Well there’s a good reason for it.  The same guy, Ian Callun, designed them both.

Callum worked for Ford for 12 years but left the big conglomerate to join TWR (Tom Walkinshaw Racing) in 1990 where he was made Chief Designer. It was at this time that he designed for Aston Martin and was responsible for the looks of the DB7 (James Bond), Vanquish, and Vantage models.

In 1999 designer Geoff Lawson at Jaguar died and Callum replaced him. It was during this time that Callum designed for both Jaguar and Aston Martin.

Callum changed the long time traditional look of the Jaguar from a retro vibe to a more modern aggressive look starting in about 2005 with the XK’s. The body is almost identical to the Aston Martin DB9. When asked about the similarity Callum claims it is a “result of modern safety legislation” and I guess that explanation was satisfactory.  Callum also lays claim that “Jaguars should be perceived as cool cars and cool cars attract interesting, edgy people.”

I drove both, the 2005 Jaguar XK and the Aston Martin DB9 and for scooting around Orange County the 384 horse power Jaguar has plenty of power and style for me and the difference in price goes without saying. I also like the interior of the Jag better.

If you’re a celebrity, pro athlete, or surgeon, the Aston’s a great choice, but I would look at the Maserati before pulling the trigger on an Aston.