Show of hands, who checked out the Cadillac Seville STS before looking more closely at the white car? You’re a true CC’er. But this post is about the white, ahem, excuse me, “Morning Frost” car – a sight that was completely unexpected on 3rd Street (Hwy 287) in downtown Laramie this Friday morning.
I figured that for many of us this might be the only time we ever get to see one of these, and there is no need to wait twenty years before someone sees one curbside somewhere. While Aston’s aren’t really “rare” anymore, what is rare is a new one that doesn’t look exactly like every other has has looked like for the last two decades. While they are all pretty, they have also become pretty familiar, so the slightly less subtle changes they have been making (at least to the rear and sides) are welcome. Progress, dontcha know…
Traffic was mighty thick this morning (at least five cars visible in total) and moved exactly at the 30mph limit. We all drove in lockstep for about seven or eight traffic lights but I was never able to get any closer to or in front of the Aston. I did hear it taking off impatiently every time only to be thwarted at the next light. The lights in Laramie do seem to be timed, but timed so they turn red every time you approach one.
I spent a little time on the Aston Martin website this evening and still cannot figure out how to tell if this particular example is powered by a twin-turbo V8 producing 503 hp or the twin-turbo V12 producing 608hp. I did see that the starting price for the (relatively) poverty-spec twin-turbo V8 is an eye-watering $198,995. Plus destination, I assume.
What is interesting is that Aston actually offers their cars in a wide range of attractive colors including blue, red, green, and many others. Of course “some people” still pick the white one, just like their plumber’s van. It’s alright, I’m just a little jelly…
However, I’m not nearly as impressed by supercars as I used to be, nor do I really aspire to ever own one anymore, but I do like and appreciate that this person chose something a little out of the ordinary. Aston Martin obviously has a very rich history and has produced some absolutely stunning and iconic vehicles (don’t look up the Cygnet).
Choosing one, I believe, does set you aside from the norm at least a little bit relative to the more “normal” choices such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, and perhaps some of the more rarified Porsches I suppose. Then again, this one might just be rounding out the collection.
Actually, upon reflection, I take that bit about not aspiring to own one back a little bit. If I had to replace my Porsche and I wanted something vaguely similar but different that fulfilled the same purpose and I had a bit more money to spend, I think I could make do (oh, the suffering!) with a decade-old Aston Martin Vantage V8 like the one pictured above. It’s simply about the looks. As with the Porsche I could easily find myself in the garage sitting on a stool just looking at it. The bonus of course is that if you’re happy doing that, there is no worry about things breaking when driving it…
Outfitted with temporary plates from the State of Tennessee, our subject car has seen a great roadtrip of around 1300 miles so far; I assume it drove up Hwy 287 just like I did this morning and it kept going north on Hwy 287 after I made my turn to go hang some cabinets and continue working on some drywall issues in my rental property with two houses on it that cost a lot less than this car did…Granted, however, the Aston looks in better shape (currently).
I’m not entirely sure where Hwy 287 goes beyond downtown Laramie, but it’s likely that the ultimate destination for this car is nearby as I-25 and I-80 will take you to more major metropolitan areas far more efficiently and almost as scenic as where this road goes…Then again, it could just be an international student at the University of Wyoming just like at many other campuses these days.
Oh, and as for the Seville STS, I’ll keep an eye out for it, Laramie apparently has more Cadillacs than I gave it credit for. Great green color, too!
Quite the sight for Laramie, I’d say. While I agree that this newest Aston has taken strides to look new/different (I literally cannot tell some of the previous Astons apart since they look so similar), I’m not really a fan. The tail lights remind me of the ones on the Honda Civic (and also the newest Accord and Volvo S90). The roofline is Toyota-esque, with awkward “floating” blacked-out pillars. And there are the gashes on the side (like the front fender air vent was sliced out of the front wheel arch), and “slices” running down the hood. I do think the front is a nicely done update of the classic Aston “face”–it’s probably the best part of the car, styling-wise, inside or out.
I totally agree on the older Vantage–I’d much rather have one of those than one of these.
At first I wasn’t a fan, probably because I found the DB9 and DBS to be utter works of art. Seeing a DB11 in the metal changed my mind… There was one on display at an upscale shopping mall here, in this dark brown colour, and it was breathtaking. I stopped to ogle it for a very long time.
Very good point that seeing a car “in the flesh” can change your perception of the design. Hopefully I will get the chance to see this one in person before too long.
