My-Dream-Cars reviews Aston Martin DB9

The Aston Martin DB9 is a thoroughbred sports car with GT levels of comfort and refinement. Combining Aston Martin’s unique character with an uncompromising design philosophy, the DB9 was borne out of a synthesis of traditional craftsmanship, high-tech manufacturing, modern components and use of the finest materials. The Aston Martin DB9 is a 2-door, 4-passenger luxury sports car, or convertible sports car, available in two trims, the Coupe and the Volante.

The DB9 is both a full-blooded sports car and a hugely capable grand tourer. Whether in Coupe or Volante form, it offers a supreme combination of driver involvement, character, luxury and refinement.

Power, Beauty and Soul
Beautifully styled, the DB9 never fails to stir the soul with its unique sound, power and performance. This purebred sports car is also a technical triumph, its beauty signifying aerodynamic efficiency, its power unencumbered by weight, its devastating straight-line performance paired with exquisite handling. All great sports cars strive to balance these qualities, and the DB9 creates an experience that is both unique and unforgettable. What the driver sees, hears and feels is in harmony. The reward is total involvement: a level of engagement that truly stimulates the senses, that re-ignites a passion for driving.

But an Aston Martin is also about luxury, indulgence and enjoyment – it is a feast for the senses. Sure enough, the magnificent exterior styling of the DB9 gives way to a sumptuous, comprehensively equipped cabin, trimmed in the finest materials. Every element is perfectly conceived, from the 6.0-litre V12, to the hand-stitched seats and carefully selected interior woods. Nothing is out of place.

Design
No sports car manufacturer has a greater design heritage than Aston Martin. Responsible for some of the most beautiful sports cars ever made, Aston Martin imbues every model with understated elegance and graceful styling, achieved through harmonious proportions, taut surfacing, a ground-hugging stance and thorough attention to detail.

An Aston Martin is subtle, not attention-seeking. The coupe’s side profile is clean and distinctive, with a single-sweep roofline that flows through to a distinctive tail. Key Aston Martin design elements include the distinctive grille, metal side strakes, signature rear window shape and wide, curvaceous haunches.

Good design, however, is not just about form; it is also about function.
An Aston Martin is by definition very fast, so it needs to be aerodynamically efficient. It must be superbly stable at high speed – even the exhaust silencer is aerodynamically shaped to help achieve this. The result is that the DB9 drives arrow-straight at high speed yet, like all great Aston Martins, it does so with supreme elegance and grace.

The DB9 was designed from the outset as both a coupé and a convertible, an uncompromising approach that epitomises the engineering philosophy behind the car. The DB9 Volante is therefore one of the most structurally rigid and best-handling convertibles in the world. It is also one of the fastest and quietest.

As with all Aston Martins, beauty and balance are critical. The DB9 Volante is perfectly proportioned from every angle, roof up or down. The convertible top retracts at the single push of a button and swiftly stows beneath a hard tonneau cover that closes flush with the rear bodywork, leaving the lines of the car flowing and unbroken.

The Volante’s elegant folding fabric roof is light and durable. A layer of Thinsulate® material insulates the cabin from both noise and the elements when the roof is up, and optimises headroom for the driver and front passenger. There is also no loss of practicality – the folding fabric roof is compact when stowed, allowing the DB9 Volante to retain its rear seats and ample boot space.

Safety is a major consideration in a convertible. Special tilt sensors detect the possibility of a roll-over and deploy two strengthened hoops from the rear seat headrests. Further protection is offered by the windscreen A-pillars, which have been rig tested to withstand more than twice the total weight of the car.

Control
Great sports cars must handle superbly. They should respond quickly and predictably to driver commands; they should be nimble and agile. To achieve the low weight that is the starting point for such agility, all the DB9’s major body and mechanical components are made from either aluminium, magnesium alloy or advanced, lightweight, composite materials.

