New? Really?

That is the first thought to pass through the synapses when pictures of the ‘new’ Aston Martin DB9.

Seven years after the shape changed in essence, a reborn DB9 for 2011 has thankfully stuck to the old adage of ‘if it aint broke, don’t fix it’.

The 6.0-liter V12 still makes the 470 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque as before. However, the DB9 gets the adaptive damping system from the DBS and Rapide, deleting the option of the sports pack from the line-up.

The exterior changes are even less obvious. Place the old and the new together, and the only real changes on the outside are the front bumper, new mesh grille on the lower intake, and a trailing design crease flowing from the bonnet right through to the rear wheels.

Extreme enthusiasts traditionally abhor the ideals and objectives of the Soft Roader – slash - Urban Assault Vehicle, but the BMW X5 has always been a (slight) exception to the rule: handling, performance, and rather brilliant drivetrains.

Though it hardly counts as a sports car, the X5 gets some extra cred for creating an all-turbo lineup for 2011, which debuts in April at the New York auto show.

The turbodiesel 53d remains the same, but the petrol engines are now forced to breathe. The bog-stock 35i houses the lovely 300hp turbocharged 3.0-liter straight six, while the 50i inherits the X6’s stonking 400hp twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8.

Mild facial lifts include body-coloured bumpers across the range with gaping air scoops no doubt inspired by the top-spec M. And it looks a helluva lot better in X5 form than the polarising X6…