Don’t know if you watch the new Jeremy Clarkson show “The Grand Tour,” but they had an episode which featured Clarkson driving a DB11 that was painted in a reddish brown. The show made a gag of it, with Clarkson calling it “red” and James May and Richard Hammond calling it “brown.” I’m wondering if this is the color of the car you saw on display? Given my obsession with car colors–and my belief that all brands, but most especially luxury brands, should offer cool/unique/memorable shades–I am happy to see that Aston is showcasing unconventional colors.
A UPS truck generally represents what Will likes in a vehicle color 🙂
What I like about Astons in general is that the color palette, while not limited to shades of gray, also generally doesn’t stray in the other direction towards the garish. I can certainly appreciate a bright yellow or green depending on the car, but the offerings on this one as well as most of the rest of the line are all mature and “classy” if that’s a good descriptor. In fact, the white with black trim/roof shown here may in fact be the most out there color offering in the standard catalog. It gives it a bit of a cold/techy look, very different from the feel of the other pictures that I plucked from the web site. I’m sure it’d also be an option (for a sum of money) to have it produced in whatever color one would prefer as is the case with some other manufacturers.
Haha on UPS Brown. Though I’m sure Aston would call it something like “Personal Parcel Mahogany.”
Also agree that Aston is wise to avoid the garish colors of the type you’d find on cars like Lamborghini and Bugatti. Aston Martins are more subtle, and its unique shades are interesting/unique but still discreet and tasteful, like the signature Aston Martin Racing Green.
Great thread guys… I enjoyed these comments as much as the article.
Jim: great picture, and awsome you got the opportunity to photograph such a great and rare car. Don’t be so hard on Will though for liking brown. I’d say I have to agree with you, Will. I know it has such a seventies vibe, but on some cars it looks great. I’d love to see this DB11 in the “Chocolate Ganache” color that Jeremy Clarkson’s show seems to be describing.
GN: Describing UPS Brown as “Personal Parcel Mahogany” is Priceless. You win the internet for today. ? That Civic of which you posted a picture must be the concept car before it came out. I wish my Civic Coupe had taillights like that. I also like those exhaust ports. Pictured below is the production model I own in “Arest Me Red” LOL… actually, I think Honda calls it Rallye Red, although every time the service writer at the dealer writes it up, they call the color Milano Red.
Ha, I just like giving Will a hard time…My second car (1980 Audi 4000) was a dark non-metallic brown color, pretty much like the UPS hue and it was one of the Audi Rally team colors back in the day too so I’m all in as brown goes. And yes, nowadays there are many gorgeous brown tones out there that can often completely change the “feel” of a car.
The Honda red for many years was called Milano Red so that’s probably where your service writer gets that from…
Haha, you know me too well Jim!
The supercar bug left me relatively early on, I admittedly admire the classics since they often brought with them true technical innovation and some cutting edge styling ideas, but I feel after the mid 70s or so they just became toys for overgrown boys, simply emulating the truly innovative ideas and running with distinguishing tropes like scissor doors forever and ever. That and with no truly competitive racers based on production models, and top speeds of what are strictly street driven models well over the 200mph mark, they just seem all the more pointless to me. They were fast beyond average human capability 60 years ago, and today so are many current plebeian production cars. I wholeheartedly agree that the customization and color options are enviable however, I’d much rather see automakers mimicking that than the Jordan sneaker styling of them
As for Aston Martin, the only modern one I liked was the original DB9, it seemed more like a personal luxury car with its clean lines and nice interior, but every subsequent update to it and every other model of Aston has become more sleek and racey than the next, culminating in this frankly hideous DB11, which is modern Ferrari levels of ugly. But I’ve never been much of an Aston Martin fan, as they weren’t even on the map when I was an impressionable kid. And really when they came back it was with retro lookalikes of the DB5, and just like every retro car, or movie remake, or song cover, I always prefer the original.
As an aside, my social test for real car people is to steer the conversation towards dream cars, new, old, doesn’t matter, and if they start throwing around Aston Martin, Ferrari, etc. I know I’m conversating with a novice. I’m not rude about it, but in my head I’m asking “what are you, 5?”. I mean they catch my eye in the wild, as did this Aston over the Seville, but it’s the same way when I’m flipping through channels and pause when I see an old movie or show I thought was great as a kid, but I still move on from it.
