2013 Aston Martin Db9 on 2040-cars

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Aston Martin Vulcan being converted to road-going spec

The Aston Martin Vulcan wasn't designed as a road-going vehicle, but the two dozen buyers who've plonked down the $2.3 million to buy one may soon be able to drive on public roadways. According to Autocar, British motorsports engineering company RML is preparing a road conversion option for the Vulcan, apparently with Aston's blessing. The process will reportedly involve testing the engine for emissions, mounting some new lights, and running simulated crash tests. The ride height will likely need to be raised and the gear ratios altered, but nothing will be done to compromise the vehicle's trackability (such as removing any part of the roll cage). The undertaking is expected to cost six figures, which buy another road-going Aston but is hardly a drop in the bucket relative to the Vulcan's purchase price. Certification on a single vehicle type basis might not be feasible in all markets, particularly here in the United States, where two out of the 24 being made are said to reside. "When we went to market, there was hesitation from a few prospective owners because it didn't have a road pack... but RML said they had the ability to do it," Aston Martin chief Andy Palmer told Autocar. "It has taken a bit of time to work out what's possible from an engineering perspective, but we expect four or five owners will take advantage of this. We have the sales of the last two cars currently under negotiation and it looks like the road conversion could be the closer on those deals." The Vulcan is Aston's take on the likes of the Ferrari FXX K and McLaren P1 GTR: a seven-figure supercar designed neither for the road nor for racing, but just for their owners' enjoyment. Like its rivals, Aston Martin organizes special track days for Vulcan owners as part of a complete program, but unlike those mid-engined hybrids, the Vulcan is naturally aspirated, with its engine up front. Lanzante previously announced a similar road conversion option for the McLaren. RML's expertise lies principally in constructing racing cars – particularly touring cars. It previously collaborated with Aston Martin on the AMR1 Group C racer from 1989 (not to be confused with the later LMP1 prototype). It has also undertaken a number of road-car projects, particularly for Nissan (where Palmer used to work), developing such unique concepts as the Micra R, Juke-R and Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge. Related Video:

This Aston Martin DB9 with 104,000 miles on it makes us happy

The typical Aston Martin DB9 for sale has something like 14,000 miles on it, but 4,000 is pretty typical and a "high-mileage" example would be less than 40,000. And remember, the DB9 went on sale 16 years ago, lasted until 2016, and there isn't as much correlation between age and mileage as there are with other cars. Also remember, Aston Martins usually sit in garages collecting far more dust than, quite obviously, miles. Which is why we're oddly proud of this 2005 Aston Martin DB9 for sale that has 104,854 miles on it ... and the original owner who had the audacity and awesomeness to drive it that much. Good job, buddy. The second owner, prior to selling it to selling dealer, put only 4,000 miles on it since 2015. This plucky Aston-that-could is painted in what seems to be California Sage green with a Cream Truffle interior. With all those miles, such a light-colored leather is definitely showing its age and there's plenty of wear on the driver seat (especially the side bolster), but it's actually not that bad. The leather seats of cars with far fewer miles can look much worse. In fact, the interior in general looks great for such a high-mileage car, a testament to its owner's maintenance and Aston's materials and build quality. As mentioned earlier, it's rare that the latter gets tested so rigorously.  Now, would buying an Aston Martin DB9 with 104,845 miles on it be a good idea? Sure doesn't seem like it. Then again, buying a used Aston Martin always seems like it would be an expensive proposition, and maybe actually being driven has kept it in better working order? Maybe? The CarFax does show consistent service over the years. Of course, that could mean it was breaking all the time, but would you really keep something around that was breaking all the time?  Ultimately, the problem here is the price: Motor Car Classics in New York is asking $39,900 for it. A quick scan of Autotrader reveals DB9s with exponentially fewer miles for around the same money or even less. That includes Volante convertibles. This 2005 is only $4,000 more and has 36,000 miles. This one is also $4,000 more, but has 14,000 miles. However, pricing cars like this is very difficult and certainly none of those other DB9s were as well loved and enjoyed as this audacious green trooper. 

Channeling Bond in a 2005 Aston Martin Vanquish S

Spectre is nearly upon us, the next episode in the James Bond series bringing with it a conceptual peek at the future of Aston Martin courtesy of the DB10. As for how much Bond's new ride predicts the DB11 that will be offered to civilians, "elements" is the most concrete word we've heard to describe the bridge from one to the other, and that doesn't tell us much. Still in the dark about where Aston Martin is going, we recently got the opportunity to remember where it's been. Some friends of Autoblog at Regency Car Rental in LA told us we could borrow their 2005 Aston Martin Vanquish S, so we spent the day hunting nefarious types on twisty Malibu roads, then cruising the Valley looking for a tuner shop that could install a minigun. The Vanquish played a role in the 2002 film Die Another Day, back when Pierce Brosnan made a living as the roguish, rakish MI6 asset. The film rekindled the union between the agent and Aston Martin after a three-movie interlude in which Bond drove BMWs, including, oh-so-briefly, a Z3. Returning with a bang – make that thousands of large- and small-caliber bangs – Q Branch fitted the hero car with rockets, guns that could shoot incoming projectiles, machine guns, an ejector seat, and invisibility camouflage. On the chicest streets in the sleekest LA neighborhoods the Vanquish S still passes the look-at-me test. The Vanquish S we picked up from Regency didn't have any of that, but as indicated by that S at the end it did have more power and performance than the standard Vanquish in the movie. Horsepower from the 5.9-liter V12 went from 460 to 520 in the S, and this model also got stiffer springs, new suspension geometry, quicker steering, and 19-inch lightweight wheels. Exterior modifications were a wider, more curved grille, a front splitter (not present on this car), and a larger rear spoiler. On the most chic streets in the sleekest LA neighborhoods the Vanquish S still passes the look-at-me test – everywhere we went, men and women paid attention to our arrival. As for us, we're split on its looks right down the middle of the car. We've been fans of the front since the day of the reveal, especially the front fascia and headlights, but we're still not sold on the rear, starting from where the vertical line in the door where the sheetmetal expands into those trademark haunches. We didn't encounter anyone else with such reservations.