Aston Martin DB9

Aston Martin DB9 at a glance

Over twelve and a half years, that output works out at roughly 1,300 cars a year by our calculation. This is close to the 1,400–1,500 a year that Aston Martin planned at launch.

Why it was called DB9, not DB8

Aston Martin skipped the name DB8 on purpose. The company felt the new car was too big a step forward for a simple sequential number, and a "DB8" could also have been read as a V8. So the successor to the Aston Martin DB7 became the DB9.

The design started under Ian Callum, who had also drawn the DB7 and the first Vanquish. Henrik Fisker took over as lead designer in 2001 and finished the shape. The result kept the long bonnet, side strakes and grille of the brand, with a cleaner and lower shape than the DB7.

Aston Martin says the prototypes covered a million miles of testing, in Death Valley, inside the Arctic Circle in Sweden and on the high-speed track at Nardò in Italy.

The VH platform: aluminium, glue and rivets

The DB9 introduced the VH platform, which later carried every car built at Gaydon. Its structure is bonded aluminium with composite parts, held together by adhesive and self-piercing rivets rather than welds. Compared with the DB7, the body structure is 25 % lighter and more than twice as stiff in torsion.

The outer panels mix aluminium and composite materials. The doors rise slightly as they open, a detail Aston Martin calls swan-wing doors, which helps on high kerbs. Suspension uses double wishbones at both ends, and the engine sits behind the front axle line. The gearbox is mounted at the rear as a transaxle, which moves weight towards the back of the car.

Aston Martin DB9 V12: power by model year

Every DB9 uses the same 5.9-litre, all-alloy V12 with four overhead camshafts. Aston Martin raised its output three times during the car's life.

From the 2004 car to the DB9 GT, power rose by 67 kW, an increase of exactly 20 % by our calculation. Torque grew by 50 Nm. Top speed peaked with the 2008 car and fell slightly after the 2013 facelift.

Gearboxes: Touchtronic or Graziano manual

Most buyers chose the six-speed ZF automatic with paddle shifters, sold as Touchtronic. In 2008 it became Touchtronic 2, with electronic shift-by-wire control. A six-speed manual from Graziano was also offered, and it was slightly quicker from rest at launch: 4.7 seconds against 4.9 seconds to 100 km/h. Manual cars are rare today, which matters to collectors.

Dimensions, weight and boot space

By our calculation, the 2004 coupé carried 5.1 kg per kW and the DB9 GT 4.4 kg per kW. The 1cars power-to-weight calculator does the same sum for the DB9's rivals.

The rear seats suit children or bags rather than adults. The boot takes a weekend's luggage for two, and folding the rear backrests adds space for longer trips. The cabin itself is hand-trimmed in leather, wood and aluminium. The old 1cars review noted analogue dials with silver detailing, heated front seats with a wide range of adjustment and dual-zone climate control.

DB9 Volante: the convertible

The Volante was unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in January 2004, and production began in February 2005. It uses a fabric roof and shares its engine and gearboxes with the coupé. At first its top speed was limited to 266 km/h. Aston Martin removed that limit from the 2007 model year, and the 2012 Volante weighed 67 kg less than the original car.

The convertible costs boot space: 136 litres against 187 in the coupé, a loss of 27 % by our calculation.

Facelifts of 2008, 2010 and 2013

The 2008 update brought more power, the Touchtronic 2 gearbox, a revised centre console and new wheels. A milder visual update followed in 2010 under Marek Reichman, who also led the larger 2013 facelift.

The 2013 car was close to a new model. It took styling cues from the One-77 hypercar: a new grille, LED lights and a small rear spoiler for extra downforce. Carbon-ceramic brakes became standard, with 398 mm discs and six-piston calipers at the front and 360 mm discs with four-piston calipers at the rear. The old 1cars text also mentioned 20-inch wheels and adaptive damping with Normal, Sport and Track modes. The engine now produced 380 kW (517 PS), as in the Vanquish of the same period.

Special editions and the DB9 GT

• DB9 LM (2008): built to mark the GT1 class win at Le Mans in 2007. Coupé and automatic only, painted Sarthe Silver, with the sports pack fitted. Aston Martin planned 124 cars, but only 69 were built.
• DB9 Zagato Spyder Centennial (2013): a one-off green Volante made for the brand's 100th anniversary. It sold for 693,000 US dollars (about €620,000 at the time) at RM Sotheby's in Monterey in 2015.
• DB9 GT (2015): the final version, with 402 kW (547 PS) at 6,750 rpm and 0–100 km/h in 4.4 seconds.

DBR9 and DBRS9: the DB9 in racing

The DB9 gave Aston Martin a return to top-level sports-car racing. The DBR9 was built for the FIA GT1 class and produced 466 kW (634 PS). It won on its debut at the 2005 12 Hours of Sebring and took the GT1 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2007. The DBRS9 was a lighter customer car for GT3 racing, with 410 kW (558 PS). It was replaced in 2011 by a GT3 version of the V12 Vantage.

On screen, three pre-production cars appeared in the James Bond film Casino Royale (2006). A DB9 was driven by the villain Owen Shaw in Fast & Furious 6 (2013), and the same car appeared again in the next film of the series.

Fuel use and running costs

A DB9 is not cheap to run. UK data for the 2013 car lists 19.8 mpg combined and 333 g/km of CO2. That is about 14 litres per 100 km.

Tyres, servicing and carbon-ceramic brake discs all cost supercar money. No DB9 was crash-tested by Euro NCAP, which is normal for a low-volume GT. The old 1cars review listed six airbags and stability control.

Aston Martin DB9 vs rivals

The Bentley is heavier and has four-wheel drive. The Maserati is a better four-seater but has less power. The Ferrari is far quicker but costs much more. The DB9 sits in the middle as the classic two-door British GT. For a side-by-side look at specs, open the 1cars comparison tool.