Aston Martin’s iconic Sports GT car, the luxurious and potent DB9 can be your today at a fraction of its original selling price at the right parallel importer in our country. Buying a used one takes courage as you need to carry the image of a secret agent when driving one.
Appearing hot on the heels of the all-new Vanquish Super GT, the styling changes see DB9 adopt an even more lithe, fluid and pure form reminiscent of the outgoing Aston Martin Virage which ceases production with immediate effect. Taking a classic Aston Martin GT silhouette as its base, the new DB9 adds a more pronounced rear boot ‘flip’ to further enhance the aerodynamic performance of the car.
The exterior design of the DB9 communicates a powerfully assertive yet elegant character. The surfaces display taught lines and subtle muscular forms that point to the underlying power of this renowned Sports GT.
DB9 sits low and wide, visually ‘planting’ the car on the road, communicating a clearly athletic stance. The car’s inherent width is accentuated by the ‘light catcher’ feature which runs from the lower front bumper and continues along the sill of the car creating a chiselled, determined look. Available from launch in either Coupe or Volante body styles, DB9 13MY clearly has a strong breadth of appeal.
Bi-xenon headlamps provide the car with a clear focus, while subtle feature lines run along and underneath the headlamps, visually widening the car.cA large lower front grille feeds air into the standard Carbon Ceramic Braking system, while the front splitter also serves to visually widen the car. For those DB9 buyers in search of an even more sporty appearance there is now a carbon fibre front splitter available as part of the exterior Carbon Pack.
Inside, as out, the revised DB9 becomes yet more elegant and more luxurious. Unmistakably Aston Martin, the Sports GT’s opulently-appointed interior boasts authentic materials and the highest levels of attention to detail. It comes with a stunning leather welt feature first seen on Virage. Inspired by luxury leather goods, the welts have been designed and developed by Aston Martin’s master craftsmen. Requiring meticulous levels of control to hand stitch and specially-developed manufacturing facilities, the welts are created by sandwiching a narrow strip of leather between two opposing leather seat panels, and fixed using precise stitching. Details such as these glass switches clearly demonstrate the luxury sports car maker’s commitment to the use of authentic, high value materials.
This DB9 sees the introduction of the AM11 V12 engine. The new V12 takes some of the ‘Gen4’ VH architecture hardware technology developed for Aston Martin’s forthcoming all-new super GT, the Vanquish, but has been tuned to suit the character of DB9. The result is an engine with effortless torque of up to 620 Nm and peak power of 517 PS – both significantly improved versus the outgoing unit.
Key features of the AM11 unit include a revised block and new head including dual variable valve timing, enlarged throttle bodies, uprated fuel pump, revised intake manifold and machined combustion chambers.
Meanwhile, DB9 13MY achieves compliance with the latest European pedestrian protection regulations and does so in a new way that is without any compromise to the exterior design of the car and does without the need for otherwise surplus deployable systems.
To accomplish this, Aston Martin’s designers and engineers have worked together to make significant changes to the underbody structure of the car including a lowered engine, new bonnet, front bumper construction and grille surround moulding.
Their resulting design is the subject of patent pending applications and enables the grille to move rearwards on impact, whilst the central and outboard chin stiffeners give rigidity to the lower structure and support achievement of the leg impact regulations. Cut-outs on the front wing catwalks contribute to the achievement of the headform regulation.
The discs are cross-drilled to help keep the brake pads clean while also helping to ensure that gases emitted by the pads during braking do not build up between the pad and disc surface. The holes also help to cool the surface of the pads and the discs themselves. Air intakes mounted behind the lower front grille also force feed air into the brake discs to aid cooling.
Saving around 12.5 kg versus a conventional cast iron system the DB9’s CCM brakes not only reduce overall vehicle weight but also mean that a better balance between ride comfort and handling can be struck. The lower rotational mass also gives improved acceleration, braking and steering feel.
The luxury sports car also boasts Aston Martin’s ‘Gen4’ VH architecture version of the brand’s Adaptive Damping System (ADS). This next generation ADS has been enhanced to include three modes: Normal, Sport and Track.
In ‘Normal’ mode, the damping is set to deliver the greatest ride comfort, with the electronically controlled dampers automatically adjusting to provide the optimum settings to suit driver input, speed and the road surface quality. In ‘Sport’ mode, the damping is set-up to be more focused at delivering sharper handling and control during dynamic driving while in the ‘Track’ mode the damping operates within the range of its stiffest settings.
The different damping modes available help appreciably broaden DB9’s character, adapting its set-up to suit the driver’s requirements in different contexts. It can be a comfortable and compliant GT car in Normal mode as well as being a firm and direct sports car in Sport setting and offering highly precise flat cornering in Track mode.
As befits a luxury GT in this class DB9 13MY of course features convenience items such as automatic headlights, now operated by a new master switch unit control panel located on the lower instrument panel beneath the driver’s side air-vent. Automatic windscreen wipers are also a standard-fit feature, with their operation triggered by a rain sensor built into the header pod in front of the rear-view mirror.
Arch-filling 20-inch alloys wheels in a variety of designs, full-grain leather interior, leather sports steering wheel, electrically adjustable Sports seats with side airbags, memory seats and exterior mirrors, satellite navigation, automatic temperature control, trip computer and Organic Electroluminescent (OEL) displays – the DB9 13MY’s list of standard equipment is suitably generous while buyers keen to further enhance the luxury look and feel of their Aston Martin sports car can select from an extensive range of optional equipment features.
The first owner of an Aston Martin would probably have more than 4 cars in his or her garage and so you can be rest assured the car would have seen little duty for king and country. Still, best to check for service record and after a test drive you will be able to judge the level of usage and wear on this ultra luxury sports car. Pricing will depend on mileage and condition of interior. Still depreciation is high the first couple of years and you will have little to worry when you need to trade up a few years later.
To get up, close and personal with a quality used Aston Martin DB9 please visit Naza World (along Federal Highway in PJ) and check their extensive range of well maintained used Aston’s on offer or call 012-332 8116 or 012 332 8141 for an appointment.
