Stallion vs Bulldog

It's Italy vs England, or in this case, unadulterated aesthetics versus extreme beauty with functionality thrown in too. Not to say the Ferrari California is to be categorized purely in terms of the hedonistic visuals, of course – it’s still a lot of fun, like a coupé and a spider in one. There have been more pronounced and fierce national rivalries than with our easygoing, slick haired, panino-guzzling Mediterranean friends, but we’ll throw this one out there simply because the Aston, frankly, makes us look great. Any country would define themselves by it, and it alone, if it could. So since it could be a while before you actually own one of these and are thus limited to visuals, it’s probably best to skip the California and move straight on to the Aston Martin.

2009 Ferrari California

If you’re still with us, it’s worth pointing out that the Ferrari California is a contentious beast, but when said beast behaves this well contentiousness can be a moot point. Indeed, when the front-engined V8 arrived with a boom at last year’s Paris show, the boom was more a rumbling of discontent at the supercar’s ‘neither here nor there’ characteristics than the clap of thunder that punctuates the arrival of such deities as the Veyron or Zonda. The problem, according to some quarters, was the meld of sports car-cum-GT-cum-retractable-hardtop convertible with retro leanings and a recycled name. Luckily for you, we don’t deal in ‘quarter’ measures – this is a car to shout about from Modena’s rooftops, because the upside is that good. The California is faster than you would expect – a top speed of 193 mph and a corresponding intensity in acceleration, going 0-60 in a sizzling sub-four seconds. By all accounts, the noise of this thing is quite something too, belching out a ungodly howl from deep within the bowels of the V8, a sound to rival the roar of Pavarotti as the California storms to a standing quarter-mile in a fraction over 12 seconds. With the roof up, the experience can be severe on the face. In our opinion, what isn’t so tough on the eyes, though, is the body. The California is a retro visual experience in many ways; both angular and curvy, with Pininfarina in charge of the design. It has some features like a low-mounted rear brake light and indicator, which further the controversy. You’re paying around $190,000 for this Ferrari, but think of it as value for essentially two cars in one, the aforementioned fusion of coupé and spider. That’s not good enough for some people, but Senior Project Engineer Roberto Corradi expects a high percentage of conquest sales and many customers to subject the model to high miles and ‘regular, year-round use’.

Aston Martin DBS

In an August 2009 Exec Digital issue, we had a nostalgic look at the legendary DB5 as a vintage car, complete with all the Bond references you could expect from an article about the heavily-gadgeted icon. Needless to say, it’s not a bad association for Aston to have had over the years. This edition, the DBS roars onto the scene, not that you need ears when you catch a glimpse of the aesthetic wonderment. The Vantage, profiled in our March issue, was pretty much the greatest Aston ever. It was official, from those whose veins coursed with motor oil to the most fringe of car enthusiasts. What was slightly more quantitatively official was that it was the fastest Aston ever, launching from 0-62 in 4.2 seconds and reaching a limited 190 mph. Did anyone think there would be an Aston to rival that one? Not I. This is a nice way to be proved wrong. It also looks as good as a DB9, and don’t let anything you saw on a certain BBC2 motoring show tell you otherwise.

This car costs slightly more than the Ferrari mentioned above. There is a reason for that, in my opinion. It may be Bulldog by nature but you would be well advised to keep the image of a flat-faced pug with severe breathing difficulties well separate. Remember, the day you actually see a bulldog this beautiful is the day you purchase it and drive it away.

Lest you find the analogy a little labored, in my defense there are some similarities with the aforementioned canine. Like you’d expect from a bulldog, power is king. The DB9’s 450bhp is increased here to 510 bhp, still with the same 5.9 litre capacity and torque reaching 420lb/ft.

Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes rein in the speed for the first time in a roadgoing Aston Martin, and there are new adaptive dampers from Bilstein with soft and firm modes each with five automatically controlled settings. Inside, there’s more carbon fibre, ample aluminum (including the knob for the six-speed manual gearshift) and no rear seats, the spaces being used for storage instead. There’s a choice of front seats: slightly sporty or semi-racing.

Overall, these cars have their own idiosyncracies, but it comes down to less of a battle between two nations essentially respectful of each other and more of a appreciation of two widely differing animals with a few striking similarities. Of course, no sane person could say they would prefer to have people see a California in their driveway than a DBS, and so, just this once, the Brits can at least claim a rare victory of aesthetics.