Monday 3rd February 2014

Aston Martin DB9 'Future': Time For Tea?

Official Aston vid on where the DB9 goes in its second decade

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With the V12 Vantage S, Vanquish Volanteand the AMG collaboration stealing all the headlines at present, Aston Martin has decided 2014 is the time to remind us all of the DB9.

It probably hasn't escaped your attention (or Aston Martin's) that the DB9 is 10 years old this year. The occasion has been marked with a series of four films covering the DB9's Design, History, Engineering and Future. This video is the latter because, well, aren't we all a little intrigued about the DB9 over the next few years?

Hearing that the DB9 'already has a future because it's something that everyone will recognise as beautiful in 20 years' isn't too encouraging. There's talk of 'continuous improvement' which we all know has resulted in a far better DB9 but do the customers know that? How many buy a DB9 on how it looks compared to how it drives?

A final shot with the DB5 (mandatory in all Aston videos) is accompanied by talk of 'continuing the nomenclature'. Does that mean DB9 remains or a DB10 replacement? Speculate at your leisure...

Watch it here

 

[P4ROT]

We never look backwards //shows DB5 in end credits//

[swisstoni]

Was expecting Jonathan Ive to pop up there somewhere.

[myhandle]

Not as amusing as the infamous True Power Should be Shared series which I am sure many remember from the Rapide launch:

Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEJb-I2kIRY
Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBzGa1IMKfI
Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bj3K-ds_-4g

The part where they open what appears to be a can of time is a wonder of made-for-TV scriptwriting.

[MrTappets]

I like to think that if I'd joined the Aston Martin top level management early on in the development of the Vanquish I'd have pushed to have it launched as a DB10. The Virage that was launched in 2010 should have been an uprated DB9 and would have seen it through the last two or three years of sales.

And while we're on it, why, when the Rapide was uprated to S, wasn't it effectively launched as a new car based instead on the Vanquish? Surely they would share the vast majority of parts and many body panels? Then you could have them badged DB10 and DB10/4 and the current DB9 would be out to pasture where it belongs.

[BBS-LM]

They should have redesigned a new car 4 years ago. I will take a Jaguar F-Type any day of the week,

[RTH]

We learned absolutely nothing from that management speak tosh.

[WILL_T]

Well that vid told us the sum total of bu88er all

[JLJ11]

BBS-LM said:

They should have redesigned a new car 4 years ago. I will take a Jaguar F-Type any day of the week,

I dunno if they are really competition for each other. I'd also take an F-type over a DB9 but they arent like for like. One is nuts, one is a GT with fairly different dimensions. It would have to be DB9 vs the XK at which point id take neither. In fact I cant think of a current model GT that i really want (new vanquish way too pricey). I'd take a used 599 in this sector probably. AM looks to me to be a company struggling with development costs and trying to wring the last bit of life out of something. Hopefully they save enough money by outsourcing engines to AMG to actually build new models.

[hornbaek]

Aston is at the end of the road with their current VH derived range. They so desperately need a technology partner. The cars are still iconic and beautiful but looks alone do not sell a car. I borrowed a Bentley Continental GTC V8 for a couple of weeks and whilst I am not a Bentley customer I could not help thinking what a DB9 looking car with the Bentley technology would be like!.

[veevee]

hornbaek said:

Aston is at the end of the road with their current VH derived range. They so desperately need a technology partner. The cars are still iconic and beautiful but looks alone do not sell a car. I borrowed a Bentley Continental GTC V8 for a couple of weeks and whilst I am not a Bentley customer I could not help thinking what a DB9 looking car with the Bentley technology would be like!.

They have one, AMG. I think it'll go well. They do need completely new cars, though.

[HeMightBeBanned]

I don't care if they're 10 years old. They're still beautiful.

[mikey k]

HeMightBeBanned said:

I don't care if they're 10 years old. They're still beautiful.

And that is what AM have relied on
I still think there are a lot more models in the VH platform

[davepoth]

HeMightBeBanned said:

I don't care if they're 10 years old. They're still beautiful.

True enough. The design predates flame surfacing, hockeystick tail lights, ludicrous wheel sizes (it rides on the same front tyres as an Astra VXR) and ridiculous front overhangs.

[XJR500bhp]

So many people comment who havn't driven or even been passenger in these cars. They still bring a sense of occasion, and they'll struggle to lose that

[gvij]

I think its bang up to date personally. If I was in the market for a GT what are the options? No one is going to seriously buy a Ferrari, Bentley Continental, Mercedes CL, SL, 6 Series etc
Only something like an XK, DB9 are in the running and the XK is ugly.

[Stick Legs]

Many years ago the GT car had a place, the cars that were made were focused on being fast, comfortable & relatively efficient.
They reached their zenith in the late 70's. BMW 6 Series, Aston Martin V8, Jaguar XJ-S, Porsche 928 to name the best of the breed.

In my opinion they lost their 'need' in the market place once cars like the BMW M5 and Mercedes E500 arrived (not to mention the Lancia Thema 8.32 and Lotus Carlton!).
Once the usable 'super saloon' became a reality then the only need to have a GT car was to look smart rather than achieve the performance with adequate space for 2 and luggage.
Since this era the GT car has been caught in the middle of a tug of war between comfort and speed. The DB9 is special and has a place, but I am worried that Aston Martin are falling into the trap of old where they are just rehashing an old design and not investing sufficiently. When the DB9 is capable of less performance and comfort than the 2017 Mercedes CLS Diesel (as an example) then Aston Martin will be in big trouble. Bentley have been developing the Continental GT but that too is long in the tooth.

They need investment and some fresh designs, and the best way to do this is with a technology share with a partner.

[Wills2]

I remember following a "new" DB9 last summer it had immense presence on the road, I was in a new 991 C2S Cab at the time and well, it made it look very ordinary.

Astons are very beautiful and even more so on the road.

[Amirhussain]

HeMightBeBanned said:

I don't care if they're 10 years old. They're still beautiful.

No doubt, but its 10 years old, and how long can Aston rely on looks?

I might be wrong, but wasn't the Virage meant to replace the DB9?

[oilit]

the virage did replace the db9 - if you look closely the new db9 is in fact the virage. The virage was then dropped as a model in the current lineup.

[gpb1]

My 7 year old DB9 makes me grin like the Cheshire Cat every time I open my garage door. I think the new model is a subtle improvement on the original, and I will upgrade mine in a couple of years.

Edited by gpb1 on Monday 3rd February 22:44