Oof, Matt, I was somewhat agreeing with you up until that last paragraph. I think that’s a bit harsh, and this is coming from someone who has just never had any real interest in supercars (I couldn’t even name Ferrari’s current lineup).
I don’t think it’s fair to say someone whose primary objects of automotive lust are supercars is a “novice”.
Yeah, I kind of wanted to edit it in less snobby sounding way or even just delete that part immediately as I posted it, but the 503 error nixed the edit window. The tongue and cheek didn’t exactly come through the way I had in mind.
“Hideous”? Just because it’s legal doesn’t mean you have to smoke it.
Doesn’t mean you should design cars on it either…
The owner of this car would not be very happy with me because at initial glance I thought for a brief second “Hmmm, new Camaro?”
I’m kinda like Matt above, I have a tendency to yawn at anything that stickers for over $100K. I mean, those are just sort of pretend-cars, aren’t they? Not like anything that inhabits my real world.
I suppose I could get into an intelligent conversation with someone about one of these – if the conversation centered on the car’s unique engineering features. But my impression of most folks who would be impressed by one of these would contribute not much more than “It’s like . . . DUDE!” to the conversation.
I guess I would sum up by saying I could appreciate it . . . as a car. Unfortunately, it is usually nothing more than a fashion accessory.
Looking the car as a fashion accessory is interesting considering car enthusiasts are notorious for the good taste about cars and bad taste about clothes.
There is a chance the dude driving that Aston is dressed Jay Leno’s style.
Well, styling is subjective and everyone has an opinion, which I respect. However, just look at this thing!
https://db11.astonmartin.com/en-us
IMHO it’s right up there with the XKE, Avanti, and ’63 Riviera. I couldn’t afford any of those either. I’m just talking about styling, regardless of price.
I’m just gonna jump in here and say “if I ever win the lottery…”
At first glance I thought it was a Tesla. Loved the DBs from the sixties and for an unexplainable reason the angular Lagonda anything after that just boring.
I tend to agree with Matt and JP, supercars have no longer become my thing. In some respects, there are some I think are decent and I’ll always have an affinity for the classics, but after overexposure in so many racing games, they leave me with nothing more than a yawn. In some respects, I blame the Veyron, because it seems more and more like supercar manufacturer’s are just trying to go as fast as possible without anything but top speed to back it up. While I don’t like the Veyron, I will at least give it the respect it deserves from a sheer engineering and technical perspective. It’s like how I have little interest in sportbikes anymore, once Suzuki came out with the first Hayabusa, everyone was more concerned about going fast at the expense of everything else. In my opinion, if you were to take away the whole acceleration and top speed figures of these vehicles, and everything else it has to offer is mediocre at best, that’s not really a great product worth the asking price, as such I’ve become cynical whenever people tout horsepower, 0-60 times, and all these other figures because it tells me right away, it probably doesn’t have much else to offer.
But, with that said, I do find the DB11 attractive. Aston Martin’s styling has left me cold throughout the years, as I’ve often felt their cars became indistinguishable from one another. It was literally like looking at an army of clones. The DB9 was the only exception to that, as I thought that car still looks great even after all these other models and years. The DB11 is the first car since the DB9 I’ve really liked, it just has something about that I can’t explain, but the design works in a way that grabs my attention and that I can truly appreciate, something other Aston Martins haven’t been able to do. But, I don’t know if I would buy one. Even though their more expensive, I’ve often thought of buying a Rolls Royce or Bentley as a hypothetical lottery car, because those sort of cars I feel offer more for that price point. Supercars are expensive yes, but if you can’t take advantage of the performance aspect, I feel it’s a waste, especially given the drawbacks they’re known for.
I agree with you on Aston’s lineup. As beautiful as Astons have been since the late 1990s, they do all kind of blur together.
I can appreciate a Ferrari or a Lamborghini for its technical excellence but if I was crazy rich, it’d be Astons for me.
My problem with Aston? Under Ford ownership, they gave all the Fords the “Aston face”. Now I can’t tell an Aston from a Fusion (or whatever they call Ford sedans these days).
Same her, and along with the other sentiments expressed here I also find super cars childish and a bit pointless, but at least it employs people here in the UK and James Bond driving a BWM was just not right
My problem to. The new Fiesta looks like an Opel Astra/Hyundai !30 with an Aston nose,must sell cars as Fait copied it with the Punto.
