Road Test: Aston Martin DB9 V12 2dr Volante

Pack a hat. And a scarf. And gloves. And, just to be safe, another hat. Unless you're planning on driving your DB9 Volante either a) with the roof up or b) across Death Valley, you'll want to wrap up warm.

Even cranked up to 11, its cabin ventilation coughs out the most asthmatic puffs of warm air, a wheezy pub hand-dryer to the face-blasting industrial fans of those peskily efficient Germans.

Even so, the Volante is the DB9 we'd have. In fact, it's possibly the Aston we'd have. Despite Aston claiming the new Volante is 30 per cent stiffer than its predecessor, this isn't really a car for flat-out lunacy. It's about cruising and making a scene, and appreciating to the full that glorious symphony emanating from its tailpipes.

And, besides, if you want something big, convertible and noisy and wish to drop around £142,000, what else would you spend your money on? Mercedes SLS? Ferrari California? McLaren Fax Machine? All too expensive, too upthrusting. The Bentley Continental GTC? We are great fans of the new V8 Conti, but it's a bit... Premiership, not to mention 115 per cent less attractive. The DB9 is in a flawed, beautiful class of its own.