The Aston Martin DB9 is a British grand tourer first shown by Aston Martin at the 2003 Frankfurt Auto Show. Available both in coupé and a convertible bodystyles, the latter being known as the Volante, the DB9 was the successor of the DB7. It was the first model built at Aston Martin's Gaydon facility. The DB9, originally designed by Ian Callum and Henrik Fisker, has an aluminium construction. The chassis is the Ford developed VH platform whilst the engine is the 5.9-litre V12 from the Vanquish. The 2013 model year facelift saw many improvements to the design, the engine and the overall driving experience.
Aston Martin Racing adapted the DB9 for sports car racing, producing the DBR9 for FIA GT1 and the DBRS9 for FIA GT3. These two cars are modified DB9 models adapted for motorsport; the interior features are removed and the aluminium body panels are replaced by carbon fibre panels. Additionally, the engine has been tweaked in both the cars to produce more horsepower and torque.
Appearances[]
- In Series 4, Episode 1, Jeremy use the DB9 to race Richard and James on a train from Guildford to Monte Carlo. He falls in love with the DB9, praising it's beauty, speed, comfort, gearbox, weightiness and overall feeling like a proper "Aston". The DB9 ends up winning the race proving cars are superior to trains.
- In Series 4, Episode 7, Richard in the DB9 comes second in a drag race against James in a Bentley Continental GT and Jeremy in the Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG.
- In Clarkson: Hot Metal, Jeremy reviews the DB9 properly once again praising it's , speed, comfort, gearbox and beauty but stating to not be as beautiful as the old DB7. In a Drag Race it ends up destroying it's two V8 Vantage predecessors with Jeremy proudly stating that it is indeed a Proper "Aston".
- In Series 5, Episode 4, Jeremy reveals that the DB9 was as fast as the Vanquish around the Top Gear Test Track.
- In Series 5, Episode 7, the DB9 wins the Money No Object award of the year.
- In Series 6, Episode 3, Richard reviews the DB9 Volante in North Wales, while praising the looks and noise, criticises the handling, softness, lack of speed and lack of appeal compared to a puppy.
- In Series 6, Episode 6, the Stig takes the DBR9 around the Top Gear Test Track setting a time of 1:08.6 but subsequently removed for not being road legal.
- In Clarkson: Heaven and Hell, Jeremy tests the DB9 Volante while praising the noise and gearbox but overall finds it to be less good than the coupe.
- In Series 10, Episode 7, Jeremy compares the DB9 to the DBS at the Top Gear Test Track, stating the DB9 to be more beautiful and a better package but ultimately preferring the DBS.
- In Series 11, Episode 6, for the final challenge against D Motor, the Stig, pretending to be James in a DBRS9 manages to beat Tim Schrick in a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup racer, giving Top Gear overall victory.
- In Top Gear Australia, S01E08, Brown chooses the DB9 for the ultimate drive-in Tasmania against Cox in the Porsche 911 Turbo and Pizzati in a Lamborghini Gallardo Superlegerra.
- In Series 17, Episode 2, the DB9 is featured in James' review of the Virage where it takes part in a drag race against the latter and a DBS.
- In Sand Job, Hammond uses a DB9 Volante as the best exotic GT convertible as he modified for a Paris-Dakar rally style adventure in Mauritania against Clarkson in a Jaguar F-Type V6S and May in a Maserati GranCabrio. His car had sustained much mechanical damage (includes fluid leaking), as further progress. Then notoriously, he knocked over the barbed fence at the border of the Western Sahara afterward through the tunnnel, etc. He eventually resolves the issue, simply by reprogramming the ECU. From there, he was re-joined them in some occassions. But in the airport drag race he narrowly avoid the Corolla upon realised was back to the road.