When you have a car that has been the cornerstone of your production line for several years you don’t allow it to go out quietly but rather give it a fitting sendoff as it finishes its time in action and is able to take that last bow. For Aston Martin this is the case for the DB9 as it makes its last run around the sun for 2016 with the replacement DB11 on the horizon and on the market by the end of this calendar year. Let’s take a look at what the DB9 is and what it has meant to Aston Martin.
First of all, and easiest, the DB9 has been a perfectly designed luxury sports car that was designed by Henrik Fisker as a model that would give us the signature look and feel of Aston Martin for over a decade. Introduced in 2003 this car offers the sports car looks we want, an aluminum intensive build to keep it light and nimble and a wonderful V12 engine. This platform has served as the basis for the V8/V12 Vantage, Rapide sedan, Virage and Vanquish. With this success and the foundation for so many models this car deserves a fitting last ride.
In order to give it the right sendoff Aston Martin has redone the DB9 to only be sold in the DB9 GT form which is tuned up a bit from the base model. The GT uses the V12 engine but this engine is tuned up for an additional 30 horsepower from the base model to a total of 540 horsepower output for this beauty. In addition to the engine upgrade there have been a few interior improvements added to make this the DB9 you really want to buy and certainly want to admire even if you aren’t in the market for a new sports car.
Because this car is unbelievably gorgeous from the exterior it has lasted over a decade in basically the same build. The improvements for the DB9 GT include 20-inch wheels, carbon fiber accents and GT badging. That is all the changes to the outside as this car appears to be perfection in motion and will most likely be touted as one of the most attractive cars ever built long after it rides off into that sunset at the end of this model year.
On the inside the cabin continues to offer the same space as before and shows off with the hand crafted look that allows us to know the car was made with care and precision from a team of detail-oriented professionals. Improvements in this area come in the form of the dashboard switches that have been borrowed from the Vanquish and come on the form of capacitive-touch buttons and knobs which are in place to replace the old features. The infotainment system is thought to be the most intelligent one in the world. Other additions include the microsuede steering wheel, a padded headliner and hand stitched leather upholstery. This gives the DB9 GT an interior that looks and feels as wonderful as the exterior of this iconic car.
This amazing sports car is capable of reaching sixty mph in only 4.4 seconds but that could easily be a very conservative number. Even though this car is a bit heavier than the Vanquish and has other differences, the engines are the same and the Vanquish can make the run in only 3.6 seconds so this number is certainly conservative and probably much closer to 4.0 seconds than the 4.4 that has become the official number put forth by Aston Martin.
The DB9 GT is not just meant for straight line driving either. This car has an active chassis, a fantastic steering system, and the suspension to match the sportiness you might expect to find in a James Bond movie. This makes for the perfect combination of power and performance to give you the sports car you have always wanted to drive. Even though you can’t really let it loose on most roads, there are some places where you could carve up a canyon or see how it makes the curves lay down and play dead, but if you really want to see what this amazing car can do you need to take it to the track.
The price for the DB9 GT comes in at a neatly packed $202,775 which is certainly in line with other cars of this ilk. The Porsche 911 Turbo S, Audi R8 V10, McLaren 570S and Lamborghini Huracan LP580-2 all come to mind, but what this car has over the others is a naturally aspirated V12 engine and the perfected looks that can only make it one of the most amazing cars ever to hit the road. The DB9 GT is definitely a fitting way for the DB9 to ride off to the end of its production run as one of the most impressive cars ever made.
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