RE: Aston Martin revives DB9

[DanBMW]

Beefmeister said:

As I said in the AM section - I think they should have simply canned the DB9 and upgraded this as the 13MY Virage. More power, cheaper, better.

The range would then have a nice flow to it as well - Vantage, Virage, Vanquish.

(ignoring the Cygnet, obviously)

Thats pretty much what I said when they brought the virage out. I said it should have been the MY upgrades on the DB9 rather than an entirely different model.

[Alfakid]

had ham said:

Yawn.

Am I the only one who is now totally bored with this generic AM design?

I'm certainly not, every time one of these (DB9, V8, Vanquish etc) drives past it makes me drool; also my little lad (7yrs old) which is surely what they are all about, posters all over his wall of the stuff. Anyway, Porsche seem to have done okay out of pressing the 'slight distortion filter' every 5 years or so!!

[richardaucock]

Compelling discussion going on here - I'm enjoying it!

The name is interesting: I admit, Virage would have been neater, but I wonder if Aston is keen to keep a 'DB' model in its range? As this isn't 'new', it thus retains the DB9 moniker... paving the way for a DB10 in future years?

[Agent Orange]

I get the Porsche snipes not least because the shape has evolved over 50+ years. It's bound to wear thin after that length of time.

I don't get the Aston snipes though. Even if you ignore the DB7 (which I think is a beautiful and classic shape and REALLY kick myself for not getting one when they were sub £20K) this refreshed DB9 is an improvement over previous Astons.

Though not a DB9 and personally not my favourite Aston the V8 Vantage does look dated next to a new DB9.



If Aston haven't moved on from this design in 10+ years then maybe we can snipe but for the moment I can't see a more beautiful design than the current Astons.

[MonteV]

It looks very sleek. The headlight cowls are getting a bit large, however.

[MonteV]

BTW, I would appreciate comparison shots of front ends of DB9 old, DBS, Virage, and the DB9 Revised as part of the article.

[richardaucock]

MonteV said:

BTW, I would appreciate comparison shots of front ends of DB9 old, DBS, Virage, and the DB9 Revised as part of the article.

Good idea. I'll go into the press archive tomorrow and compile something...

[Japveesix]

MonteV said:

BTW, I would appreciate comparison shots of front ends of DB9 old, DBS, Virage, and the DB9 Revised as part of the article.

DB9


DBS


Virage


Revised DB9



Even for Astons the virage and new DB9 are basically identical.

[George H]

Agent Orange said:

Though not a DB9 and personally not my favourite Aston the V8 Vantage does look dated next to a new DB9.

Maybe because that's the original iteration of the V8V before it was facelifted?

The Vantage S doesn't look dated imo:

[Agent Orange]

George H said:

Maybe because that's the original iteration of the V8V before it was facelifted?

The Vantage S doesn't look dated imo:

Which proves my point. The original looked stunning when released yet has benefitted from a freshen up. Currently I'd say evolution is working for Aston and when you have a design that is so good you don't need radical changes.

It'll take a brave man to move Aston away from this current design.

[NGK210]

Umm, surely the Virage/new-DB9's front-end is merely the Rapide's with a different bumper/spoiler moulding?

In which case, the Rapide's "it's just an LWB DB9 with four doors" tag now seems all the more apt

[Camlet]

I've a mate who traded his old DB9 for a new Virage. So now his new Virage is a dead model and his old DB9 has been reborn as his new Virage. Can't wait to ask him how he feels. And why PH am I being served display ads for bloody Sheba catfood on this page? As bonkers as AML's sales and marketing strategy.

[SRM355]

Think you've nailed it with that quote - it's still an absolutely stunning car and one of the best looking, best proportioned cars ever made IMO, I'll take a Volante with a manual please!

Beefmeister said:

Just imagine for a minute that you haven't seen any Aston Martins before, and then just take in the sheer beauty of this car:



It really is utterly stunning. Anyone who says these cars are 'boring' just because they haven't changed in a while needs to check their brain. This car is beautiful.

