Page 20 - Wayne Carini's Guide to Affordable Classics

Ian Callum managed to integrate traditional Aston Martin styling cues like the shape of the front grille and side vents with a modern profile.
When Aston came back to America in 1996, the company had sold about 700 DB7s since the start of production. That doesn’t sound like much, but it was by far the greatest volume the company had ever achieved. Sales remained high in the new market and total production surpassed 1,000 cars before the end of that year.
Twelve Cylinders are Better than Six
By 1999, the DB7 was successful enough that Aston could flex a little muscle. The old Jag-derived inline six-cylinder engine was finally retired in favor of a new Cosworth V12. The new Aston engine displaced almost six liters and made 420 horsepower and 400 lb ft of torque. Paired with a six-speed manual transmission
or a five-speed automatic, the new DB7 V12 Vantage, as it was dubbed, would hit 60 mph in five seconds flat on its way to a top speed of 184 mph. The DB7 V12 Vantage Volante convertible was also released, with performance only a tenth of a second slower than the coupe.
In 2002, Aston followed up with the release of the DB7 V12 Vantage GT and GTA. The GT model added 15 horsepower to the Cosworth engine when paired with a manual transmission, while the GTA with a Touchtronic five-speed automatic transmission
In order to obtain greater performance, Aston Martin switched to a V12 engine developed in cooperation with Cosworth that produced 420 horsepower and 400 lb ft of torque. In Vantage GT trim it produced an additional 15 horsepower.
Introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in 1997, the DB7 Volante was the fastest open car that Aston Martin had produced up to that time.
18Wayne CariniAffordable Classics