Despite its 141mph top speed, the DB4 is happy to trickle along without snatch at 15mph in top, pulling away smoothly as the throttle is opened.Hit 4000rpm and the Aston piles on the pace with an electrifying surge.
Second and third gears have a maximum of 76 and 115mph and second, in particular, is a devastating overtaking gear. To some extent the 0-60mph time of 8.5sec doesn’t fully reflect this; the test car had a slow, notchy gearchange.
Steering, on the other hand, is quick and positive, if a little heavy on tighter bends. Directional stability is superb and although the suspension is quite soft by sports car standards of a few years ago, it’s well-damped and provides both a comfortable ride and vice-free handling.
On a car of this sort, brakes play an all-important part, and the Aston Martin’s hydraulic, servo-assisted Dunlop discs produced some of the best retardation figures recorded in Autocar road tests.
