Aston Martin DB9

Using a radical new aluminium-bonded body frame, the DB9 is one of the most sophisticated and technically advanced sports cars in the world. It is powered by the latest version of Aston Martin's 6.0-litre V12, producing 450bhp and a top speed of 186mph. Yet the DB9 is significant well beyond being a class-leading sports car. It is the beginning of a new era for Aston Martin. It is the first car to be hand-made at Aston Martin?s new state-of-the-art facility in Gaydon, Warwickshire, where all future Aston Martin models will be developed and built.

All body panels are either aluminium or lightweight composites with magnesium being used on the steering column and inner door frames. Even the gear selector paddles are made from magnesium alloy. The total weight is 1710kgs, extremely light for a V12-powered prestige 2+2 seater sports car with every imaginable luxury feature. This has a hugely beneficial effect on performance. Top speed of the manual is 186mph and 0-100 km/h (62mph) acceleration takes just 4.9 seconds. Other technologically radical features include a ZF ;drive-by-wire; six-speed automatic gearbox that dispenses with a traditional gear lever. Instead, the drive, park, neutral and reverse controls are selected by buttons.

A great sports car needs a great engine - it is the heart of any high performance machine. In DB9's case, that great engine is a powerful yet refined all aluminium 6.0-litre V12. It produces 335 kW (450 bhp) and 570 Nm (420 lb ft) of torque. That results in a power to weight ratio of 194 kW/tonne (263 bhp/tonne) - one of the highest figures in its class. The DB9 comes in two variants; coupé and "Volante" convertible , each with a 6.0 L 450 brake horsepower (335 kW ) V12 engine taken from its sister car the V12 Vanquish .

The Vanquish engine produces 10 bhp (7 kW) more. In fact, this V12 engine is why Aston Martin did not call the car the DB8, which could suggest that it has only eight cylinders. One report states that Aston Martin believed that this car was such a quantum leap from the Jaguar XJ-S based DB7 that it named it DB9 instead of DB8, which they thought would indicate a gradual evolution. Performance is enormous, yet usable. Top speed is 300 km/h (186 mph) and acceleration sees 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.9 seconds (add two tenths of a second for the automatic). These figures are impressive and DB9 will respond with real passion.