturated, but perhaps it is only me, what do you think?
DB12:
DB9GT:
Look at the v6 db7 a thing of beauty then the v12 then the db9 db11 db12
Gecko1978 said:
They have just followed the trend of making cars look like the guy at the gym who has done a cycle and then another of steroids the change subtle at first then stark.
Look at the v6 db7 a thing of beauty then the v12 then the db9 db11 db12
Interesting so you would consider that a db9 was already a db7 on steroids. I find the db9 more beautiful than db7, but maybe exactly like others find the db12 nicer than the db9…Look at the v6 db7 a thing of beauty then the v12 then the db9 db11 db12
I completely agree.
Their modern cars are purposeful and aggressive and very “modern” but certainly not beautiful like the DB9 and the 2006-2017 (?) V8 Vantage to my eyes.
The newer cars are fussier and somehow over-designed whilst the aforementioned DB9 and Vantage are smooth, clean, confidently simple shapes and all the better for it.
Beauty is very much in the eye of the beholder of course and everyone’s opinion is valid.
Their modern cars are purposeful and aggressive and very “modern” but certainly not beautiful like the DB9 and the 2006-2017 (?) V8 Vantage to my eyes.
The newer cars are fussier and somehow over-designed whilst the aforementioned DB9 and Vantage are smooth, clean, confidently simple shapes and all the better for it.
Beauty is very much in the eye of the beholder of course and everyone’s opinion is valid.
With more and more power being added, along with more and more safety regulation, both in crash structure for occupants and pedestrians (higher bonnets), ‘assist’ tech for inattentive drivers and to manage the power, the designers are more restricted in what they can do styling wise I’d say. Big power means turbos usually, hence lots of cooling required, also bigger brakes/wheels, stronger structures etc. Cameras and sensors all around the car.
Considering all of the above they did a decent job on the DB12, but the DB9/previous vantage are nicer designs to me too. Timeless.
Considering all of the above they did a decent job on the DB12, but the DB9/previous vantage are nicer designs to me too. Timeless.
I agree.
There’s a lovely DB11 in our town that has a delicacy lacking in their current range (and even that appears slightly fussy compared to the DBs 7 and 9).
That so many journalists have fawned over the latest cartoonish proportions saddens me. I’ll grant that they might look “impressive” in the metal, but they are not beautiful and I don’t believe they’ll stand the test of time.
There’s a lovely DB11 in our town that has a delicacy lacking in their current range (and even that appears slightly fussy compared to the DBs 7 and 9).
That so many journalists have fawned over the latest cartoonish proportions saddens me. I’ll grant that they might look “impressive” in the metal, but they are not beautiful and I don’t believe they’ll stand the test of time.
I don’t think it’s an issue which is specific to AML though. You only have to look how Ferrari has evolved in the last ten years or so to see a similar pattern. Imho anything post 458 (maybe even 360) looks far too aggressive, but that seems to be what all the manufacturers are doing now, even run of the mill mass market volume names. Back to AML, a quick glance at the AM sub forum in PH often shows a similar sentiment as SpookyTheFirst. It’s got to the stage where anyone owning DB11 onwards hardly ever posts nowadays which is a shame. Personally I think the VH cars have a subtlety and classic look to them that we won’t see again, but on a purely performance based metric every model in the current range is miles ahead of anything that was produced during the Dr Ulrich Bez era. I’ve always considered an Aston Martin to be a “don’t look at me” type of car, not overly flash, a relatively rare sight, and those who see one would know and understand etc. I plan on keeping my old dinosaur for now as despite the advances in technology and performance nothing from the latest range really appeals, and that approach is generally speaking a problem for AML. Owners of older models do not always want to trade “up” now as they often did ten or fifteen years ago. And getting new first time customers to buy in to the brand is becoming more difficult due to the competition and current economic climate. BRM.
I can sympathise with them really, where do you go from the DB9 and V8V? There is nothing to take away that will improve them, and as we've seen there is nothing you can add that improves them either. I doubt they'll ever top them, so like everyone else they're just adding a lot of shouty noise.
Car makers in this market seem to have concluded that sheer beauty doesn't cut it with buyers. Otherwise cars would be more beautiful than they are.
Buyers seem to also want some purpose, even menace about the cars they buy in this league. And makers have to satisfy that to sell cars or lose out to others that will.
Buyers seem to also want some purpose, even menace about the cars they buy in this league. And makers have to satisfy that to sell cars or lose out to others that will.
SpookyTheFirst said:
Gecko1978 said:
They have just followed the trend of making cars look like the guy at the gym who has done a cycle and then another of steroids the change subtle at first then stark.
Look at the v6 db7 a thing of beauty then the v12 then the db9 db11 db12
Interesting so you would consider that a db9 was already a db7 on steroids. I find the db9 more beautiful than db7, but maybe exactly like others find the db12 nicer than the db9 Look at the v6 db7 a thing of beauty then the v12 then the db9 db11 db12
I'm with the chorus on this in that the DB9 is visually peak AM; it's coherent and subtley handsome, but it's also that pinch more dramatic and purposeful vs. the DB7.
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