Modern super cars bore me. The styling isn’t right for me. I wouldn’t own one if I could afford one, which I can’t, and if I could my hips would never forgive me if I did. That said, about 4 years ago, a Ferrari blew by me on a slow curve and I was mesmerized by the sound of it. That engine sounded like the perfect chord that I have never heard before or since. Just by the burble of the exhaust, I knew that there was something special in the engineering of that car.
I’m going to go out on another limb and say White isn’t the best color for that car. Same as the C7 Corvette- too much black cladding.
“Somewhere west of Laramie there’s a broncho-busting, steer-roping girl who knows what I’m talking about.”
What do you think Ned Jordan would say if could travel ahead in time and see this Aston-Martin? Would he see a parallel to his creation?
No, I didn’t look at the STS first. When I did look at it I thought it was a Catera.
We’ve got a decade old V8 Vantage. I adore it. Those 32 valves ticking happily, not masked by turbo whine. The stick. All that leather. I always think of the auto journalist who called it “a thug in a Saville Row suit.” Perfect.
And it’s been perfectly reliable. OK, the stupid nav conked out. But it’s never left us at the side of the road, never required extensive repairs. So, well, the new clutch ran $7,000. But no complaints.
We keep it, despite having slotted a 911S in above it. Because we love it.
Now this is a COAL I would love to read!
One can get into a ’07-’09 Aston V8 Vantage with reasonable mileage for less than new BMW 3 series money. By exotic car standards they are fairly reliable and every-day drivable. One of the best exotic car bargains around for one of the all-time sexiest automotive designs.
Oooh, I’m with you on the manx-tailed Vantage V8, for me the tautest and prettiest iteration of their 20 years+ theme. Apparently no 911 to drive, but (again, for me) a much finer garage stool companion than the 996.
A question for the better informed. Why do so many cars from a base Kia to this slightly overwrought DB11 end with a black-painted faux or actual diffuser-effect ass? I always feel as if I should look away, lest I’m thought to be staring at the misfortune of someone who literally has the ass out of their pants. Why, stylists once went to great lengths not to reveal gubbins. I am continually reminded of those shameless baboons, even moreso when there are red bits of indicator or striping in the void. It isn’t just a case of “pull your damn trousers up” it’s “put some damn trousers on!” I mean, is it meant to be suggestive?
It is always a treat to see a supercar in the wild. Around here I get to see quite a few. In Silicon Valley there are a bunch of people with serious cash to throw around. When I see them I sometimes don’t know how to feel. Should I be appreciative to just see one of these cars in the flesh, or should I feel resentful because I’m being reminded how poor I am? Driving one of these is a shameless display of wealth. But this is not to say that their owners don’t enjoy or appreciate their machinery. These cars and their owners exist in another dimension from the common man, kind of like the Aurora Borealis or seeing a comet, interesting and beautiful, but they really don’t have any real connection or effect on my life.
Their existence shouldn’t detract from our enjoyment of the real cars that inhabit our dimension of the real living world. Mustangs, old Cadillacs and 1954 Fords. For the record, I do love the Aston. My favorite is the DB2/4 fixed head coupe from the early 1950s. (Tippi Hendron drove the drophead version in the movie “The Birds). My second is the DB7, that bastard child of Ford, Jaguar and TWR, the only model that could be accessible to me. Supercars, let them shine, it doesn’t cost anything to enjoy the view.
The Seville looks pretty good considering its probably close to being 20 years old.
To give them credit, Aston Martin have leveraged their heritage superbly into their newer cars. As with Range Rover though, it gets harder to differentiate models when you keep on keeping on with same same. Depreciation on this brand means you might actually get there Jim.
There are 2 possible ways to look at this…
1. Either the latest tax reform has widened the gap further so we are destined to see more of these “let’s rub their face” type of cars.
2. The effects of “trickle down economics” has finally materialized and the owner originally was shopping for a Golf.
Which do you think?
The reminiscent notion of “Somewhere West of Laramie” could have been the draw for this Aston to pass through town on its way to where ever.
I’ve been a car person since I was a kid, and for the most part have avoided unmitigated super car lust. However, with several notable exceptions within the pantheon of generally inaccessible cars, I have coveted AM’s above most others in that rarefied realm. Why? Not because they were the fastest, quickest or best handling, but because they oozed exclusivity and sophisticated elegance, whereas I always felt any poseur with the means could/would go and buy a 911/entry level Ferrari or something similar the day his ship came in. People who bought Aston’s had to have some vaguely different insight than those who did not.
