18th Sep 2002, 14:09
I do not enjoy that luxury and exotic car manufacturers use parts taken from regular cars. What they do is logical, maybe I would do the same if I were in their shoes. They are trying to get the costs down and as a result both the companies and their customers benefit. But there is also a non-rational, emotional side to it...
22nd Nov 2002, 11:29
Would it annoy you to know that the rear light units on a DB7 come from a Mazda 323? At least if you break one you can get one cheap from a Mazda garage rather than paying Aston Martin prices...
27th Jan 2003, 08:43
Errr... the DB7 is *NOT* hand-built. If it was, then the 'imperfections' probably wouldn't be there. Part of the problem is that they're producing this car to a lower budget to make an Aston more affordable to the masses (ie: like the Porsche Boxster).
9th May 2003, 13:02
TVR machine their own switchgear and fit bespoke lighting units and other accessories to cars costing half as much as this. There really is no excuse for such penny pinching on a car of this price.
Granted, in the scheme of things, it's not so important, but isn't it supposed to be the details that make a "prestige" car like an Aston worth the money? It's not as if the DB7 does things that a cheaper Jaguar XK can't do.
8th Sep 2003, 09:01
Having had a bash in a friends 1999 DB7 and being able to compare this to cars such as 911's, TVR Cerbera's & Tuscan's, as well as a host of regular "fast" production cars, I can disillusion anyone reading this that thinks any DB7 is anything to do with a mini!!
What I would say, is that it is great medium between an out and out sports car and a Grand Tourer. A to B is fast and comfy, without any of the annoying squeaks, drama's and scary moments you get out of a Porche or Japanese turbo.
What I would say is that, once they resolve their reliability, TVR's are more satisfying. They feel more powerful, they are more precise and you can live with them just as easy as a DB7, and they are truly British god-damn-it!
11th Dec 2003, 12:20
Is everyone missing the point with their DB7 v 911 v Tuscan comparisons. The point is the DB7 is an Aston Martin. If James Bond had driven a TVR I get a sense that Ian Fleming would have died a poor man.
It may be cheaper than a Ferrari, but the Aston name is easily the most prestigious marque in the world.
10th Mar 2005, 22:53
...Aston Martin, with such a cherished history and racing pedigree, at such an expensive price, is now posing in the limelight of the past, with the heart of an economy car motor sourced from the company who bought them. That flies in the face of the inspiration that built the Aston name in the first place. I don't buy the argument that Aston couldn't afford their own motor. TVR manages to do it, and they aren't even exported to the US. Aston, on the other hand, has ten times the pedigree of a TVR, but with Ford ownership, one only wonders what kind of pedigree they'll have in ten years. I certainly doubt if the Ford V6 sourced V12 engine will survive on the race track like the previously engineered and constructed motors Aston Martin build themselves.
23rd Aug 2005, 01:59
That engine might be Ford V6 sourced, but it's been designed, built, and tested by Cosworth. I don't think there'll be any worries somehow. As for the Ford V6 itself, Noble don't seem to be having any problems with it, even tuned to the order of 150 bhp per litre! Don't forget, this engine is designed to cover 100,000 miles between major services!
25th Aug 2005, 14:14
The DB7 is hand built. The fact that the body is perfect is down to the skill that's possessed by the engineer that put it together (they are hand built).
Secondly, why are TVR and Aston Martin in the same sentence. TVRs are made of plastic and smell like the inside of a shopping bag. They are built to a far inferior standard to that of the DB7.
And who ever wrote the review quoting from pistonheads.com; I'd say take everything on that site with a pinch of salt, i.e. they like to talk rubbish.
Go to that site if you like Subaru’s, not Aston Martins.
4th Jan 2006, 06:34
Journos talking drivel; how true! One springs to mind in particular. He presents one of those trendy U.K. auto shows on television- is it "5th gear" or "Top Gear" or something? He is simply nauseating. Waffles a lot; says very little of substance. And can`t drive.
14th Jan 2006, 07:55
20 mpg is thirsty? You cannot be serious. Even if you got half so what? Most sports car of this nature are not bought for economy or even driven every day at that. My thoughts are is you at all concerned with fuel economy you bought the wrong car. I think I checked my mpg on my cars once at best and then forgot about it. I am more interested in having a dyno sheet instead.
18th Jul 2006, 12:12
Aston Martins being compared to the likes of a TVR.. yeah, that's like comparing a Relient Robin to 911 Turbo (ones plastic and one isn't). If you're going to compare two cars, at very least pick something similar.
And as for the TVR being british, sorry guys, but this is simply not true (some use the Chevvy engine (GM USA), others have used the Ford Block (Germany).
Come on Aston and good riddance TVR (now owned by USSR).
10th Oct 2006, 06:58
TVR has only used one engine in the last 15 years that it did not design itself - the Buick / Rover V8. The current Speed Six unit and the later V8 fitted to the Cerbera are both bespoke, "ground up" TVR units, designed by British engineer Al Melling.
21st Dec 2006, 10:19
Folks,
There's a lot of talk on these pages about the virtues of British Cars. True, we have made a few cars that rank amongst the finest looking cars ever made, but the reality is that many of the worst cars ever made have come from our stables. Very few "British" cars can claim to have the reliability of even a 1980's Lada. In fact, I can't think of a single one!!
17th Jan 2007, 12:11
I have owned my 1998 DB7 for one month, and not only is it the most beautifully styled car I have ever owned, but it is also the most exciting to drive, even though it has the 3.2 6 cylinder engine, I find it more than adequate for todays roads and traffic conditions, and in sport mode auto transmission it is truly stonkingly fast, and overtaking lesser cars is a pure joy. I am 53 years old, and probably in a mid life crisis, but I owned a DB6 22 years ago, and I loved that car also, but I have to concede that the DB7 is faster, more beautiful and far more refined, and perhaps because of my age, more enjoyable, and to feel 20 years younger when I am driving it is good enough for me. It is a very special car, and because it is my toy car, as we have a van and a family volvo for everyday use, it is always a special event when the opportuniy arises for me to drive it.
17th Jan 2007, 13:35
Yes, I think 335 horsepower would be "more than adequate" for normal travel duties.
Geez, where is your house, on the Nurburgring?
5th May 2009, 18:09
I always had the dream to own an Aston, now I have a 1998 DB7 and what can I say? I know it is not the best, and it is uncomfortable, noisy and with a lot of failings, but I assure that when I am in front of my DB7 or driving it, I feel pleasure. I now also own a BMW 645ci that it is faster, smoother and so on, but it hasn't the distinction, history and elegance of the Aston cars.
I don't care if the DB7 fails, I love driving it.
17th Sep 2010, 15:15
I own a 1996 DB7 i6 and a 2007 Nissan GT-R.
Yes, they are two vastly different animals. The DB7 is a piece of living art, and the 480-hp Godzilla is just a machine.
You don't talk performance when you drive the DB7 i6. You should only enjoy its styling. It is, quite truly, the only reason for purchasing this car.
25th Jun 2002, 05:58
The DB7 uses a straight 6, not a V6.