More Gadgets, Sharper Handling
The Aston Martin DB9 Coupe, the modern-day version of James Bond's classic British sports car, receives more standard equipment and a newly optional suspension package.
Sleek and low-slung, the DB9 is coupe designed to seat two primarily, although it does have a token backseat. (A two-seat Volante convertible is also available.) The DB9 replaced the preceding DB7 in 2004. Production is limited to 2,000 units per year worldwide.
For 2008, the DB9 Coupe receives a small technology upgrade. A Bluetooth hands-free cell phone interface is newly standard, and the audio system has been boosted in terms of output. MP3 player connectivity is now standard to make hooking an Apple iPod up to the stereo an easy task. Satellite radio is now optional as well.
• Aston Martin DB9 Vehicle Summary
The DB9 remains a very capable handler, especially when equipped with the Sport Pack, which cranks suspension performance up a notch. It includes revised dampers, springs, and a front anti-roll bar. The Sport Pack lowers the car by six millimeters and also features five-spoke lightweight forged aluminum alloy wheels.
The Aston Martin DB9 Coupe has a handsome aluminum body, arguably one of the most attractive around, with a broad and deep front grille, typical of Aston Martin, placed between large oval headlamps. Graceful curves run rearward over a long hood to culminate in a short trunk deck. The windshield is steeply raked and the roofline is low. “Swan wing” doors (as opposed to Mercedes’ “gullwing” doors) open slightly upward to ease entry and exit, and to prevent the doors from swinging too far open and getting dinged.
• See all Aston Martin models in the Aston Martin Showroom
The DB9 comes powered by a 450-horsepower version of the 6.0-liter V12 engine that was also found in Aston Martin’s V12 Vanquish S, which is no longer offered in the U.S. The engine can be mated to a six-speed manual or an automatic transmission that employs electronic gear-changing. It can also be taken through the gears manually, using paddles behind the steering wheel. Top speed is claimed to be in excess of 186 mph.
The Aston Martin DB9 Coupe is constructed on an aluminum-bonded unibody whose lightness and rigidity are designed to aid agility and ride comfort. A rear-mounted transaxle contributes to the ideal front-to-rear weight distribution which, along with a double-wishbone suspension and 19-inch wheels and tires, creates tenacious handling without too harsh of a ride. Dynamic stability control, electronic brake-force distribution, and brake assist systems are standard.
High-tech, electroluminescent displays and conventional instruments mingle in the elegant interior. Unlike most vehicles, the DB9’s tachometer runs counterclockwise (supposedly to save space in the instrument panel) and does not feature a conventional redline to indicate the engine’s upper rpm limit. Here, the limit varies according to such factors as outside temperature and how recently the engine was started; a red warning light comes on to indicate when the engine's limit has been reached.
Options include a color-keyed, leather-wrapped steering wheel and a 950-watt audiophile system from noted high-end home stereo component maker Linn.
You value beauty and tactile pleasure; you want to stand out.
You need more interior room; fuel economy is a concern; you’re not into conspicuous consumption.
As with most low-slung sports cars, access can be challenging; once inside, it’s cozy and opulent. The DB9 includes a small backseat, but think of it more as a padded parcel shelf.
The car was named the DB9 — rather than the DB8 as logic would dictate, being the successor to the DB7 — because “DB8” might suggest that it packs only a V8 engine, rather than a V12.
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