Aston Martin DB9 In Depth

Press Release

Page 1: Design
Page 2: Technology (I)
Page 3: Technology (II)
Page 4: Specifications

The Aston Martin DB9 is the first car to be produced at the company's modern facility in Gaydon, Warwickshire.

The innovative DB9 heralds an exciting new era for Aston Martin as it reflects the direction that the company is taking with all future models.

Using a radical new aluminium bonded frame, the 2+2 DB9 is one of the most sophisticated and technically advanced sports cars in the world. It successfully balances the attributes of a sports car with features normally found on luxury cars.

DESIGN

The Aston Martin DB9 is a modern interpretation of a traditional Aston Martin sports car, representing a contemporary version of classic DB design elements and characteristics.

"We wanted an elegant, beautiful car - in keeping with Aston Martin tradition," says Director of Design Henrik Fisker. "I was of course acutely aware that Aston Martin is renowned for its superb styling. It has launched some of the most beautiful sports and GT cars ever seen."

Key traditional Aston Martin features incorporated into the DB9 include the distinctive grille, side strakes and clean, crisp, uncluttered lines.

Clean and elegant surfacing

"Aston Martins are not edgy cars - they don't have sharp surfaces or pronounced power domes," says Fisker. "The bodywork is elegant and gently curved, like a supremely fit person, with great muscle tone. But it is not like a body builder, who is bulky and out of harmony."

The side profile is very clean, with a single-sweep roofline. There is a pronounced boot - a noticeable feature of the DB4 and DB5 - and the haunches on the rear wings are wide and curvaceous.

"A great deal of time was spent on the detailing," says Fisker. "In particular, we wanted to cut down on fuss. There are very few cut or shut lines. Each of the headlamps is set in single apertures in the front wings."

Nor is there a separate nose cone, another typical source of sports car design fussiness. The aluminium bonnet runs all to the way to the leading edge of the car. "This accentuates the length of the bonnet and the power of the car," says Fisker. All front cut lines emanate from the grille.

The DB9's bumpers are invisible. The front number plate is part of the crash structure and computer modelling has enabled Aston Martin to use invisible 'hard pressure zones' to cope with bumps.

"We wanted the DB9 to look like it was milled out of a single solid piece of aluminium," says Fisker. "No fussy detailing and a minimum of shut lines have helped."

The side strakes - an Aston Martin DB signature - are made from metal. The door handles are flush with the body opening the unique 'swan wing' doors, which rise at a 12-degree angle for improved access.

There are no visible gutters on the roof panel, and no visible drain channels at the front or rear
windscreens. Nor are there any plastic 'dressing' plates.

The importance of good stance

"The way the car sits on the road is crucial," says Fisker. "A sleek, long look is what we wanted."

The wide track and long wheelbase are further advantages. Compared with the outgoing DB7 Vantage, the DB9's wheelbase is 149mm longer, yet the track is 52mm wider at the front. Yet overall length and width are only marginally increased.

"The 19-inch wheel has taken into account the optimal size for this car's design and dynamics," says Fisker, "although different wheel styles will be available."

This low bodywork, relative to the wheels, is possible because of the suspension design. The front
suspension uses wishbones that 'fit' within the diameter of the wheels. This narrow spacing, between top and bottom wishbones, means the bodywork can be low - because there is no high suspension to clear. It also improves camber stiffness, improving handling.

"The DB9 had to have the best quality and most luxurious cabin in the 2+2 sports car class," says Fisker. As with the exterior, the design is simple and elegant and a premium quality look and feel are crucial.

"The latest technology is also essential, and that's exactly what the DB9 customer gets," says Fisker. "But in an Aston Martin, the technology is aimed at increasing the driving pleasure. There are no computer gimmicks. You don't buy an Aston Martin to play games on the in-car computer, or to send emails." Aluminium is used for door handles, on the dashboard, in the instrument cluster, and for some trim panels. The most distinctive use of aluminium is probably in the instruments. The dials are made from aluminium, and are of noticeable 'three dimensional' design. They are flood lit, not back lit - making them especially attractive and clear at night.

There are 20 new leather colours, supplied by Bridge of Weir in Scotland. The hides are particularly soft and supple. The leather skins the seats and is used widely throughout the rest of the cabin.

"We spent a lot of time considering how best to use wood," says Interior Designer Sarah Maynard. "Today wood is typically used as an appliqué, strips of highly polished veneer simply adding decoration to the car. We wanted the wood in the DB9 to look more structural, as it does on avant-garde modern furniture. We also wanted to use large pieces of wood, rather than little strips - again, as in top furniture."

Maynard adds: 'Wood is used in two places only: on top of the centre of the dashboard and, if the customer chooses, for the door caps. Three types of wood are offered: walnut, mahogany and bamboo. The wood is one piece, so it looks completely different from burr strips, and can be oiled rather than high gloss. Glossy wood invariably looks like plastic."

Maynard, a former fashion designer, attended numerous international fashion, furniture, leather and fabric fairs, as she, Fisker and the design team, conceived the cabin.

Her favourite cabin design feature is the clear glass starter button. "It seemed wrong to us that most car starter buttons - the first point of contact between driver and engine - is a plastic button. We wanted something better so decided on crystal-like glass. The Aston Martin logo is sand etched into it. It's lit red when the ignition is on, and afterwards changes to light blue. I think it's
a really cool piece of design."

A great deal of effort has been put into ensuring that the DB9 is stable at high speed and has excellent front-to-rear lift balance. Aerodynamic performance was tuned using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), at Volvo's studios in Sweden. This is one of the most advanced and
effective ways of ensuring good drag figures and excellent stability.

Aston Martin also used England's Cranfield University's state-of-the-art 40 percent model wind tunnel, which is widely used for motor sport.

Just as much effort was put into the underside, as the top side. A full undertray reduces lift and drag, and wheel arches are carefully profiled to allow for good airflow. Even the exhaust silencer has been shaped to be as aerodynamic as possible.

The designers of the DB9 balanced beauty with aerodynamic performance. Sharp corners and chiselled profiles can reduce Cd figures, but can also lead to bland and unsightly styling. Pushing wheels out to each corner, in the Aston Martin tradition, improves stability and handling but also means 'Coke bottle' curves down the car's sides, which can have an effect on the Cd figure. The DB9's drag coefficient is 0.35, similar to that of the Vanquish.

"A low Cd figure was not an absolute priority," says Fisker. "The goal was superb styling with high speed stability and great front-to-rear balance."