I like to think that my first impression of any car will be a very good gauge as to how I end up feeling about it after familiarisation. Perversely though, it never seems to work like that. The first time I saw cars such as the 1992 Honda Prelude, the Volvo 480 and the 1996 BMW 5-series, I was totally smitten by them, but after a few months I came to rather dislike them. On the other hand, I found the Maserati 3200 GT bland and unappealing on first sight, but these days I go weak at the knees every time I see one. It's the same with TVR - they take time to grow on me, but end up lasting far longer than an instant hit. I still find the Griffith and Chimaera incredibly desirable after all these years.

So on first seeing the DB9 Coupé at Frankfurt earlier this year, my sensation of distinct apathy boded well. Sure enough, during the last couple of months, it's been gradually growing on me, and now just to tease me further, Aston Martin have gone and released information on the Volante, due to be launched in Detroit on the 4th January 2004.

I am still a little unsure about the apparent length of the Coupé, and this carries across to the Volante as well. The view from the front is good, but the rear three-quarters view just looks a little uncomfortably long, and this is only emphasised by the decreased height without the roof. As far back as the door, the side profile of the Volante is identical to the Coupé, but the rear wings are significantly different. It loses the strong, sustained shoulder and instead drops away towards the light cluster in an altogether more feminine way, leaving the Coupé with bolder, simpler lines. As to what the Volante will look like with the hood up is as yet unknown.

Designed by Henrik Fisker, Aston Martin’s Design Director, the DB9 Volante is the 13th convertible from Aston and the first to be built at the new Gaydon facility. The move to Gaydon coincides with Aston's new VH platform upon which all future Aston Martins will be built. This is constructed from bonded and riveted aluminium and has been designed to be built in differing lengths to accommodate all cars throughout the range. VH stands for Vertical/Horizontal, but rather than relating to the physical layout of the platform itself it refers to the vertical integration of the components throughout the Aston Martin range and the horizontal spread of the platform across the Ford portfolio. The outer panels of the car form no structural part, instantly making cosmetic restyles a very simple matter indeed. The chances of a DB9 Zagato seem suddenly rather high (though hopefully more successful than the DB7 Zagato - Ed).

The Volante shares the same powerplant as the Coupé - an all-alloy 48-valve six litre V12. The 0-62 mph sprint is estimated at less than 5 seconds and the top speed is expected to exceed 180mph. It will be available with a choice of six-speed automatic or a six-speed manual transmission.

The conversion is as one would expect - a fully electronic cloth hood takes 17 seconds to fold back. The only significant novelty is that unlike the DB7, the hood now sits beneath a hard tonneau cover flush with the body. Rollover protection is provided by two roll-hoops from the rear headrests and strengthened A-pillars capable of withstanding twice the weight of the car. The boot capacity is an improvement on the DB7 - at 197 litres it can swallow an extra 27 litres. As the Volante was planned at the initiation of the DB9 project, the conversion has been a simpler matter than had it been an afterthought. It is expected to account for approximately 50% of DB9 sales, especially in the US market.

One wonders about the future of Aston Martin. Traditionally a gentleman's car, hand built at Newport Pagnell, things are now rather different, and for a bespoke English car that wears its own badge I would feel almost more comfortable in a TVR. However that is not to say I would turn my nose up at a DB9 Volante, which is after all still 'hand built'. By the time it is released I will probably find it to be a very beautiful car indeed, and providing it still has its maker's name on the engine (which it does - Ed), I would be delighted to spend a week reviewing it.

Image gallery of the Aston Martin DB9

Adam Jefferson - 26 Nov 2003