The front-to-rear weight distribution of the DB9 is a perfect 50:50, with 85% of the car’s mass sited between the front and rear axles. The aluminium V12 engine is mounted as far back as possible in a ‘front mid-engined’ layout. The compact aluminium transaxle housing the gearbox and final drive is positioned at the rear, forward of the rear axle.

A lightweight and rigid carbon-fibre propeller shaft, housed within a cast aluminium torque tube, transfers torque from the front mid-mounted engine to the rear mid-mounted transmission, helping to give the DB9 its superb poise, balance and stability.

The result is a car that can be driven with great ease and precision, thanks to the flow of communication through the steering. The DB9 excels not because it has myriad electronic controls added in an attempt to overcome compromise, but because it has an inherently light and rigid structure, perfect weight distribution and finely tuned suspension.

More than any other quality, the DB9 seeks to serve up the richest driving experience in the sports GT class. It serenades the driver with its balance of engine and exhaust notes, provides scintillating performance and agility and has a seductive blend of fluent steering and linear controls. This combination of performance and luxury makes the DB9 both an exceptional out-and-out sports car and an ultra-refined GT.

The DB9 cabin is focused on the driver, who sits as low and as close as possible to the car’s centre of gravity. Combined with the rigid body structure and all-aluminium, double-wishbone suspension, the result is unfiltered feedback of the car’s dynamic behaviour. This unparalleled two-way communication – car to driver, driver to car – is at the very core of the DB9’s design philosophy.

The steering, power-assisted for lightness, is superbly responsive, helped by the car’s low weight and excellent balance. The large disc brakes – 355 mm diameter discs at the front and 330 mm at the rear – are ventilated and grooved, to aid cooling and boost braking performance. Radially mounted, four-piston, monobloc calipers provide great stopping power with a firm yet progressive pedal feel.

The DB9’s active safety – the ability to help avoid an accident occurring in the first place – begins with its inherent agility and responsiveness. The lightweight, rigid body structure and superbly tuned suspension and steering are further aided by a host of advanced electronics. These include Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) and the latest-generation ABS brakes which, should the system detect loss of grip, combine to help keep the car stable and balanced.

Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and Emergency Brake Assist (EBA) are also employed. EBD balances the front-to-rear braking bias, to give optimal braking performance. In an emergency, EBA sensors detect when maximum braking is required and automatically apply the appropriate force.

The DB9 offers class-leading safety with a rigid aluminium structure designed to provide a supremely robust passenger cell. Occupants are further protected by extruded aluminium crumple zones at the front and rear of the car. Crash and safety testing was conducted at the world-renowned Volvo Safety Centre in Sweden.

Dual-stage driver and passenger airbags, seat-mounted side airbags and seat-belt pretensioners offer additional protection. In the Volante, roll-over hoops are automatically and instantly deployed from the headrests in the event of an accident.

The DB9 is equipped with an integrated Passive Anti Theft System (PATS), which uses a rolling code electronic ignition key to prevent unauthorised engine start-up. It also includes the very latest in vehicle alarm systems, featuring parametric sensors and double locking for doors.

Craftsmanship
The DB9 is elegant, luxurious and supremely comfortable. Its cabin is hand-trimmed in beautiful, natural materials – primarily wood and leather – and incorporates the latest in modern technology without resorting to superfluous controls or displays. There is a minimum of distraction – even the satellite navigation screen folds discreetly away when not in use.

Every element of the interior is hand-made and hand-finished, from the cutting of the leather to the carefully crafted wood. This is done not out of deference to tradition, but because a skilled craftsman can finish wood or leather to a far higher standard than any machine. The leather is particularly soft and supple, as you would expect of Aston Martin, and is used throughout the cabin.

The wood trims are inspired by hand-finished modern furniture and there is a choice of five: Walnut, Mahogany, Bamboo, Tamo Ash and Piano Black. In every case, ‘single-piece’ cuts are used, rather than tiny strips or thin appliqués. Crafting such large pieces of wood is only possible when done by hand.

