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The Aston Martin DB9: The Stylish Grand Tourer
After Ian Callum designed the beautifully styled Aston Martin DB7 back in 1993, few believed that it could ever be bettered. However with the release of the new Aston Martin DB9 in 2004 it seemed that Callum had achieved the impossible, and improved on perfection. This was to be the car that took Aston into the 21st Century bringing them head to head with rivals from Ferrari and Porsche.
The DB9 is powered by 6 litre 450bhp V12 engine that was original used in the DB9's much bigger brother, the Aston Martin Vanquish S. If they had followed normal procedure this new Aston should have been called the DB8, however Aston wanted to show that this car was a significant step forward and not just and evolution from the ageing DB7. In addition, it was feared that the DB8 moniker would cause some potential buyers to believe the new model was powered by a just a humble V8, so instead the DB9 title was used.
The design and construction of the DB9 was much more advanced than previous Astons, with the chassis and bodywork produced from a combination of aluminium and lightweight composite materials. This gave the DB9 tremendous structural rigidity whilst still keeping the overall weight low, which allowed the DB9 to accelerate to 60 in just 4.7 seconds and then on to a maximum speed of 186 mph.
When compared to the flagship Vanquish S model, the DB9 had much crisper exterior lines with the overall shape looking considerably less bulky than its older brother. Neat touches like the single lever recessed door handles and the slim 501 LED bulbs in the rear lights all added to the stylish and modern design. Inside the DB9 continued the modern feel with brushed aluminium, light coloured woods and even a crystal glass starter button.
To further help the DB9 compete with the stiff opposition in the shape of the Porsche 997 turbo and Ferrari's F430, a new sports pack was introduced in 2006. Whilst the ride height was lowered and spring and damper rates were improved, Aston also improved on the overall structural stiffness and attempted to reduce the unsprung weight with lighter 19 inch aluminium Alloy Wheels, and titanium wheel nuts.
Recently Aston has released a more powerful, stripped and lightweight version of the DB9 called the DBS. Despite being used as James Bond's company car in Casino Royal and Quantum of Solace, this new flagship Aston body kit has been subject to criticism due to the addition of a striking body kit. Detractors say that it disrupts the pure lines of the original, which just goes to show how hard it is to improve on perfection.
About the Author
Jo Alexander is an online, freelance journalist and keen windsurfer. Jo lives by the sea in Essex.