First of all, it is one of the most beautiful cars currently offering. The shape combines sleekness and muscular feel perfectly - if emphasis more on sleekness, it would be virtually another Jaguar; If emphasis on the other side, it would be inappropriate for the prestige image that Aston wants to establish.  

Secondly, it had a better chassis than Virage. Although the body is now made of steel rather than aluminium that used in Virage, smaller overall size and straight six engine help reducing the kerb weight by nearly 200kg. Moreover, with Tom Walkinshaw help tuning the suspensions, handling and ride should be nothing other than satisfactory.  

Thirdly, it gets an adequate power train. Engine is based on Jaguar's 3.2 litres AJ6, with 24 valves already, TWR added an American-made Eaton supercharger so that power jumped to an impressive 335hp. More important, 90% of the astonishing 362lbft of torque is available between 2200rpm and 5500rpm ! Therefore it can achieve a top speed of near 160mph and finishes 0-60mph in only 5.8sec, faster than the power and weight ratio may suggests. In spite of only 3.2 litres, the engine feels stronger than its rivals' like Mercedes SL500, Jaguar XK8 and even BMW 850Ci, thanks to the supercharger.  

Finally we found its lows. Though the cabin is fully trimmed with wood and leather, their finishing and quality is not up to anyone's expectation for a British luxurious coupe.
 

DB7 Vantage

To rescue Aston's image, DB7 Vantage was born. My memory tells me the "Vantage" name was first used in the 70's, representing a super fast Aston V8. In then, its 170mph top speed and 5.4sec for 0-60 made it the fastest British car. Aston uses the name again in the current V8 Vantage, a car based on Virage but powered by a 550hp supercharged V8. This name always represent the hottest version of an Aston, just like BMW's M badge. 

Not least of which is the DB7 Vantage. To be better than Jaguar (at least in terms of image), it features Aston's first ever V12 - a 48 valves unit displacing nearly 6 litres. The exact capacity is 5935c.c., maximum output is 420hp and 400 lbft, sufficient to eclipse the Jaguar's 370hp and 387lbft. Aston said it could top 185mph and sprint to 60mph from standstill in 5 seconds flat. If the acceleration is not much better than Jaguar's 5.1sec, at least its top speed is considerably higher than Jaguar's electronic limited 155mph. 

Of course, V12 must have a superior image over a V8. The former is reserved for only Italian supercars, the latter can be found in every American muscle cars. However, if you know DB7's unit is actually derived from a bread-and-butter Ford Taurus, what would you think ? If you still remember Ford's stunning (stunningly ugly) Indigo concept supercar shown in 3 years ago, you must know its 6-litre V12 was made by mating two Duratec 3-litres V6 together. Base on this engine, Cosworth Engineering developed it into the Aston V12. Basically there's nothing spectacular - no variable valve timing, no variable induction, no titanium connecting rod.... but there is a lot of capacity. Even though the peak torque occurs at 5,000 rpm, at least 85% of which is available as low as 1,500rpm. This is very enough for a effortless and fast Grand Tourer. 

To accommodate the V12 is not a big problem, as it has the same length as the straight six. Engineers only enlarged the transmission tunnel, revise the nose and bumpers to enable a larger air intake. A sub-product is slightly, 5% increase of torsional rigidity to the chassis. As in before, the chassis is made of steel monocoque, covering with aluminium body panels, composite bonnet and boot lid. 

However, engineers took this chance to improve DB7's handling. Front suspensions received new-style wishbones and a new vertical link. Springs in all wheels were stiffened by 15-20%. Then revised the gear ratio of the rack and pinion steering to quicken the steering response from 2.7 turns to 2.5 turns lock to lock.  

Mated to the V12 is a 6-speed manual made by Borg Warner, or alternatively a 5-speed ZF automatic. I believe most customers will choose the latter. As it has more power, as the weight increased to 1780kg, Brembo cross-drilled ventilating disc brakes, front diameter 355mm, rear 330mm, are adopted. 18 inches alloy wheels are also new item. 

Seats and instrument are also redesigned, but our focus is still on its engine and handling. Obviously, the V12 makes much better noise than the supercharged straight six. Its beautiful song persuade you to accept the price hike of £20,000. It pulls smoothly and strongly, delivering high performance (not really in supercar territory) effortlessly. The new suspensions and steering set up sharpen its handling quite a lot. Not only steers quicker, but the huge body could be accurately controlled. 

