Aston Martin DB9 Development and Testing 2003

The Aston Martin DB9 is a grand tourer first shown by Aston Martin at the 2003 Frankfurt Auto Show. Available both as a coupe and a convertible known as the Volante, the DB9 was the successor of the DB7. It was the first model built at Aston Martin's Gaydon facility. The DB9, designed by Henrik Fisker, is made largely of aluminium. The chassis is the VH platform, also found in the Aston Martin DBS. The engine, on the other hand, is the 6.0L V12 from the Aston Martin V12 Vanquish. It has a top speed of 295 km/h (183 mph) and a 0 to 97 km/h (60 mph) time of 4.1 seconds. The DB9 is rated well by car critics, who appreciate the car's interior and exterior design. In spite of comments regarding the DB9's weaker engine and handling, reviewers liked the car's ride and driving experience. Some also held issue with the DB9's small rear seats, cargo space and poor satnav. The 2012 version has seen many improvements to the design, the engine and the overall driving experience. It now has the most powerful engine yet with peak power of 517 PS and 620 Nm of torque. It also comes with carbon ceramic brakes as standard. Production of the DB9 ended in 2016, being replaced by it's successor the DB11.[citation needed] Aston Martin Racing has adapted the DB9 for sports car racing, producing the DBR9 for FIA GT1 and the DBRS9 for FIA GT3. These two cars are lightened DB9s; the interior features are removed and the aluminium body panels are replaced by carbon fibre panels. Additionally, engine has been tweaked in both the cars to produce more horsepower. The DBR9 has won in several events, including its debut event. The DB9 was designed by Henrik Fisker, and was first revealed at the 2003 Frankfurt Auto Show. The letters "DB" are the initials of David Brown, the owner of Aston Martin for a significant part of its history. Although it succeeded the DB7, Aston Martin did not call the car the DB8 due to fears that the name would suggest that the car was equipped with only a V8 engine (the DB9 has a V12). It was also reported that Aston Martin believed that naming the car "DB8" would indicate a gradual evolution and misrepresent the car. The DB9 is the first model to be built at Aston Martin's Gaydon facility in Warwickshire, England. In a 2007 interview, Aston Martin CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez stated that, though Aston Martin was traditionally a maker of more exclusive automobiles, he believed Aston Martin needed to be more visible and build more cars. At launch, Aston Martin planned to build between 1,400 and 1,500 DB9s per year. The DB9 was facelifted July 2008. This facelift was mainly the increase in engine power, to 350 kW (476 hp) and a redesigned center console. Externally, the DB9 remained virtually unchanged. For availability and licensing inquiries, please contact: https://www.globalimageworks.com/contact Ref: S479