The Aston Martin DB9 is a two-door grand touring car produced by the British carmaker Aston Martin. Produced between 2004 and 2016 and designed by Ian Callum and Henrik Fisker, the DB9 was available as both a coupe and a convertible, the latter termed the "Volante". Succeeding the DB7, which Aston Martin produced from 1994 until 2004, the DB9 debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2003, while the Volante debuted at the same motor show in the subsequent year. It was produced in Gaydon, a village in Warwickshire.

The DB9 is built upon Aston Martin's vertical/horizontal platform, which employs extensive use of aluminium throughout the body. Aston Martin implemented several incremental updates to the DB9, termed "facelifts". The first two updates—which occurred in 2008 and 2010—involved minor changes to the headlights, tail-lights, engine and interior. The most noteworthy update occurred in 2012 when Aston Martin introduced a completely redesigned front fascia for the DB9. The headlights were the most significant update, which gave the car a design reminiscent of the 2011–2012 Virage.

The company's racing division, Aston Martin Racing, adapted the DB9 for sports car racing in the form of the DBR9 and the DBRS9 for the FIA GT1 and the FIA GT3, respectively. These cars are extensively modified DB9 models adapted for motorsport; the interior features were removed, and the aluminium body panels were replaced by carbon fibre panels. The engine was modified in both cars to produce more horsepower and torque.

Name

The letters "DB" are the initials of David Brown, the owner of Aston Martin between 1947 and 1972. Although the DB9 succeeded the DB7, Aston Martin did not name the car DB8 due to fears that the name would suggest that it featured a V8 engine—the DB9 has a V12. Reports indicated that Aston Martin held the belief that naming the car "DB8" would suggest a progressive evolution, given that the DB9 marked the introduction of an entirely new vehicle.

Background

In 1994, Aston Martin, which Ford Motor Company owned at the time, began producing the DB7, a grand tourer positioned as an "entry-level" vehicle. It was the only Aston Martin that incorporated a steel monocoque construction, which was designed by Jaguar—a company that Ford also owned at the time. Designed by Ian Callum, the DB7 was available as both a coupe and convertible, the latter known as the Volante. In 1999, Aston Martin began manufacturing the DB7 Vantage, which featured a V12 engine developed by Ford in the United States. It became so popular that it started diverting sales from the six-cylinder model, leading to the latter's discontinuation later that year. The DB7 remained in production until 2004, when Aston Martin had produced about 7,000 examples. It was the best-selling Aston Martin of its time, though it was eventually surpassed by subsequent models.

In the latter part of the 1990s, Aston Martin established a model plan where the cars would introduce various new technologies. Ford invested heavily in producing an improved engine and structural technology to create an all-new platform; this helped reintroduce Aston Martin's status as a more desirable automaker. The first of this new era of cars was the Vanquish, introduced in 2001 to replace the Virage. Following the rejection of previous product proposals, the replacement for the DB7 was announced as the "DB9". This platform, namely the "vertical/horizontal", would underpin every Aston Martin produced between 2003 and 2016.

Development

In July 2000, Ford appointed Ulrich Bez as chief executive officer and chairman of Aston Martin. The entry-level DB7 was due to be replaced by a car with the project codename "AM802", slated to be a 2+2 grand touring car. During this time, a third project was in development, codenamed the "AM305". It was to be a smaller, two-seater car intended to compete with the Porsche 911 and the Ferrari 360. This car became the Vantage in 2005.

Callum was appointed as the lead designer for the AM802 project. With the abrupt death of the designer Geoff Lawson in 1999, Callum had to alternate between designing at Jaguar and Aston Martin. Between 2000 and 2001, Bez requested that he work on two cars, the DB9 and what would become the V8 Vantage in 2005. Much of this was at the Jaguar design centre in Whitley. When Aston Martin appointed Henrik Fisker as the lead designer in 2001, it allowed Callum to focus principally on Jaguar. Although the DB9 was completed by Fisker, the basic shape was done by Callum; when asked by the magazine Car and Driver how much he had contributed to the vehicle, Callum replied, "I would say pretty much 100 per cent, including the interior. Maybe not the colour and trim and wood finishes but certainly the surfaces of the car."

Numerous DB9 pre-production prototypes and concepts were tested over various locations globally, amassing over 1,000,000 miles (1,600,000 km) collectively. Aston Martin conducted testing at the Ford Lommel Proving Grounds in Belgium as well as high-speed testing at the Nardò Ring in Italy, the Nürburgring in Germany, the MIRA test track and the Millbrook Proving Ground, the latter two in the United Kingdom. Aston Martin subjected vehicles to hot-weather trials in Death Valley, the world's hottest location, and cold-weather evaluations within Sweden's Arctic Circle. Further tests occurred in New Zealand, encompassing both summer and winter conditions. Aston Martin deliberately destroyed most of the cars but three were retained and appeared in the 2006 film Casino Royale. Following their cinematic appearances, all three vehicles were rendered undriveable.

The car debuted in September 2003 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The official series manufacture of the DB9 coupe began in January 2004 at the Gaydon facility in Warwickshire, England, marking the first model built there. In a 2007 interview, Bez stated that, though Aston Martin was traditionally a maker of more exclusive automobiles, he believed that the company needed to be more visible and build more cars. At launch, Aston Martin planned to produce between 1,400 and 1,500 examples annually.