I have considered buying an AM at several points within the last 20 years, and came very close. While I could manage it, the price was something that warranted very careful consideration – I was not and am not today a person who can blithely drop that kind of money on a whim. I find myself considering one again – maybe next year?
The DB 7 and DB 9 were stylistic home run balls in my mind and the minds of many others. Elegant, sophisticated styling and an undeniable but undefinable presence. The jury for me is somewhat out on the DB 11. I very nearly bought a DB 7 Volante (convertible in other words) in about 2002, but found it was very similar to my then current Jag XK8, the top still piled on the top of the rear shelf when down and it cost 2.5x as much. I just couldn’t do it, though I loved the basic style. The biggest miss of my car-buying life was not buying the BMW Z8 that I looked at around the same time. Instant classic and it has already appreciated back to or above it’s original cost. Stunning car that cost roughly $50k LESS than and AM DB 7 Volante at the time
I seriously looked at a Vantage 2 years ago and found it a bit confining, and also a somewhat truncated – though the car still had “it”, whatever that is.
I’ve seen very few DB 11’s, though super cars are very common in my city – just not in the winter. Seeing a DB 11 in Laramie in early March is indeed a shocker. I am primarily interested in the convertibles of these cars, though the styling aesthetic seems to better suited to coupes. I intend to look at the DB 11 Volante sometime later this year, though I am disheartened that it is no longer available with the V-12. It somehow misses the point, though not in any practical sense that I can isolate.
While I feel fortunate to be able to consider such follies as an AM, I also noticed the STS in front, and in fact always notice oddballs, survivors, drivers and other milquetoast variants of once common cars. I drive old cars and new ones, and I would emphatically state that it is a bit fatuous to suggest that those who like and especially can purchase cars such as the subject here are not CC’s, or who are remote from the culture represented on this site. It may be true in some cases, but not all.
Nice, I wish you luck in your search, and agree there is something just a little different re AM that makes them more interesting vs the competition. I wasn’t trying to suggest that one couldn’t be a fan of old and new as well, I’ve certainly run the gamut in that regard myself and was more riffing on an offline comment made by someone I showed the picture to who exclaimed “Ooh, an STS!”, a comment the readership obviously wasn’t aware of. There’s room for all kinds here, as Every Car Has A Story. Thanks for your insights!
“No need to wait twenty years before someone sees one curbside somewhere”
I actually found one just that way last summer already. Oh, Munich… (and ouch, my wallet)
“timed so they turn red every time you approach one”
Jim: the more time you spend in Wyoming the more you will discover that there is a native attitude in the towns that slow is good enough. I live in Cheyenne in the summer and not only are the stop lights either poorly or not timed, speed limits are low (compared to Colorado and especially to Arizona) and the natives are perfectly happy to drive the speed limit at maximum, and slower if possible. Of course there is no traffic, so there may never be a need to be stressed to get somewhere.
Some C&D writer called all this nanny regulation and compliance the “Anti Destination League”. There are very strong branches in Cheyenne and Laramie.
Now on the interstates driving to, say Sheridan or Evanston, that is different. Just don’t be in a rental car from California or Illinois or some other such suspicious place.
It is exactly as you say and actually it’s somewhat refreshing. The cities/towns are so small that it just doesn’t matter, if you want to actually get by someone just wait a few minutes and you’ll be back on a two-lane outside of the limits. Time simply moves a little slower, more time to smell the roses and enjoy the scenery!
Thanks for your input re: Wyoming over the last related posts BTW, it’s nice to get more insight from a local! I really like Wyoming.
Jim: Living there confirms the somewhat derided slogan that appeared on the state’s border greeting billboards (until about 2001): “Wyoming – like no place on earth”.
I didn’t even notice that there is a car in front of the Aston and you guys can tell the brand, year and model, that is impressive.
I have heard the V8 engine for this model is supplied by Mercedes Benz… is that right?
I know but you mean about people who buy new supercars and take the huge depreciation hit, but God bless ’em. Today you can buy a low mileage DB9 for £25k, I’m looking for the right one now, but just waiting for the recession to really kick in and make them even cheaper. Never been a better time to buy one of the most beautiful cars in the world and with a V12, what are you waiting for? Do it before the world is swamped with turbos, hybrids and electrics, last chance.