[Beefmeister]

SRM355 said:

Think you've nailed it with that quote - it's still an absolutely stunning car and one of the best looking, best proportioned cars ever made IMO, I'll take a Volante with a manual please!

Thanks, but sadly you won't - it's auto only, no shifty shifty... :-(

[killingjoker]

I can see the comments already for when Aston do release a new design. You can bet it'll then be "why did they change the shape?" and "the old shape was better". They are beautiful cars IMHO.

I think they got a bit fussy with too many different editions/types for a while. Pulling the 'brand' (i do hate the phrase 'product' they're a 'marque') back to a more simplified range is a good idea. They floundered with direction for a bit, diluted it with the awful Piglet... sorry i mean Cygnet, and building the Rapide in Graz was a mistake as well as Aston should always represent GB/England (this is what a lot of people perceive the marque as).

DB9 is a famous name now even with people not into cars, much like 007's DB5 was/is so keep it going. GB should be proud of AML.

[monthefish]

Zod said:

torres del paine said:

Zod said:

Not so. My car gets photographed all the time. I get thumbs up. People ask me to rev it when I'm in traffic. A Porsche would be invisible. An Aston is not.

That's a sweeping statement.

A GT3 or GT2 would not be invisible; they have presence, even in more affluent parts of London.

Only to people like us. Don't confuse presence with pedigree and appeal to petrolheads. M5 is the same; I spot them and love them, but to 99.9% of the population they are just a 5 Series.

I disagree.
I think for 95% of the general public, a 911 Carrera would be veiwed almost exactly the same as a DB9.
A bespoilered GT3 would be viewed the same as an extrovert Lambo.

You are giving the genereal public credit for far more car knowldge than they are due.

[marcosgt]

I went to PHSS at Aston recently and developed a new found liking for these cars.

They're lovely up close and inside and I was totally smitten with the Zagato, which I'd called a Nissan GTR lookalike in the past (doesn't look much like it at all in 'person').

I think it's good they're making more sense of the range and like this AND the Vanquish (although the OLD Vanquish still stands head and shoulders above them to my eye).

Would I buy one if I had the money? Maybe, but not definitely.

The DB9, though, remains a great looking car, so why 'fix' something that's not broken?

M

[Vocal Minority]

I like the DB9 and the lastest is a handsome beast indeed, especially from the angle in the Volante picture.

My grudge is against the rest of the range, as it was all slight variations on the theme. They became that bloke at the party that went round telling the same joke over and over. It doesn't make the original any less funny, but change the record for Pete's sake!

Still, the DB9 is the original 'joke' as it were, and still a most dashing machine.

[Zod]

monthefish said:

Zod said:

torres del paine said:

Zod said:

Not so. My car gets photographed all the time. I get thumbs up. People ask me to rev it when I'm in traffic. A Porsche would be invisible. An Aston is not.

That's a sweeping statement.

A GT3 or GT2 would not be invisible; they have presence, even in more affluent parts of London.

Only to people like us. Don't confuse presence with pedigree and appeal to petrolheads. M5 is the same; I spot them and love them, but to 99.9% of the population they are just a 5 Series.

I disagree.
I think for 95% of the general public, a 911 Carrera would be veiwed almost exactly the same as a DB9.
A bespoilered GT3 would be viewed the same as an extrovert Lambo.

You are giving the genereal public credit for far more car knowldge than they are due.

That depends very much on where you are. In much of the country, an M3 will turn heads and get comments. In London, a Porsche doesn't get a second glance, whereas an Aston or a Ferrari or Lamborghini does. To the general public, a GT3, RS or GT2 is just a Porsche with bits on it.

[Evo]

Who took the badge of the virage and stuck DB9 on it for a laugh then.

Joking aside and yes it's all subtle changes etc etc,

It's still one of the best looking coupes out there and with an awesome exhaust note.

It would make a fine lottery win everyday barge for me.