This is my first time with this new test-drive section, so bare with me guys.

I was so glad when my dad was willing to travel all the way across Singapore (not a very long jouney, but still) to see the Aston Martin showroom. I was surprised my dad obliged because he didn't like Coupes in general. But anyway, it was 10am in the morning and the weather was perfect for a test drive.

Before reaching the showroom, we had to get a street directory to finally find our way. Like my previous visit to the Ferrari/Maserati showroom, this joint is also in the middle of an industrial estate, primarily to let test drives be carried out along relatively empty thoroughfares and highways.



Upon reaching the place, it was a rather simple and down-to-earth place, not something you would expect from a company selling cars north of SGD500,000. You can't blame them though, their market in Singapore in general is very, very small: there are only 20 DB9s in the whole country.



The cars were all under golden wraps and when they saw us, they immediately but delicately removed the wraps to reveal both the DB9 and the V8 Vantage.



Oh my, these cars are simply gorgeous. There are no other words to describe the appearances of Aston Martins - they are simply the Gentleman's only mode of transport. Ferraris and Lamborghinis look racy and immature in comparison. As the very kind guy who brought us for a test drive said, 'People buy Lamborghinis or Ferraris look at details like horsepower. More horsepower, the better the car is. And they'll next ask the 0-100km/h figure." For Astons, the clientele are different. They prefer to remain low-profile, yet want to drive one of the best cars in the world. Aston Martins provide the best compromise.



We were treated very generously; without even asking, they allowed us to explore the interiors of both the DB9 and the V8 Vantage.

The DB9's interior is literally wrapped in leather all around, the wood is simply exquisite. At the door sills, there's a little phrase that says "Handbuilt in England", and at the engine bay there's a metal plate which displays the name of the person who handbuilt your engine. Such is the importance of small details that really enhances the uniqueness of the car.



The only complaint I have of the interior is that the knobs feel very plasticky; they could have replaced them with better soft-touch plastics which would have been better.

The V8 Vantage's interior feels like a small version of the DB9's, but this time the stitches in the leather are much larger and the cabin is much more tight; so tight in fact, that I felt almost uncomfortable.



They then started the engine of the DB9. I really regret not taking a video of it starting, because the sound is a really deep rumble (or a bark, rather) that I was decently surprised of. I never expected Aston Martins to sound this good.

And no, sorry guys, I didn't get to drive the car, but I had a ride instead, in the very tiny back seat of the DB9, with my dad behind the wheel. All I can say is, I felt really claustrophobic at the back but it was well worh it. The guy who was in charge of our test drive was very, very accomodating; he allowed us to floor the car (told us to do so, in fact) to feel the power of the car. At 450bhp and 570Nm of torque, this is no slouch. But it isn't a very hard edged racer either. The car was a GT, and it really felt like one; the ride was pliant and comfortable, cabin insulation was so good that you didn't know you were at such a high speed until you looked down at the instrument panel. And it isn't just any instrument panel; it looked like a work of art (probably echoing the opinions of virtually everyone who drove this car).



The engine was very relaxed and generally will work when pushed, but it isn't as willing to rev as much as say, a F430 or a Gallardo.

The transmission is smooth and seamless, but the engine rarely revs above 3500rpms. If you floor it though, the gearbox will take a short while to choose the right gear, and then there is a sudden surge of speed. Apart from this anomaly I was really impressed by the transmission. It was very unique; there was no gear lever, you had to operate it by a set of buttons on the dashboard. It's one of a kind (I've never seen it before) and I reckon it is a simpler system to use than the steering mounted gearshift in the S-Class or 7er.



After the 20 minute test-drive, we were invited to a plush room with band gear (yes, the guy who owns the place has a band) and had a little chit-chat. My sis and my neighbour went for a second test-drive; a service manager brought them.



Our opinions were unanimous: this is definitely a very, very special car.

ASTON MARTIN DB9
SGD698,000
0-100km/h: 4.9
Top Speed: 300km/h

I hope everyone enjoyed this writeup. I'm going back there again for a small function, hopefully I can take some videos then!