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Introduction
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 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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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