Although the improvement could not be described as a breakthrough, DB7 Vantage still has a pretty good prospect. In its price range, direct competitors are limited to Ferrari F355 / 360 Modena and Porsche's forthcoming 911 turbo, but both of them are more performance-biased. The greater threat is Ferrari 550M, which is priced some £45,000 above the Aston. Of course it's not a direct competitor. 

Versus Ferrari 550 Maranello

Fire the Cosworth-cast V12 and you'll hear a wonderful yowl which is not just the summation of 2 Duratec V6s. The hollow, multi-layer sound resembles the mighty Daytona even more than the 550M. While the 6-litre capacity feels torquey at low and mid range, it is left away by the Ferrari's 65hp advantage at high speed. The Maranello engine feels much more sporty, pulls strongly across all the rev. It still sings beautifully and spins eagerly at red line, which is not the Aston can match. 

But the Aston wins the braking match. Despite of being 90kg heavier, it has larger Brembo discs all round : 355mm diameter in front versus Ferrari's 330mm, 330mm at the rear versus 318mm. Braking power is stronger yet the pedal feels progressive.  

The Aston rides on softer suspensions setting, hence a supple ride but less sporty handling. The chassis seems not as tightly controlled as the Ferrari. The less aggressive tyres obviously generate less grip. Worst of all, although the steering is well-weighted it feels dull and lacks communication that a truly exciting car deserves. While 550M feels like a leopard the Vantage is more like a sleepy lion.  

After all, the Aston is not intended to be a focused sports car as the Ferrari. Its customers are those mature riches wanting prestige yet a relax motoring experience. Drive the DB7 Vantage day to day is deemed to be a joy. Doing the same to the Ferrari always require more effort and an enthusiasm.  

However, it is not said the DB7 Vantage has scored the highest marks in the fields it ought to be. The quality of craft, the material used and the design in the cabin are actually lower than Ferrari. This is also why I said it is not a traditional Aston. 
 

TWR - the driving force behind DB7

Car production business started as modifying Jaguar XJS, then simply helped car-makers to develop and build sports cars, such as Jaguar XJR-15, Jaguar XJ220, Aston Martin DB7, Volvo 850T5R and the latest Volvo C70. 
 

DB7 Zagato

So, this car is called DB7 Zagato. Only 99 cars will be built and sold at a price of around £160,000, even more expensive than the faster and advancer Vanquish. In return, customers will get exclusivity even the Vanquish owner cannot hope for.  

DB7 is a good base for conversion, because of its separate chassis and body construction. Zagato has changed almost all body panels, most are made in traditional hand-beaten aluminum. Only the rear wings and roof are made of steel. The new clothes look much more aggressive, even brutal. It has an enlarged grille, Zagato's trademark double-bubble roof, stronger shoulders and all-new tail design. Even so, the car is actually 60kg lighter than regular DB7 Vantage, because Zagato shortened its wheelbase by 100mm and shred another 150mm from overhangs. As a result, the Zagato version is strictly a 2-seater, although people used to see the rear seats of DB7 as dog seats.  

Aston also tweaked the 6-litre V12 engine slightly, reprogrammed the ECU and using sportier exhaust to generate another 20 horsepower - now 440hp, 20 shy of Vanquish. To improve acceleration further, final drive ratio has been increased from 3.77: 1 to 4.09:1. There is also modified LSD, firmer suspension setup and stronger brakes to enhance performance. Aston claims 0-60mph is reduced to less than 5 seconds, while top speed is 190mph. 
 

DB7 GT

The old Vantage has several problems: 1. performance not sparkling enough; 2. dull steering feel; 3. suspension too soft thus body control relatively poor; 4. gearshift is long-throw. The GT sorted these problems out by several measures:  

• Increase power and torque by 15hp and 10lbft respectively (now 435hp and 410lbft) by means of modified engine management program;
• Adopt the shorter final drive ratio from the Zagato edition;
• Stiffen springs, dampers and suspension bushings;
• Stiffen and relocate the steering rack mounting;
• Use a new twin-plate clutch and a shorter-throw gearshift mechanism for the 6-speed manual;
• Besides, the Brembo brake discs are also improved by additional grooves and better pads;
• Finally, just for look, the GT has a mesh grille, reshaped bumpers, new wheels and a bootlid spoiler which cut lift by 50%.

Such improvements earn the GT an extra star, but not good enough to beat the Ferrari. However, at £105,000, the Aston Martin let us question whether it is sensible to spend £155,000 on the Ferrari, which loses to the Aston in some important areas, such as steering, ride and engine noise. Well done old wine!