Is This $40,000 Aston Martin DB9 Your Ticket to the V12 Club?

Photo Source & Credit AutoPark Dallas

Overview

Aston Martins have always been understated beauties. With their timeless, not-in-your-face designs, they often go unnoticed—until you decide to floor them, of course. If you’re a “look at me” kind of person, you might not be thrilled with the Aston Martins of the mid-2000s because you’re not going to get much attention from average folks. That doesn’t mean the car isn’t a looker, but it’s not a Ferrari or a Lamborghini looker. Regardless, this car is arguably one of the sleekest and most beautiful GT cars on the market, and it certainly has a fanbase.

Anyways, if you’re like us and always on the lookout for “cheap (automobile) thrills” (that might end up emptying your bank account), you’re going to love this Volante!

The Aston Martin That Costs Less Than a Honda Pilot

Let’s first talk about what’s on offer. This low-mileage (24,816 miles) 2006 Aston Martin DB9 V12 Volante Convertible is up for sale at AutoPark Dallas. The car is in great condition for its age and comes with a clean Carfax report. It is also finished in an optional $750 Elusive Blue shade, which, honestly, makes it look even more elegant.

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This DB9 is powered by a hand-built, naturally aspirated 5.9L V12 engine producing 449 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque. Power is sent exclusively to the rear wheels. Interestingly, this model isn’t a manual, which is actually a blessing in disguise because the manual transmissions from this era’s Aston Martins are best avoided. The torque converter gearbox, while not as sharp as a dual-clutch transmission, still offers commendable shifts and is surprisingly reliable. The paddle shifters are column-mounted, which takes a bit of getting used to.

One thing to note here is that this engine, being a ‘British V12,’ delivers linear performance, unlike the more throaty and meth’d out Italian V12s. It won’t give you bowel-shaking acceleration, but the car is no slouch either. You don’t buy an Aston Martin to drag race it. It’s obviously a quick car, and that V12 roar is incomparable to most, if not all, cars on the road.

How much does a used Aston Martin DB9 cost?

Depending on the mileage and overall condition, you can get your hands on one of the cheapest V12 engines in the range of $50,000 to $60,000. The asking price for this used 2006 Aston Martin DB9 Volante is $39,995. For comparison, the car had a base MSRP of $165,000 when it was new in 2006. Talk about depreciation.

How Reliable Is the Cheapest V12 Car?

This era of DB9 didn’t have that many notable issues and a lot of niggles were actually taken care of in the 2007 and beyond models. Even though the car doesn’t have that many miles on it, it is still a highly depreciated foreign exotic, so in-depth research before pulling the trigger is highly recommended. Some common issues associated with the 2003-2006 Aston Martin DB9s are misfires and coil issues.

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Aston1936 has a wonderful article and a YouTube video breaking down the costs of owning and maintaining a similar generation DB9. This is a must-read to get an idea of the overall expenses you might end up facing when buying such cars. We all know that exotics depreciate like crazy, but their parts and insurance costs remain the same for the most part.

If you believe you have what it takes to own this high-maintenance yet affordable V12 beauty, this might be your chance to experience one of the rarest forms of ICEs produced and become the budget Bond in your neighborhood.