Design and technology

As opposed to its predecessor that featured a steel monocoque construction, the DB9's "vertical/horizontal" platform employs extensive use of aluminium. The body structure comprises aluminium and composite materials melded together by mechanically fixed self-piercing rivets and robotic-assisted adhesive bonding techniques. The bonded aluminium structure possesses more than double the torsional rigidity of its predecessor despite being 25 per cent lighter. The DB9 also has anti-roll bars and double wishbone suspension supported by coil springs. The rear suspension incorporates additional anti-squat and anti-lift technology to control heavy acceleration or braking. While DB9's exterior skin mostly consists of aluminium, the front bumpers and bonnet are made of composite materials. The DB9's platform is also used by the Rapide, DBS, Vantage, Virage, 2012 Vanquish and the Lagonda Taraf.

From the outset, Aston Martin intended for the front passenger cabin of the DB9 to incorporate a spacious, comfortable two-seater design; the rear passenger cabin was to be used more commonly as stowage space. The car's interior design was inspired by the 2001 Vanquish's but there were many alterations to differentiate the cars. The air vents were mounted lower, leaving space for the pop-up satellite navigation positioned above. The switchgear layout differed, except for a row of five round controls positioned approximately level with the steering wheel. Instead of the Vanquish's red starter button, which was often described as "vulgar", Aston Martin opted for a clear glass button engraved with the brand's name, which illuminated blue when the ignition was on and red during engine operation.

The DB9's interior is upholstered in leather and has a walnut wood trim. Satellite navigation and Bluetooth were initially optional but became standard in later models. Later models also offered a Dolby Prologic sound system connectable to satellite radio, a six-CD changer, an iPod connector, a USB connector, or an auxiliary input jack. The coupe comes standard with two front seats and rear seats. A seating package, which removes the back seats and replaces the front seats with lighter seats made of Kevlar and carbon fibre, was available, deducting 17 kilograms (37 lb). The boot capacity is 187 L (6.6 cu ft) in the coupe or 136 L (4.8 cu ft) in the Volante.

The Aston Martin DB9 uses a 5.9-litre V12 engine. This generates 570 newton-metres (420 lb⋅ft) of torque at 5,000 rpm and a maximum power output of 456 PS (335 kW; 450 hp) at 6,000 rpm. The DB9 can accelerate from 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) in 4.7 seconds and has a top speed of 299 km/h (186 mph). Its front mid-engine engine design improves weight distribution. The DB9 could be equipped with either a six-speed conventional manual gearbox manufactured by Graziano Trasmissioni or a six-speed ZF Friedrichshafen 'Touchtronic' automatic gearbox featuring paddle-operated semi-automatic mode. The automatic gearbox increases the 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time to 4.9 seconds, though the top speed remains the same. The gearbox is rear-mounted and is driven by a carbon-fibre tail shaft inside a cast aluminium torque tube.

The DB9 launched with 483 mm (19 in) wheels, with the front ones measuring 216 mm (8.5 in) in width and the rear ones at 241 mm (9.5 in). Featuring Bridgestone Potenza 235/40ZR19 tyres in the front and 275/35ZR19 in the rear, the car's braking system relies on Brembo four-piston callipers.

Updates

In 2008, Aston Martin implemented a facelift for the DB9. The car was largely unchanged; the updates included stylistic tweaks such as door mirrors resembling those of the DBS model, revised wheels and a grille with new elements integrated into its traditional design. The DB9's 5.9-litre V12 received an increase of 20 horsepower (15 kW) and 31 newton-metres (23 lbf⋅ft), achieved by increased compression and a deeper sump, reducing friction as the crankshaft moves through its oil bath. The car's maximum speed was raised to 306 km/h (190 mph), achieving a 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration in 4.6 seconds. The car also received a revised "Touchtronic 2" gearbox with an electronic shift-by-wire control system.

In June 2010, Aston Martin implemented another facelift for the DB9. Adjusted by Marek Reichman, the updates involved a refreshed front bumper, clear tail-lights and more defined wings. A smoother body contour decorates the door sills, extending from the updated front fascia to the rear wings. Aston Martin updated the DB9's Bluetooth system, implemented a tyre-pressure monitoring system and included a new "Double Apex" aluminium trim finish. Buyers could upgrade to a Bang & Olufsen stereo sound system. About revising the styling of the DB9, Reichman quoted that "the beauty of an Aston Martin comes from harmonious proportions, a ground-hugging stance, taut surfacing and a complete and thorough attention to detail [...] The DB9 epitomises these qualities; it is beautiful but subtle—not attention seeking."

In October 2012, Aston Martin unveiled the most substantial facelift of the DB9, which marked the end of the brief tenure of the second generation Virage. Designed by Reichman, the facelifted DB9's most prominent changes lie in its exterior. Aston Martin made significant changes to the bodywork by adapting design cues from the Virage such as enlarging the recessed headlight clusters with bi-xenon lights and LED daytime running strips, implementing a new five-bar grille and integrating a new rear spoiler with the boot lid. The upgraded V12 increased its power output to 517 PS (380 kW; 510 hp) and torque to 620 N⋅m (457 lb⋅ft). The car's 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time decreased to 4.5 seconds, and the top speed stood at 295 km/h (183 mph). Aston Martin also introduced three driving modes: normal, suitable for daily driving; sport, offering enhanced precision at the expense of comfort; and track, intensifying the characteristics of the sport mode. The car's final update, the DB9 GT, increased its power output to 547 PS (402 kW; 540 hp).

Variants

DB9 Volante