Aston Martin DB9

With James Bond making use of the DBS and the long-awaited four-door Rapide finally under production, the DB9 could appear as the lost sheep in the British premium sports car company’s flock. Priced mid-range between the V8 Vantage and DBS the DB9, a vehicle advertising by Aston Martin as ‘the definitive sport grand tourer’, enters into the 2011 model year undergoing an automotive equivalent to a spa renewal treatment.

Far from requiring any reconstructive surgery, the exterior and interior appearance of the so-called ‘revised DB9′ coupe and Volante is only slightly retouched. Lower intake ducts on the front fascia has been redesigned to better coordinate with the large primary grille. The Aston Martin’s air intake is accompanied by a refreshened look for the headlamp lenses. The hind side of the Aston Martin DB9 is also enhanced as the clear lenses over the taillights is now a standard offering.

While the premium car retains its 470 horsepower 6.0 liter V-12 engine, the new Aston Martin DB9 will simply look faster; particularly along the side. Aston Martin’s termed ‘hockey stick curve’ treatment along the bottom door sills is given an more pronounced presence as part of the refit. Engine power spins the large and enchanting 20-inch diamond turned alloy wheels over top of majestic silver brake calipers to complete the DB9’s stylish roll.

Putting importance on keeping the DB9 in vogue, Aston Martin has also committed efforts to insuring the V-12 engined two-door remains firmly connected to the road. Upon the greatest changes for 2011, the DB9 becomes the newest recipient of Aston Martin’s Adaptive Damping System (ADS). An option through the DB9 Sport Pack previously, the now standard equipment ADS is designed to provide optimum ride quality by constantly regulating and adjusting the car’s shock dampers. Featuring a driver-selected sport and comfort setting allows the new Aston Martin DB9 to whether reduce body roll around sharp corners or gracefully overcome ripples in a road.

Understanding that many of us will have to settle with admiring the Aston Martin DB9 from the outside, the privileged ones who get to admire the British sports car’s interior can find a few new changes. For the upcoming DB9s, options such as Double Apex alloy trim and a BeoSound Bang & Olufsen stereo system can now to added.

Priced a little higher than the current model, the new Aston Martin DB9 coupe price roughly equates to $185,648 U.S. while the convertible Volante running $199,328. The first of these DB9s are set for delivering within the month of July sending British motoring excellence across the globe once again.

Chrysler Sebring convertible

Much to our collective surprise, Chrysler's new Italian overlords have reportedly decided to keep the Sebring convertible alive and even give it a major refresh early next year. The Sebring and Dodge Avenger sedans are due to get their updates before the end of this year, and the Sebring could yet receive a new name. Most of those changes including reworked suspensions and improved interiors, and the company's new Pentastar V6 will migrate into the droptop in the new year.

As you may recall, back in the 1990s, the Sebring was consistently the top-selling convertible in America thanks to its reasonable price, relatively attractive styling and seating for four. The current model completely squandered that advantage by combining all the negative aspects of its sedan counterpart with a highly compromised design that includes three different tops including vinyl and canvas soft tops and a very finicky folding hardtop. So why keep the Sebring convertible around? According to AllPar, it's because they remain a favorite of rental fleets in warm weather states thanks to "move-em-out" pricing from Chrysler and demand for four-seat convertibles from vacationers.

Audi R8 GT

Audi dropped a very pleasant surprise on us this afternoon with the long-awaited announcement of the R8 GT.

The Audi R8 V10 was already one of our favorite sports cars in the world (sans the R-Tronic transmission) so how could you make it better? In the immortal words of Colin Chapman, "add lightness." But in a modern sports car required to meet rigorous safety standards, you can only go so far short of a complete redesign. Hence, the R8 GT's lightened chassis benefits from a power boost to boot.

The R8 GT swaps in a thinner glass windshield and polycarbonate rear windows and replaces many aluminum body panels with carbon fiber. By going over every part of the R8, Audi's engineers have carved a total of 220 pounds off the standard R8's curb weight.

The 5.2-liter V10 has been bumped from 525 horsepower to 560, topping its cousin, the Lamborghini Gallardo. The GT is only available with the aforementioned R-Tronic hydraulically actuated semi-automatic, and when pushed to its limit, the R8 GT is claimed to accelerate to 62 miles per hour in just 3.6 seconds and on to 124 mph in 10.6 seconds. The terminal velocity has been increased to 198.8 mph.

Only 333 examples of the R8 GT will be built and the price in Germany is €193,000 ($256,000 USD). No mention is made of U.S. availability, but we'd be surprised if Audi doesn't apportion a few for Stateside consumption.