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Aston Martin DB9 by Minichamps

The DB9 continues a long line of Aston Martins to wear the DB badge. The 'DB' name originates from the initials of David Brown, who owned the company for a considerable part of its history, and can be traced back as far as the 1940s. The beautiful design is predominantly the work of Ian Callum, who also penned the DB7, and the DB9 is the first car to be built at the new Gaydon factory. It has been reported that this car was given the name DB9 because Aston Martin were keen to emphasise how much of a leap forward this car was over its predecessor, the DB7. The DB9 features lightweight materials everywhere from the suspension to the dashboard. Other stories suggest that the DB8 name was avoided because it implied that the car was fitted with a V8 engine, rather than the 450bhp, 6 litre V12 that it boasts. Aided by the relative lack of weight, this engine can accelerate the car from 0-60mph in under 5 seconds and onto 186mph. These figures are impressive bearing in mind that the car is designed as a grand tourer rather than an out-and-out supercar. There is no doubt that the stunning design, superb performance and improved quality make this a very desirable car, and one worthy of the DB moniker.

The model is from Minichamps 1:18 budget line, and so sells for around the Ł20 mark. Packaging is a window style box.

Exterior

A good place to start the review and a good result for Minichamps. The overall shape and stance of the car seem to capture the beauty of the real thing, and there are no obvious mistakes. Panel gaps are adequate, but not up to the standard of a premium model. Openings are not perforated but this is not particularly obvious except on very close inspection. Perhaps the most obvious are the vents in the bonnet, which are clear plastic pieces with a grille design on them. Headlight lenses fit well but the bulbs behind are a little lacking in realism, in particular the orange piece used to simulate the indicator. Rear lights are good enough. They lack depth slightly but are free of any attachment stubs. Side indicators are unfortunately only white paint, though neatly applied. The front grille is nicely defined - perhaps not so nice as the Autoart DB5 but a lot less crude than the Maisto DB7. The exhausts are only partially hollow, and this is more obvious than it could be due to the fact that the inside is not finished in a dark colour. Aston Martin badges are neatly applied, and are raised from the surface of the bonnet and boot. Number plates are nicely applied but the lettering does not look exactly as it should on a proper UK plate. Overall, the exterior appearance of this car is good, and looks more expensive than it really is.

Score: 7/10

Paint

Not much to say here. Paint seems to be smoothly and evenly applied, with no obvious flaws on my car. There don't appear to be any issues with colour matching, and while there may be better paint jobs this one is nothing to worry about.

Score: 8/10

Tyres and Wheels

Tyres look a little bit plastic on this model, due to the fact that they are too shiny in appearance, but the tread pattern is well defined. As with many 1:18 road cars, the tyrewalls do not have any markings on them. The 10-spoke wheels on the real car are gorgeous and Minichamps has replicated them well. The shape and form looks spot on, and the Aston Martin badge and wheel nuts are very well done. Another strong point of this model which further adds to the superb exterior appearance.

Score: 7/10

Brakes

The brake discs are relatively simple silver/grey discs with the correct grooves cut into them. In real life the discs appear more metallic but Minichamps has not done a bad job, and they are preferable to the over-shiny discs often seen on Maisto models. Perhaps surprisingly for a budget model, the discs turn independently of the calipers, a nice feature, and the calipers themselves are the same finish as the discs, with the basic detail moulded in, although they are unmarked. The extra handbrake caliper on the rear discs is also present. Overall, very competent, especially for the price.

Score: 7/10

Engine

Under the bonnet, which stays open by itself, there is a reasonable replica of the DB9s V12. There are a few seperate pieces, but many parts are all moulded from one piece of plastic. However, the engine looks quite realistic as a whole. Intricate details are not present as would be seen on more expensive models, and although this is clearly one area where Minichamps saved money, the overall appearance is not a dissapointment in this price bracket.

Score: 6/10

Interior

The weakest area of this model, which is not helped by the fact that you are afraid to open the doors and look inside due to their apparent flimsiness. They feel very light and wobbly, and as a result they droop a little when opened. This is not an isolated fault and it is a pity, although this fault shouldn't put you off what is generally a nice model. The interior itself is clearly another area of cost saving, with no texturing at all on seats or floors. However, although the materials are not the best, the detailing is still ok. There are not many individual parts but buttons and dials are neatly painted on. The distinctive wood finish (maybe bamboo?) is not very well replicated, being made simply with pieces of creamy orange painted plastic, without any detailing to replicate the wood itself. In summary, the interior is the most obvious example of cost cutting on this model, but compared to interiors in this price band it is not so bad, and for most people who do not display their models open it really isn't that big a deal.

Score: 4/10

In conclusion, this model is a fine purchase for the price range it falls into. Externally it looks a lot more expensive than it actually is, and though there are signs of the cost-cutting necessary to bring the model down to this price, the positives outweigh the negatives on this car. A nice investment for fans of this car.

Overall Score: 6.5/10