The use of aluminium on the dashboard, instrument panel, centre console and door handles reflects the aluminium structure that underpins the entire car. The finish is stylish and contemporary, yet the material itself is steeped in automotive tradition.

The DB9 has exceptional equipment levels, as one would expect in a high-performance sports car with GT levels of comfort and refinement.

The driver’s first interaction with the powerful V12 engine is a blend of tradition and high technology, with a touch of theatre. The ignition is controlled by a stainless steel and glass ECU (Emotion Control Unit), designed to be as tactile and refined as a fine timepiece. The ECU is inserted into a special docking station set within the traditional clear glass starter button. Pressing the ECU flush with the surface of the starter button fires the engine. After pressing once again to stop the engine, the ECU rises out of its slot within the button so that it can be removed.

The centre console has clear, crisp graphics, with a traditional analogue clock at the centre flanked by rotary controls for the heating and air-conditioning system. These solid, turned aluminium controls also operate the audio system, integrated Bluetooth telephone and ultra-quick Hard Disk Drive (HDD) satellite navigation functions.

Audio is provided by the 700 W Premium Audio System with Dolby® Pro Logic II®. Designed exclusively for Aston Martin, this system features high-quality, fibre-optic electronics, which pass audio signals with marvellous precision and near-perfect clarity. The console also includes a slot for the six-CD auto-changer, while beneath the centre armrest there is connectivity for iPod and MP3 players.

Full Bluetooth integration is standard on the DB9, enabling you to synchronise your mobile telephone directory through the car’s display screens. It can also display the last 10 calls received, made and missed.

Aston Martins are hand-built cars, made to order, and this bespoke approach enables the provision of any combination of paint and leather trim colours. There is, however, an extensive palette of standard body colours and interior finishes, carefully chosen by Aston Martin’s design team to complement the forms, materials and surfaces of the car.

Twenty standard paint colours are available, categorised as either ‘contemporary’, ‘fast track’ or ‘special’, and varying from subtle metallics to the brightest hues. In addition, twenty shades of the finest, softest leather, nine colours of carpet and five choices of wood trim complete the standard range. For the DB9 Volante, there are eight hood colours available, from Black to Sandstorm.

Standard features include satellite navigation (where available), rear parking sensors, Bluetooth telephone connectivity, cruise control, powerfold mirrors, tyre-pressure monitoring and heated front seats. Additional options are available, including diamond-turned alloy wheels, personalised sill plaques and a bright-finish grille.

The DB9 was the first Aston Martin to be produced at the company’s factory at Gaydon in Warwickshire. Hand-built by technicians and craftsmen at a series of work stations, it benefits from the superior levels of finish and exclusive design details that would be impossible in a mass-produced car. The paintwork of each DB9 undergoes 50 man-hours of painting, polishing and finishing to achieve the perfect surface.

Engineering
The DB9 is technologically sophisticated and meticulously engineered. Its development programme includes rigorous testing in locations as diverse as Nardo in Italy, Death Valley in the USA and inside the Arctic Circle in Sweden. In total, more than one million testing miles have been covered.

Design and engineering innovations include the organic electroluminescent displays (OEL) in the instrument pack and centre console, which provide greater clarity and resolution, as well as LED (light-emitting diode) rear lamps designed to project further and react more quickly than conventional systems.

The propeller shaft is particularly innovative: it is manufactured from carbon-fibre for lightness and improved transmission refinement. The ‘swan-wing’ doors are another elegant and ingenious design feature, opening out and up to improve access and prevent the doors being scuffed on high kerbs. The DB9 also pioneered the use of ‘ultrasonic’ welding, which is 90% stronger than conventional spot welding, and results in a better finish, yet uses only 5% of the energy.

Aston Martin has developed its own incredibly light and strong aerospace-specification bonded aluminium structure. This unique ‘VH’ (Vertical Horizontal) structure gives the DB9 one of the most structurally efficient body frames in the car industry. Its huge rigidity aids handling, driver feedback and safety. More than any other single component, the advanced aluminium structure is the reason for DB9’s extraordinary nimbleness, responsiveness and overall character.

