There was a time when Aston Martins were as common as muck on our Celtic Tiger roads but in the past few years they’ve all disappeared, either sold on to plug a financial hole or squirreled away in a garage and only taken out for spins under the cover of darkness. So when I got my hands on an Aston Martin DB9 for a trip around Ireland, I could, for a short time forget all the negative news of late.
Stopping for petrol became a real challenge, with admirers flocking to see the car up-close, which is unfortunate as fuel stops are something you will become accustomed to when driving this car. Its 6.0-litre V12 engine doesn’t have any fancy turbos so all 470hp is produced the old fashioned way – by sucking down copious quantities of unleaded, but who cares about the fuel consumption as you drive across Molls Gap, overlooking the famous Killarney lakes?
Inside, you are cocooned in a mixture of leather and suede, the sports seats hold you firmly and in comfort over a long journey. I was disappointed to see some paint had started to flake away from the centre console, the seat bolsters were showing signs of wear too. The car’s stereo decided to have a break from normal service for no apparent reason on the second day. Having no stereo was no bad thing really, as it meant I got to listen to the glorious V12 soundtrack, that becomes addictive.
The DB9 gives you the option of driving the car as an automatic, at the flick of a paddle behind the steering wheel you can change gears manually for a more involved driving experience. In order to part with the €250,000 asking price for a new one, I would need the Celtic Tiger to make a fast return.
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