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This Aston looks to adopt aggressive new styling.
What It Is: A thinly camouflaged example of the next-generation Aston Martin DB9. (Our most recent spy shots of the next DB9 were of a more heavily covered car.) The DB9 is Aston’s two-door middle child, slotting between the “entry level” Vantage and the more-powerful DB9-based DBS. This family tree recently grew with the addition of the Virage—a DB9 with unique bodywork and slightly more power—which itself slots between the DB9 and the DBS. Despite a refresh for 2011, the DB9 still looks somewhat stale when parked next to the Virage and the muscular DBS, so more extensive changes are headed its way for 2013. It may also get a new name.
Why It Matters: The DB9 in its current form was introduced way back in 2004, and has since had its place in Aston Martin’s lineup crowded by the smaller V12 Vantage and the aforementioned Virage. Both of those cars are newer and more powerful than the DB9, so a significant update should go a long way in reestablishing the DB9’s place within the Aston family.
Platform: The DB9 should continue to utilize Aston Martin’s aluminum VH architecture, which also underpins every other Aston model. So by “should,” we really mean will.
The 2013 car’s front fascia sees its inlets enlarged and pushed outward, away from the signature Aston Martin grille. The headlights are slimmer and get LED running lights—finally—and the hood gets a few more creases and larger vents. Otherwise, the DB9 gets a more pronounced arc to its rear fender bulges, bigger exhaust outlets, and a dramatically arched rear lip spoiler inspired by the hyper-exotic One-77.
Powertrain: Expect the DB9 to again be powered by a sonorous V-12. As to the possibility of a power increase from the current model’s 470-hp twelve-pot, that’s where things get a bit tricky. The slightly pricier and much sportier V12 Vantage uses the DBS’s 510-hp version of the same engine, but the also-more-expensive Virage has a 490-hp iteration of the twelve. We’d expect around 500 horses for this car, and for the Vantage to receive a slight bump, too. The choice of six-speed manual or automatic transaxles should carry over to the 2013 model.
Competition: Bentley Continental, Ferrari F12berlinetta, Maserati GranTurismo coupe, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG
Estimated Arrival Time and Price: The 2013 DB9 should debut in coupe and “Volante” form sometime this year before going on sale next year; don’t be surprised if the new car debuts with a name change to either “DB10” or “DB11.” Just as pegging the DB9’s output is complicated by the V12 Vantage and the Virage, so is determining the 9’s price. In all likelihood it won’t deviate far from the current coupe’s $186,230 base sticker—or the Volante’s $208,730 price tag—but an infusion of power could come with a commensurate hike in cost.
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