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Aston Martin DB9 makes world debut

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#1 ·
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Aston Martin has issued the following press release:

The Aston Martin DB9, the first car to be produced at the company’s modern and recently completed facility in Gaydon, Warwickshire, is making its world debut at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show on Tuesday, 9th September.

The innovative DB9 heralds an exciting new era for Aston Martin as it reflects the direction that the company is now taking with all future models.

Using a radical new aluminium bonded frame, the 2+2 DB9 is one of the most sophisticated and technically advanced sports cars in the world. It successfully balances the attributes of a sports car with features normally found on luxury cars.

It is also the first production model to use VH Platform strategy (Vertical/Horizontal), which is unique to Aston Martin and will form the basis for all future Aston Martin models. Its advantages are that it is very light, provides better performance, handling and durability and yet it is extremely rigid.

“The DB9 will without doubt be the most important Aston Martin model ever,” said
Dr Ulrich Bez, CEO of Aston Martin. “Not only is it the first time in our history that we have a purpose-built facility but we now also have a dedicated platform.


“The DB9 is an excellent example of what we as a company stand for today – namely making elegant and understated British sports cars for individuals.”

The all new DB9 will be crafted at Aston Martin’s new Gaydon facility which is one of the most advanced of its kind in the world. Using the very latest in automotive technology and materials to create the DB9, Aston Martin will spend more than 200 hours hand-building each car.

Power for the DB9 comes from a 450bhp V12 engine which has been developed specifically for this model. The DB9 will also be offered with an extensive list of materials and colour combinations for the interior and exterior paint finishes allowing customers to continue the Aston Martin tradition of personalising their car.

The DB9 will replace the current DB7 which finishes production at the end of 2003. This has become Aston Martin’s most successful model ever. Launched in 1993, the DB7 is intrinsically linked to Aston Martin’s achievements over the past decade with more than 7000 examples produced.

The Aston Martin DB9 will be introduced into the markets around the world in the Spring of 2004. Final pricing and specification will be announced then.
 

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#2 ·
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by Tom Barnard

Aston's DB9 Shows Its Class

Back in 1993, Aston Martin sold 43 cars and was kept afloat only because of some incredibly loyal enthusiasts. By 2006, the firm will produce 5,000 units, have three models and be attracting buyers away from legendary marques such as Ferrari and Porsche.

And this is the car which will usher in the new era - the DB9. Set to be unveiled at next week's Frankfurt Motor Show, the coupé is the replacement for the DB7, acknowledged as the car which saved Aston and became the fastest-selling model in the company's history. But while the DB7 was criticised for its antiquated technology and poor dynamics, the new model will be at the cutting edge of automotive design and won't make any compromises.

In fact, the firm thinks it represents such an advance that it skipped the name DB8 and went one better! Look beneath the all-new bodywork, which has a sleek style set to feature on all future Astons, and the DB9 uses an aluminium 'backbone', similar in concept to the Lotus Elise's innovative chassis. Engineers say this structure is 25 per cent lighter than a conventional steel bodyshell, and yet is twice as strong. This frame will also be shortened and used in the smaller, Porsche 911-rivalling V8 Vantage due in 2005.

The technology certainly makes the DB9 light - it weighs only 1,710kg compared to the 2,385kg of Bentley's Continental GT. Mate the featherweight shell to a revised 450bhp version of the DB7's 6.0-litre V12 engine and the result is a 0-60mph time of less than five seconds and a 186mph top speed. It's rumoured that the engine's power was deliberately capped to avoid treading on the toes of the Aston's more expensive flagship, the Vanquish.

Aston Martin says the DB9 is intended to be a Grand Tourer more than a track-bred supercar. "The DB9 is a GT, a car you hop into for the weekend for a jaunt across Europe," said Jeremy Main, director of product development. To emphasise this, it will be available with a conventional manual or fully auto- matic gearbox. The Vanquish's controversial F1-style clutchless manual transmission will not be offered, although the six-speed auto will have paddle-shifts behind the steering wheel.

Unusually, the whole gearbox unit is mounted behind the driver to help balance the car's weight and achieve perfect 50:50 weight distribution to improve handling. It's not just the gearbox which sits in the back of the DB9 either, as the car will be the only Aston with the ability to carry four passengers. The two small rear seats are best considered as suitable for children only, though.

Inside, the DB9 looks far more exclusive than the 7 or Vanquish. Aluminium features heavily, mixed with leather and sophisticated electronic displays. But all these improvements have come at a price, with a 10 per cent increase over the DB7 likely. The coupé goes on sale in the spring and will start at around £107,000, while the convertible, due in autumn 2004, will cost from £111,000.
 

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