However, it is not just the body structure that is light and rigid. Other components have been developed with weight reduction in mind, from the aluminium V12 engine and transmission to the forged aluminium suspension and aluminium-bodied dampers. Even the windscreen surround is cast aluminium, while the door frames and inner panels, steering column and gear change paddles are all made from magnesium.

The result is that the DB9 is up to 1300 lb (590 kg) leaner than some other GT cars. That’s the equivalent of six adult males, plus luggage. This light weight, allied to class-leading rigidity, contributes to improved acceleration, agility, steering response, braking and fuel economy, as well as a significantly heightened driving experience.

Lightness and balance make the whole driving experience more pleasurable – from the deft movement needed to open and close the graceful, ‘swan-wing’ doors, to the touch and feel of every control on the dashboard.

The DB9, more than almost any other sports car, is in harmony with its driver, and in harmony with the road.

iPod Integration

The DB9 features a complete integration package for iPod personal digital media players from Apple, allowing the iPod to be seamlessly incorporated into the dashboard display and electronic systems.

The iPod range is integrated into the DB9 via a specially designed interface, bringing the functions of this award-winning range of digital media players into the car’s in-dash display. Finger-tip controls replicate the innovative menu structure of the iPod to ensure that your hands need never stray from the wheel in the search for the perfect accompaniment.

The iPod is docked with the DB9 via a cable located in a compartment in the centre arm-rest, which also provides the iPod with power. There is ample space available, allowing all types of iPod, including the iPod touch, iPod nano and iPod classic, to be used in conjunction with the car. A power socket, auxiliary input and USB interface allow the connection of other media players.

Once docked with the cable connection, the iPod menus are replicated on the DB9′s main display. The driver can use either the selector wheel or two steering wheel buttons to replace the iconic click wheel interface of the iPod, allowing one to safely navigate through the music on the iPod without the need to take your hands off the wheel.

Full iPod functionality comes as standard, meaning one can browse through up to160GB of music on the move, switching between artists, albums, playlists or simply shuffling random tracks as the mood takes you. With up to 40,000 songs at your disposal, the perfect combination of road and soundtrack are never more than a few clicks away.

Playback is through Aston Martin’s Premium 700 W Audio System – standard equipment with the DB9 – with a Dolby® Pro Logic II® circuit developed exclusively to provide outstanding sound quality.
iPod is a trademark of Apple Inc.
SPECIFICATION

Body

• Two-door coupe or convertible body style with 2+2 seating
• Extruded aluminium bonded VH body structure
• Aluminium and composite body panels
• Extruded aluminium door side impact beams
• High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps (dipped beam)
• Halogen projector headlamps (main beam) with power wash
• LED rear lamps

Engine

• All-alloy, quad overhead camshaft, 48-valve, 5935 cc V12
• Front mid-mounted engine, rear-wheel drive
• Fully catalysed stainless steel exhaust system with active bypass valves
• Compression ratio 10.9:1
• Max power 350 kW (470 bhp/477 PS) at 6000 rpm
• Max torque 600 Nm (443 lb ft) at 5000 rpm
• Acceleration (manual) 0-60 mph in 4.6 sec; 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 4.8 sec
• Acceleration (automatic) 0-60 mph in 4.6 sec; 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 4.8 sec
• Max speed 306 km/h (190 mph)

Transmission

• Rear mid-mounted, six-speed manual gearbox
• Rear mid-mounted ‘Touchtronic 2’ six-speed gearbox with electronic shift-by-wire control system
• Alloy torque tube with carbon-fibre propeller shaft
• Limited-slip differential
• Final-drive ratio (manual) 3.54:1
• Final-drive ratio (automatic) 3.154:1

