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Aston DB9 Volante Morning Frost

Aston Martin DB9 Volante Morning Frost

Special edition drop-top promises the ultimate in comfort and luxury

Aston DB9 Volante Morning Frost

Text: Paul Bond / Photos: Matt Vosper

February 2011

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Supercars are designed to make you feel special. And Aston Martin is aiming to do just that with its latest DB9 Volante: the Morning Frost. The first of a trio of DB9 special editions, which demonstrates the company’s ability to individually tailor a car to suit your needs, the newcomer is proclaimed as the most comfortable and luxurious DB9 yet – so does it succeed?

At £141,720, it costs £4,380 more than the standard Volante. On the outside, it’s difficult to see where that money has gone, although the unique pearlescent white paintwork does a great job of showcasing the DB9’s sculpted curves. Even after seven years, the car is still beautiful, especially with the roof stowed.

The hand-finished interior also hides its age well. The Morning Frost gets some extra special touches, including laser-etched plaques that sit in the door sills, as well as piano black trim down the centre console and on the internal door handles. Plus, the new Metallic Bronze dark leather trim contrasts pleasingly with the sparkling white exterior. 

When we drove the facelifted drop-top in Issue 1,134, we loved the Thinsulate canvas hood – it does a fantastic job of preventing any unwanted noise disturbing the hushed cabin. The Bilstein adaptive dampers borrowed from the sportier DBS greatly improve ride comfort, too. They constantly adjust to bumps in the road, striking the best balance between comfort and body control. In addition, you can switch between Normal and Sport modes, which makes a big change to how the DB9 behaves. In Normal, the big coupé glides over imperfections, while Sport setting firms everything up for when you want to exploit the glorious 6.0-litre V12 engine, providing a harsher ride and quicker responses through corners.  

The charismatic powerplant remains the biggest dynamic highlight, though. It gives the Aston a fabulous, snarling soundtrack that’s best enjoyed with the roof down (even on a cold February day). 
And although this is supposedly a ‘softer’ version, the mountain of torque available makes for truly rapid progress when you plant your right foot to the floor. As with the engine, the steering offers something a little bit different from the supercar norm. It’s far heavier than anything you would find in a Ferrari or AMG-tuned Mercedes, but is just as accurate, and the added effort required makes driving all the more rewarding. 

The six-speed Touchtronic auto box is equally intuitive, whether left in Drive or using the steering wheel-mounted paddles. Push the Sport button, and a digital display in the dash shows which gear you’re in; this turns red when it’s time to change up. It’s not as lightning fast as the latest dual-clutch systems, but shifts are still admirably quick and smooth.

Aston claims that the DB9 is a 2+2, but in reality, it’s a two-seater, with the back bench best used for carrying luggage. The only other negatives are the limited rear visibility, and the fact that the Volante can’t quite match the road-holding poise of the hard-top. But this special edition is still the most desirable DB9 drop-top yet.

For an alternative review of the latest Aston Martin DB9 visit our sister site carbuyer.co.uk

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5 Comments

totally daft i think Morning Frost !!!! come on Aston !!!

By cosworth28 on 7 February, 2011, 5:23pm

Sounds a bit like a Porsche Black Edition!? Marketing fluff.

By nickeroo on 8 February, 2011, 8:36am

Warp Factor 9...

Maybe I'm nit-picking, but I can't help thinking that Aston could get a lot more power from that V12 engine. Yes, I know it's basically two Mondeo V6 Duratec engines on a common crankshaft, but the Ford V6 is no slouch either, ever driven a Noble M400? You should, because you'll discover what a peach of an engine it really is. Noble managed to wring 425bhp from it, so I'm damn sure Aston could get 600bhp+ from their V12 if they put their minds to it.

By sgtgrash on 8 February, 2011, 9:06am

It's WHITE.

So what....white?. If however....it was something like....Pearlescent Chilli Red...okay...now that's worth talking about..lol

By badboyrocco on 9 February, 2011, 1:55pm

Appliances are white!!!! NOT Aston Martins. Suppose some dumb punter with absolutely no taste and too much money will buy one, just as I presume they did with that other stunner of a 2 door coupe, the Conti.

By barina47 on 22 March, 2011, 9:41pm

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Pictures

Aston DB9 Volante Morning Frost
Aston DB9 Volante Morning Frost rear
Aston DB9 Volante Morning Frost
Aston DB9 Volante Morning Frost
Aston DB9 Volante Morning Frost seats
Aston DB9 Volante Morning Frost badge

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FIRST OPINION

    Aston's s Morning Frost is a stunning grand tourer, offering a refreshingly traditional supercar experience. That’s not to say it isn’t modern; it just puts you in touch with the road. If your priorities are comfort and luxury, with a dash of excitement, this special DB9 Volante fits the bill perfectly. It offers dramatic open-air thrills and an amazing soundtrack. And with tweaks such as adaptive dampers, an updated gearbox and thicker roof, the Aston is now the fine high-performance drop-top it always should have been.

 

AT A GLANCE

    Price: £141,720
    Engine: 6.0-litre V12 petrol
    Transmission: Six-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive 
    Power/torque: 470bhp/600Nm 
    0-60/top spd: 4.6 secs/190mph
    Econ/CO2: 18.2mpg/368g/km
    Equipment: Pearlescent paint, 19-inch diamond-turned alloys, heated leather seats, adaptive dampers, sat-nav, air-con 
    On sale: Now
     
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