he
Aston Martin DB9 is a
GT sports car launched by
Aston Martin in 2004.
The DB9 is the first model to be built at Aston Martin's
Gaydon facility in
Warwickshire, England. The moniker "DB" stems from the initials of
David Brown, the owner of Aston Martin for a significant part of its history. The DB9, which was designed by
Ian Callum and finished by his successor,
Henrik Fisker, superseded the now-discontinued
Aston Martin DB7 (also by Callum) which started production in 1994.
The Aston Martin DB9 comes in two variants; the
coupé and 'Volante'
convertible, each producing 470 bhp (350 kW; 477 PS) from a
6.0L V12 engine, originally taken from its sister car the
V12 Vanquish. In fact, this V12 engine is why Aston Martin did not call the car the DB8, which could suggest that it has only a
V8 engine.
[1] One report states that Aston Martin believed that this car was such a huge leap from the
Jaguar XJ-S based DB7 that it named it DB9 instead of DB8, which they thought would indicate a gradual evolution.
[2] The
Gaydon facility's production capacity for the DB9 could allow for approximately five thousand units per year, which is roughly the same production volume as other esteemed sports cars, in particular the
Ferrari F430 and
Porsche 911 Turbo. The DB9, however, is more often compared against other competitors in its segment: the Ian Callum designed
Jaguar XKR, the
Volkswagen-produced
Bentley Continental GT, the ten-cylinder powered
BMW M6, and the
AMG variants of the
Mercedes-Benz SL. Traditionally being a maker of more exclusive automobiles, CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez assures Aston Martin loyalists that production numbers of the DB9 will be slightly higher than previous models; however, Aston Martin will still retain only a small statistical percentage of the high-end sports car market.
[3]The DB9 is the first Aston Martin model to be designed and developed upon Ford's
aluminium VH (vertical/horizontal) platform. The body structure is composed of aluminium and composites melded together by mechanically fixed self-piercing rivets and robotic assisted adhesive bonding techniques.
[4] The innovative bonded aluminium structure possesses more than double the torsional rigidity of its
predecessor's, despite being 25 percent lighter.
[4] Aston Martin's engineers designed the quad-cam, 48-valve engine for the
V12 Vanquish in collaboration with Ford's Research and Vehicle Technology team (RVT) and were able to reduce its weight by 11.8 kg (26 lb) for use in the DB9.
[4]DB9 Volante
The
Aston Martin DB9 Volante is the convertible version of the DB9 coupe. It is built by hand in limited numbers and has enhanced styling. It is powered by the same 6.0 litre,
DOHC 48 valve
V12 as the DB9 and is completed with 470 bhp (331 kW) and a top speed of 186 mph (300 km/h).
[citation needed] Because it is a
convertible it will do 0–60 mph in 4.9 seconds,
[6] three-tenths of a second slower than the hard top coupe. The Volante is taller than the hardtop, standing at 51.2 inches (1,300 mm) compared to 50.1 inches (1,270 mm). The transmission options are either the Graziano-sourced six speed
manual or the ZF-sourced six speed 'Touchtronic 2'
automatic. The DB9 Volante is featured in the television shows
Desperate Housewives and
Entourage.
DB9 LM
In order to commemorate Aston Martin's victory at the
2007 24 Hours of Le Mans, a special edition of the DB9 was released. Known as the DB9 LM, the car is limited to only 124 examples. All are coupes, and will only be available in a unique color known as Sarthe Silver, named in honour of the
Circuit de la Sarthe, where Le Mans is run. The Sports Pack is included, while the
brake calipers are painted red and a chromed mesh grill are added.
Facelift
In 2008, Aston Martin decided to do a facelift to the DB9. Changes include a more powerful engine, re-designed interior and some minor exterior modifications. Exterior modifications include a new front grille, re-designed mirrors which look closer to the DBS supercar made by the same company and all-new wheel designs available for the customers to choose from. Customers also can now select clear tail lights for their DB9, much like the ones in the DBS.
Changes have been made to the engine as well which now produces 20 PS (15 kW; 20 hp) more (470 PS) and 600 N·m (440 lb·ft) through an increased compression ratio in the rethought cylinder heads. The Touchtronic gearbox has been modified as well to make faster and smoother changes. This was possible with the use of a new hydraulic control box. The new gearbox is also said to make parking easier than before. New Bilstein suspension was also added to the car which improved ride quality and handling characteristics.
Interior modifications include a re-designed center console which is identical to the one from the DBS supercar and thicker glass to reduce noise in the cabin.
In 2011, Aston Martin will give the DB9 another minor facelift, changing the front fascia, headlights, taillights, door sills, and wheels. The 2011 DB9 also gets Aston Martin’s Adaptive Damping System as standard equipment (previously an option.)
Motorsport
The DB9 has been adapted for use in
sports car racing by
Prodrive. Initially the
DBR9 was launched prior to the 2005 season, running in the
ACO and
FIA's GT1 class. It retains the DB9's 6.0 litre V12 engine, but has been extensively modified to decrease its weight as well as to improve performance.
[9][10] The DBR9 won in its debut at the
2005 12 Hours of Sebring, and has gone on to take wins in the
American Le Mans Series,
Le Mans Series,
FIA GT Championship, as well as the
24 Hours of Le Mans.
[11]Along with the DBR9, a
DBRS9 variant was also developed. This car runs in the GT3 category, mostly used for small national championships as well as the
FIA GT3 European Championship. The DBRS9 also uses the standard V12, but is not as highly tuned as the unit in the DBR9. Bodywork modifications are also more subdued.
It weighs 1 tonne (2,200 lb) and does 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 3.4 seconds with a top speed estimated at 200 mph (320 km/h).
Top Gear
On the British automotive show
Top Gear the DB9 is thought of highly, notably on the show's "
Cool Wall" segment, where the presenters considered it to be "too cool" for the wall and it received its own category, dubbed the "DB9 Sub Zero Fridge" which was in fact a mini-refrigerator with the car's card within it.
0 comments:
Post a Comment