In certain parts of Southern California, daily sightings of late-model Aston Martins and Lamborghinis are nothing out of the ordinary. So, what do you do when you desperately want everyone to notice your sweet ride? The answer, a prominent Aston Martin dealer believes, is pastel paint.
Newport Beach’s Aston Martin is in the heart of one of the most automotive (and actually wealthy) areas of California. The cool car-per-capita ratio is high enough to have spawned the original Cars & Coffee at the area’s Crystal Cove shopping center in 2006, so you can imagine what an Aston owner has to do to get noticed. As such, the dealer has painted five models in five different shades of bright colors, each one unique from one copy.
For the paupers, the Vantage Coupe is finished in a metallic light purple called Ultra Violet for $ 195,680. Next comes a Vantage drop top in an even lighter purple called Cardamum [sic] Violet for $ 203,880. Seemingly made especially for a social media influencer or celebrity on the D-list, the $ 239,836 DBX crossover is in an Easter egg pink called Vibrant Coral. For our moneyless pick, it has to be the DB11 V8 Coupé in Butterfly Teal ($ 271,059). At the top of the range is a baby blue DB11 Volante in Clear Water ($ 290,192).
Each room has an Obsidian and Ivory leather interior, with custom finishes to match the exterior. These come at a price, of course, and the cost of these inlays ranges from $ 3,649 for the DB11 Coupe’s to $ 8,300 for the DBX’s. Most are between $ 5,000 and $ 6,000, which is a ridiculous amount for a handful of interior trim. On the downside, exterior paint is $ 10,600 on all models except the DBX, where it costs $ 12,000 for decals, which isn’t bad for a high-end custom paint job.
According to Aston Martin Newport Beach CEO Jeff West, each of the colors is inspired by the California coast. The pair of teal and blue DB11s are inspired by the clear Southern California skies and the cool, peaceful waters of Crystal Cove; the purple and violet hues on the Vantage echo the flowers on the hills, and the vibrant coral DBX pit from the warm tones that are present in the cliffs above the ocean during our unique sunsets. “
While the colors may seem extreme, they have a more understated and flavorful quality than some of the custom purple or lime green wraps ‘designed’ by social media influencers roaming LA. And in a world of car colors dominated by grays, they offer a welcome splash of clarity.