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EASILY the most gorgeous new car I’ve driven this year comes from a tiny British automaker that has just returned to America.

Make that gorgeous and expensive.

The new Aston Martin DB7 coupe and DB7 Volante convertible sell for $125,000 and $135,000, respectively.

With this pair of two-door models, Aston Martin returns to the United States after not selling cars here for two years. Not that Aston was ever a major player. In fact, in the 40 years from the time it sold its first DB2 in the United States in July 1950, Aston Martin and its corporate twin, Lagonda, have sold only 1,800 cars on these shores.

Aston and Lagonda are now owned by the Ford Motor Co., which is why they can come back at all. Ford also owns Britain’s legendary Jaguar. Not coincidentally, I see much similarity in the DB7 Volante and the Jaguars of recent vintage. The richness of interior detail and the lovingly crafted exteriors closely parallel. The DB7 is based on a Jaguar platform and liberally borrows its components.

In my eye, however, the Aston Martin is the more lovely car. The current Jaguar sedans have stunning skins, but they still seem old-fashioned and rather sedate on the inside. The Aston Martin, on the other hand, has a timeless beauty inside and out that is complemented by a more aggressive personality.

This is a car for someone who appreciates the attention that a unique automobile will bring. In the four days I spent in the DB7 Volante, I must have gotten 10 inquiries about what car I was driving. They came from a T-shirt-wearing worker in a beat-up pickup and a well-coiffed businesswoman at the bank. All nodded approvingly. And for everyone who asked, another 10 gave the DB7 second looks or quickly turned heads.

They gazed upon this car’s elegant lines, its long hood and distinctive grille. Standing directly in front or in back puts this car at its best angle.

This car is a long time coming to the United States. It debuted at the Geneva International Motor Show in 1993. In 1994, a panel of Italian artists and designers picked it as one of the ”most beautiful cars in the world.” Since then, more than 600 DB7 coupes have been sold in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. It became available in the United States in spring.

The car we tested was painted silver with a slate gray and black interior. The cabin was comfortable, with bright walnut trim and rich leather upholstery. Roominess was adequate. The back seat was so small, however, that I first overlooked it. Children or pets would feel confined back here. Packages wouldn’t complain. The trunk, too, at only six cubic feet, is tiny. But these are details that probably won’t distress an owner of this car.

Power comes from a supercharged, 3.2-liter, in-line six-cylinder engine that makes 335 horsepower and 361 pounds-feet of torque. When fed through a four-speed automatic, the engine gives the DB7 a refined, executive feel. You won’t be left at a stoplight, certainly, but you’re unlikely to win an autocross either. That’s because as pleasant as this car’s acceleration might be, its weight comes through when you negotiate tight corners. Still, suspension and steering are quite nice.

The engine comes from Jaguar. The transmission from General Motors. A Getrag five-speed manual also is available.

The DB7 has an Alpine cassette deck. I loved its intricate features, which let me set three AM and three FM stations without having to switch between AM and FM. However, it had tiny buttons and was impossible to decipher without a long session with the owner’s manual.

The car’s top worked well, but it, too, required a bit of reading to operate.

SPECS

What we drove: 1997 Aston Martin DB7 Volante convertible, a two-door, rear-wheel-drive convertible with an all-aluminum, supercharged, dual-cam, in-line six-cylinder eng ine and a fo ur-speed automatic transmission.

Base price: $135,000

Price as tested (includes destination charge): $136,300

0-60 mph time: 6.2 seconds

Top speed: 155 mph

Curb weight: 3,750 pounds

Length: 182.9 inches

Turning circle (curb to curb): 40.4 feet

Standard features: ZR-rated, 18-inch tires; Connolly leather interior; heated power door mirrors; power windows; AM/FM Alpine stereo with cassette; power seats; cruise control; remote central locking; CD changer; dual air bags; side-impact door beams; anti-lock brakes; anti- theft alarm with immobilizer.

Options on test vehicle: None

EPA figures: 16 mpg (city), 24 mpg (highway)