Style, performance, thrill, and comfort compile the Aston Martin DB9. The company’s integrity is obvious throughout every detail. The company’s philosophy of building the car around the engine, wheels, driver and passenger was equally as successful in the creation of the DB9 as it is with every other model they produce. Superior technology combined with skilled hand crafting produced a stunning design achievement envied by other automobile designers.
Every DB9, for that matter every Aston Martin, is a hand crafted built to order car. There is a nearly limitless option package available to new DB9 owners, however their standard package is more extensive than 98% of other high end car companies.
Sports cars are supposed to be akin to some of the finest artwork on the planet. Aston Martin has undisputedly reached this level of aesthetic design. Their aggressive yet fluid stance and their “harmonious proportions” create a feeling inside those who are inspired, a feeling that nearly moves the gut while the feet remain firmly planted on the ground. When you can look at a car and feel the rhythm and movement from inside your gut, the designers have created the car they sought. Any one of the cars in Aston Martin’s current fleet can produce that, but the DB9 digs a little deeper into most guts than the rest. Her ground hugging stance pulls you down a bit, as though you want to move with her.
A single sweep roofline and a profile that is clean and engaging enhance the understated lines and that gut moving feeling. By keeping her profile uncluttered, she presents herself with class and style. She is reminiscent of the stunning woman who can turn every head in the room. When you finally get the chance to open her up she takes you for the ride of your life.
Key features such as the Aston Martin grille, the metal side strakes, the signature shape of the rear window, and the distinctive tail define her even in a simple shaded silhouette. Unlike most sports cars out there screaming for attention, she’s quietly graceful with a more than competitive underbelly.
The V-12 throbs in her heart, and creates power and performance that is nearly unparalleled. The highly refined all aluminum engine pulsates a hand smacking 450 horses with 420 pounds per foot of torque. The official top speed is recorded at 186 miles per hour with her acceleration times clocking among some of the best in the world. She reaches the 60 miles per hour mark in a short 4.9 seconds from a standstill, although th automatic adds two tenths of a second coming in at 5.1 seconds. Her power to weight ratio is definitely one of the highest in her class at 263 bhp/tonne.
Aston Martin wanted the driver to get a complete experience from driving the DB9. The designers considered every angle and the interior stylists considered form as much as function. The sound of the car was determined in the beginning stages, as the tuning was designed to actually entice the driver from the instant she was turned over until the moment she was placed to rest. The fluid steering and linear controls were designed to give the driver instant access and even a sense of simplicity. Too much clutter doesn’t make the driving experience better. The cabin was built around the driver. The driver has been placed as low and close to the center of gravity as humanly possible, giving the driver the feeling of being completely connected with the car and the road. For a little driver pampering, the driver can switch to the fully automatic mode. Whether engaged in the driving experience or sitting back for a leisurely drive there’s not a soul on earth who can’t appreciate the standard top of the line Linn sound system.
Agility was defined by selectively managing 85% of the car’s weight in between the axels. The intuitive response this created is unsurpassed. The V-12 is mounted as close to the center line as possible, just a little forward of actual center while the transmission gearbox is placed ahead of the rear axel. The lightweight, rigid carbon fiber prop shaft is housed in a cast aluminum torque tube to transfer the torque from the front mid engine to the rear mid transmission as required. This near perfect balance has resulted in a delicately drivable car that still delivers power and the bone crushing acceleration that enthusiasts of speed and performance are seeking.
This notion of perfect balance is carried throughout the car, even to the light touch needed to open the “swan wing” doors, which open at a 12 degree upward angle. The controls are sensitive to touch, creating an entire car that can be handled with featherweight sensitivity. However, she is certainly a far cry from fragile. She can hit the track with the big boys and definitely hold her own. Her sensitivity simply keeps her power harnessed.
Power and performance go hand in hand with safety, and the DB9 was paying attention to the rules of engineering and then some. Equipped with dual stage driver and passenger airbags and seat mounted side airbags and complimented with seatbelt pretensioners are just the beginning. The structure of the car was designed to cocoon her passengers in a shell of safety, including front and rear extruded aluminum crumple zones.
The front independent double aluminum wishbone suspension successfully incorporates anti dive geometry and coil over aluminum monotube dampers. The rear suspension, also independent double aluminum wishbone, incorporates longitudinal control arms and coil over aluminum monotube dampers. Naturally both front and rear suspensions incorporate anti roll bars.
The DB9 is a luxurious thoroughbred sports car that offers a special uniqueness that can’t be found in other sports cars. The attention to detail, the near flawless design, and the drive to produce speed and performance at top notch levels has landed Aston Martin in the very sweet position of being one of the most competitive car companies on the market today.
© 2007 Kiersten Stetser and Rod Brito for www.sport-cars.org
This article has been viewed 12132 time(s).
The most viewed articles in current category:
