Design

No sports car manufacturer has a greater design heritage than Aston Martin. Responsible for some of the most beautiful sports cars ever made, Aston Martin imbues every model with understated elegance and graceful styling, achieved through harmonious proportions, taut surfacing, a ground-hugging stance and thorough attention to detail.

An Aston Martin is subtle, not attention-seeking. The coupe’s side profile is clean and distinctive, with a single-sweep roofline that flows through to a distinctive tail. Key Aston Martin design elements include the distinctive grille, metal side strakes, signature rear window shape and wide, curvaceous haunches.

An Aston Martin is by definition very fast, so it needs to be aerodynamically efficient. It must be superbly stable at high speed – even the exhaust silencer is aerodynamically shaped to help achieve this. The result is that the DB9 drives arrow-straight at high speed yet, like all great Aston Martins, it does so with supreme elegance and grace.

The DB9 was designed from the outset as both a coupé and a convertible, an uncompromising approach that epitomises the engineering philosophy behind the car. The DB9 Volante is therefore one of the most structurally rigid and best-handling convertibles in the world. It is also one of the fastest and quietest.

As with all Aston Martins, beauty and balance are critical. The DB9 Volante is perfectly proportioned from every angle, roof up or down. The convertible top retracts at the single push of a button and swiftly stows beneath a hard tonneau cover that closes flush with the rear bodywork, leaving the lines of the car flowing and unbroken.

The Volante’s elegant folding fabric roof is light and durable. A layer of Thinsulate material insulates the cabin from both noise and the elements when the roof is up, and optimises headroom for the driver and front passenger. There is also no loss of practicality – the folding fabric roof is compact when stowed, allowing the DB9 Volante to retain its rear seats and ample boot space.

Safety is a major consideration in a convertible. Special tilt sensors detect the possibility of a roll-over and deploy two strengthened hoops from the rear seat headrests. Further protection is offered by the windscreen A-pillars, which have been rig tested to withstand more than twice the total weight of the car.

Craftmanship

The DB9 is elegant, luxurious and supremely comfortable. Its cabin is hand-trimmed in beautiful, natural materials – primarily wood and leather – and incorporates the latest in modern technology without resorting to superfluous controls or displays. There is a minimum of distraction – even the satellite navigation screen folds discreetly away when not in use.

Every element of the interior is hand-made and hand-finished, from the cutting of the leather to the carefully crafted wood. This is done not out of deference to tradition, but because a skilled craftsman can finish wood or leather to a far higher standard than any machine. The leather is particularly soft and supple, as you would expect of Aston Martin, and is used throughout the cabin.

The wood trims are inspired by hand-finished modern furniture and there is a choice of five: Walnut, Mahogany, Bamboo, Tamo Ash and Piano Black. In every case, ‘single-piece’ cuts are used, rather than tiny strips or thin appliqués. Crafting such large pieces of wood is only possible when done by hand.

The use of aluminium on the dashboard, instrument panel, centre console and door handles reflects the aluminium structure that underpins the entire car. The finish is stylish and contemporary, yet the material itself is steeped in automotive tradition.

The DB9 has exceptional equipment levels, as one would expect in a high-performance sports car with GT levels of comfort and refinement. The driver’s first interaction with the powerful V12 engine is a blend of tradition and high technology, with a touch of theatre. The ignition is controlled by a stainless steel and glass ECU (Emotion Control Unit), designed to be as tactile and refined as a fine timepiece. The ECU is inserted into a special docking station set within the traditional clear glass starter button. Pressing the ECU flush with the surface of the starter button fires the engine. After pressing once again to stop the engine, the ECU rises out of its slot within the button so that it can be removed.

The centre console has clear, crisp graphics, with a traditional analogue clock at the centre flanked by rotary controls for the heating and air-conditioning system. These solid, turned aluminium controls also operate the audio system, integrated Bluetooth telephone and ultra-quick Hard Disk Drive (HDD) satellite navigation functions. Audio is provided by the 700 W Premium Audio System with Dolby® Pro Logic II®. Designed exclusively for Aston Martin, this system features high-quality, fibre-optic electronics, which pass audio signals with marvellous precision and near-perfect clarity. The console also includes a slot for the six-CD auto-changer, while beneath the centre armrest there is connectivity for iPod and MP3 players. Full Bluetooth integration is standard on the DB9, enabling you to synchronise your mobile telephone directory through the car’s display screens. It can also display the last 10 calls received, made and missed.

Aston Martins are hand-built cars, made to order, and this bespoke approach enables the provision of any combination of paint and leather trim colours. There is, however, an extensive palette of standard body colours and interior finishes, carefully chosen by Aston Martin’s design team to complement the forms, materials and surfaces of the car.

Twenty standard paint colours are available, categorised as either ‘contemporary’, ‘fast track’ or ‘special’, and varying from subtle metallics to the brightest hues. In addition, twenty shades of the finest, softest leather, nine colours of carpet and five choices of wood trim complete the standard range. For the DB9 Volante, there are eight hood colours available, from Black to Sandstorm.

Standard features include satellite navigation (where available), rear parking sensors, Bluetooth telephone connectivity, cruise control, powerfold mirrors, tyre-pressure monitoring and heated front seats. Additional options are available, including diamond-turned alloy wheels, personalised sill plaques and a bright-finish grille.

Control

Great sports cars must handle superbly. They should respond quickly and predictably to driver commands; they should be nimble and agile. To achieve the low weight that is the starting point for such agility, all the DB9’s major body and mechanical components are made from either aluminium, magnesium alloy or advanced, lightweight, composite materials.

The front-to-rear weight distribution of the DB9 is a perfect 50:50, with 85% of the car’s mass sited between the front and rear axles. The aluminium V12 engine is mounted as far back as possible in a ‘front mid-engined’ layout. The compact aluminium transaxle housing the gearbox and final drive is positioned at the rear, forward of the rear axle.

A lightweight and rigid carbon-fibre propeller shaft, housed within a cast aluminium torque tube, transfers torque from the front mid-mounted engine to the rear mid-mounted transmission, helping to give the DB9 its superb poise, balance and stability.

The result is a car that can be driven with great ease and precision, thanks to the flow of communication through the steering. The DB9 excels not because it has myriad electronic controls added in an attempt to overcome compromise, but because it has an inherently light and rigid structure, perfect weight distribution and finely tuned suspension.

More than any other quality, the DB9 seeks to serve up the richest driving experience in the sports GT class. It serenades the driver with its balance of engine and exhaust notes, provides scintillating performance and agility and has a seductive blend of fluent steering and linear controls. This combination of performance and luxury makes the DB9 both an exceptional out-and-out sports car and an ultra-refined GT.

The DB9 cabin is focused on the driver, who sits as low and as close as possible to the car’s centre of gravity. Combined with the rigid body structure and all-aluminium, double-wishbone suspension, the result is unfiltered feedback of the car’s dynamic behaviour. This unparalleled two-way communication – car to driver, driver to car – is at the very core of the DB9’s design philosophy.

The steering, power-assisted for lightness, is superbly responsive, helped by the car’s low weight and excellent balance. The large disc brakes – 355 mm diameter discs at the front and 330 mm at the rear – are ventilated and grooved, to aid cooling and boost braking performance. Radially mounted, four-piston, monobloc calipers provide great stopping power with a firm yet progressive pedal feel.

The DB9’s active safety – the ability to help avoid an accident occurring in the first place – begins with its inherent agility and responsiveness. The lightweight, rigid body structure and superbly tuned suspension and steering are further aided by a host of advanced electronics. These include Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) and the latest-generation ABS brakes which, should the system detect loss of grip, combine to help keep the car stable and balanced.

Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and Emergency Brake Assist (EBA) are also employed. EBD balances the front-to-rear braking bias, to give optimal braking performance. In an emergency, EBA sensors detect when maximum braking is required and automatically apply the appropriate force.

The DB9 offers class-leading safety with a rigid aluminium structure designed to provide a supremely robust passenger cell. Occupants are further protected by extruded aluminium crumple zones at the front and rear of the car. Crash and safety testing was conducted at the world-renowned Volvo Safety Centre in Sweden.

Dual-stage driver and passenger airbags, seat-mounted side airbags and seat-belt pretensioners offer additional protection. In the Volante, roll-over hoops are automatically and instantly deployed from the headrests in the event of an accident.

The DB9 is equipped with an integrated Passive Anti Theft System (PATS), which uses a rolling code electronic ignition key to prevent unauthorised engine start-up. It also includes the very latest in vehicle alarm systems, featuring parametric sensors and double locking for doors.

Engineering

The DB9 is technologically sophisticated and meticulously engineered. Its development programme includes rigorous testing in locations as diverse as Nardo in Italy, Death Valley in the USA and inside the Arctic Circle in Sweden. In total, more than one million testing miles have been covered. Design and engineering innovations include the organic electroluminescent displays (OEL) in the instrument pack and centre console, which provide greater clarity and resolution, as well as LED (light-emitting diode) rear lamps designed to project further and react more quickly than conventional systems.

The propeller shaft is particularly innovative: it is manufactured from carbon-fibre for lightness and improved transmission refinement. The ‘swan-wing’ doors are another elegant and ingenious design feature, opening out and up to improve access and prevent the doors being scuffed on high kerbs. The DB9 also pioneered the use of ‘ultrasonic’ welding, which is 90% stronger than conventional spot welding, and results in a better finish, yet uses only 5% of the energy.

Aston Martin has developed its own incredibly light and strong aerospace-specification bonded aluminium structure. This unique ‘VH’ (Vertical Horizontal) structure gives the DB9 one of the most structurally efficient body frames in the car industry. Its huge rigidity aids handling, driver feedback and safety. More than any other single component, the advanced aluminium structure is the reason for DB9’s extraordinary nimbleness, responsiveness and overall character.

However, it is not just the body structure that is light and rigid. Other components have been developed with weight reduction in mind, from the aluminium V12 engine and transmission to the forged aluminium suspension and aluminium-bodied dampers. Even the windscreen surround is cast aluminium, while the door frames and inner panels, steering column and gear change paddles are all made from magnesium.

The result is that the DB9 is up to 1300 lb (590 kg) leaner than some other GT cars. That’s the equivalent of six adult males, plus luggage. This light weight, allied to class-leading rigidity, contributes to improved acceleration, agility, steering response, braking and fuel economy, as well as a significantly heightened driving experience. Lightness and balance make the whole driving experience more pleasurable – from the deft movement needed to open and close the graceful, ‘swan-wing’ doors, to the touch and feel of every control on the dashboard. The DB9, more than almost any other sports car, is in harmony with its driver, and in harmony with the road.