Wheels & tyres

• 19” alloy wheels – ten spoke design
• Front 8.5J x 19” Bridgestone Potenza 235/40 ZR19
• Rear 9.5J x 19” Bridgestone Potenza 275/35 ZR19

Steering

• Rack and pinion, Servotronic speed-sensitive power-assisted steering, 3.0 turns lock-to-lock
• Column tilt and reach adjustment

Suspension

• Front Independent aluminium double wishbones incorporating anti-dive geometry, coil over aluminium monotube dampers and anti-roll bar
• Rear Independent aluminium double wishbones incorporating anti-squat and anti-lift geometry, coil over aluminium monotube dampers and anti-roll bar

Brakes

• Front Ventilated and grooved steel discs, 355 mm diameter
• Rear Ventilated and grooved steel discs, 330 mm diameter
• Radial-mounted four-piston monobloc calipers
• Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)
• Anti-locking Braking System (ABS)
• Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)
• Emergency Brake Assist (EBA)
• Traction control

Dimensions

• Length 4710 mm (185.5”)
• Width 1875 mm (74”)
• Height 1270 mm (50”)
• Wheelbase 2745 mm (108”)
• Front Track 1570mm (62”)
• Rear Track 1560mm (61.5”)
• Turning Circle 12.0m (39.4 ft)
• Fuel tank capacity 80 litres (17.6 UK gal, 21.1 US gal)
• Cd (Coupe) 0.35
• Kerb Weight (Coupe) 1760 kg (3880 lb)

Interior

• Full grain leather interior
• Walnut facia trim
• Iridium Silver centre console outer finish and Graphite inner finish
• Auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror1
• Auto-dimming rear-view mirror & garage door opener (USA and Canada only)
• Electrically adjustable seats
• Memory seats & exterior mirrors (three positions)
• Dual-stage driver and front passenger frontal airbags
• Front occupant side airbags
• Automatically deployed roll-over bars (Volante)
• Heated front seats
• Heated rear screen
• Automatic temperature control
• Organic Electroluminescent (OEL) displays
• LED map lamps and ambient lighting
• Trip computer
• Cruise control
• Hard Disk Drive (HDD) satellite navigation system1,2
• Bluetooth telephone preparation1
• Satellite radio system (USA only)
• Powerfold exterior mirrors
• Rear parking sensors
• Tyre-pressure monitoring1
• Alarm and immobiliser
• Remote-control central door locking and boot release
• Wind deflector (Volante only)
• Battery disconnect switch
• Battery conditioner
• Tracking device (UK only)
• Boot-mounted umbrella
• Lamy pen and pen holder (Manual only)

In-car entertainment

• Aston Martin 700 W Premium Audio System with Dolby® Pro Logic II®, includes a six-CD autochanger
• MP3 player connectivity

Options

• Bright finish grille
• Front parking sensors
• Mahogany facia trim
• Bamboo facia trim
• Tamo Ash facia trim
• Piano Black facia trim
• Matching wood door trim
• Personalised sill plaques
• Auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror with garage door opener (Europe only)
• Alarm upgrade (volumetric and tilt sensor)
• Tracking device1,3
• Alternative brake caliper finish (black, red, silver)
• Sports Pack (Coupe)
• 19” alloy wheels – ten spoke with a graphite painted finish
• 19” alloy wheels – twenty spoke diamond turned
• 19” alloy wheels – twenty spoke diamond turned with a graphite painted finish
• First-aid kit
• Smokers’ pack

Fuel consumption – manual
Litres/100 km (mpg)

• Urban 24.6 (11.5)
• Extra-urban 11.7 (24.1)
• Combined 16.4 (17.2)

Fuel consumption – automatic
Litres/100 km (mpg)

• Urban 24.1 (11.7)
• Extra-urban 10.6 (26.6)
• Combined 15.6 (18.2)

CO2 emissions

• 389 g/km – manual
• 368 g/km – automatic

My-Dream-Cars reviews Aston Martin DB9