Aston Martin DB9 An Ultimate Automobile

Brad Nevin | Ford Communications Network

DEARBORN, Mich., Nov. 11, 2004 – Refined. Elegant. Sophisticated.

They're all words penned by auto writers while attempting to describe the all-new Aston Martin DB9. Yet, they still seem to fall short.

“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."

Bez said the DB9 is an excellent example of what Aston Martin represents -- elegant and understated British sports cars for individuals. Aston Martin today is not just a car with four wheels and an engine, he said. It's a style of living.

The DB9 has been engineered like a race car but with touring car levels of refinement, comfort and cruising ability, Bez said. Many auto reviewers have agreed. After his drive of the DB9 in southern France, Paul Eisenstein of TheCarConnection.com said that the DB9 is one of the few cars in the world that can comfortably wear two hats: It is at once a race-inspired sports car and a relaxed countryside tourer.

"As we headed onto the tollway for the return drive to our hotel, the thought occurred that with the automatic transmission the DB9 is, in a sense, two cars in one," wrote Eisenstein. "Shift into automatic, and the DB9 is the classic grand tourer. Slip into manual mode, and you've got a true sports car. If you're waiting for the numbers, the coupe will launch from 0-60 in 4.7 seconds -- make that 4.9 with the automatic. Top speed is 186 miles an hour."

Using a radical new aluminum-bonded body frame and the latest version of Aston Martin's 6-liter V-12 engine, the 450-horsepower DB9 is one of the most sophisticated and technically advanced sports cars in the world. It is also the first car to be hand-made at Aston Martin's new state-of-the-art facility in Gaydon, Warwickshire, the home of all future Aston Martin models.

Successor to the DB7, the DB9 has a "drive-by-wire" six-speed automatic gearbox that uses electronics in place of the mechanical or hydraulic connections on a traditional transmission. So instead of a traditional gear shift lever between the front seats, the driver selects Drive, Park, Neutral and Reverse with buttons. Manual mode enables the driver to change gears using Formula-1 race car-inspired paddles mounted behind the steering wheel. A conventional six-speed manual gearbox is also offered.

In recognizing its ability to be driven like a sports car, AutoWeek wrote: "The DB9 fairly leaps out of corners, its electric motor-smooth V-12 offering torque at any rev range, but all the better when you use the paddles behind the steering wheel to select the best gear. The 6-liter doesn't have the 500 hp the simple-minded might regard as a requirement of the class, nor even the Aston Martin Vanquish's 460 ponies, but has been 'downrated' to 450 hp. It is more than ample, the psychology of round numbers notwithstanding."

But speed and power aren't the only story.

"If you are among the few who can afford a car like this, better get used to the stares," said Eisenstein. "Even along the ritzy streets of Nice, vacation home for many of Europe's elite, the DB9 is a conversation stopper -- especially when you squeeze the throttle coming off a stoplight. The 450-horsepower V-12 responds with a deep roar and you immediately find yourself sinking deep into the Aston's well-padded seats.

"We found our car parked in front of the ruins of a medieval castle, on a hillside overlooking the Cote d'Azur," wrote Eisenstein. "Though there are unmistakable visual similarities to the old DB7, the new car is decidedly more elegant and a bit more timeless, with a body that's sinfully curvaceous. But the yawning Aston grille lends an element of machismo to the design. This is an automobile that demands to be driven."

Chief among the DB9's competitors are the Bentley Continental GT, Ferrari 612 Scaglietti F1, and Mercedes-Benz CL600. Each has four seats, a 12-cylinder engine of 5.5 or more liters of displacement, and horsepower output between 444 and 551. In a Car and Driver comparison test among these four cars, the Aston Martin accelerated from 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds, .4 second faster than the Bentley, tied with the Mercedes, and only .2 second slower than the Ferrari.

Although the Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari and Mercedes-Benz all have similar powertrains and layouts, they appeal in distinct ways and vary enormously in price. With the Aston Martin separating itself with its unique ability to be a sports car one minute and a luxurious cruiser the next, it's certain that customers will be eager to get in the DB9 when it arrives in dealerships this month.

"We will be receiving DB9 demos in next couple next weeks," said Ashley Misner from Lake Forest Sports Cars in Chicago. "All of our orders so far have been based on showings. A lot of people are previous Aston owners. Other people are just starting to realize that Aston uses race car technology in their road cars."

Misner said the DB9 is "awesome" and the gearbox is "phenomenal." She said the DB9 is luxury paired with a sports car feel.

"Most of the time, when you get into a car this capable, the interior isn’t very nice," said Misner. But this is the ultimate luxury, the best sports car, the best of both worlds, which is awesome. There is no other car out there like it for sure."