Aston Martin DB9 (2013) long-term test review

Month 3 running an Aston Martin DB9: the early factory visit and Welsh mountain thrash in our DB9

Presented with a new Aston Martin DB9, what would you do? Stare at it? Show it off to friends and family? Take it to see your girlfriend? Use it to get a new girlfriend? Or head for your favourite roads? After much staring we head for north Wales.

The M40, M42, M6 and M54 are dispatched with unruffled ease, the auto ’box left in D, the adaptive dampers in Normal, the Sport button untouched, the big engine hushed and only just nudging 3000rpm at a three-figure cruise. GT talents showcased? Tick.

But it’s the spectacular Snowdonia National Park that we want, where sublime B-roads wind up and down epic valleys, streak through thick forests and across rolling hills. There the sun is shining, there’s no traffic, and the only sounds are the gentle bleating of newborn lambs and the noise of a raucous 5.9-litre V12 echoing off the stone walls of the Llanberis Pass and treating the climbers high on the peaks above to every roar, every bark and every crackling downshift.

Is there a better way to get better acquainted with our latest long-termer? And has there ever been a more poignant year in which to run an Aston Martin? The world’s coolest car company celebrates its 100th birthday in 2013, so can its oldest model still cut it?

Don’t think it’s exactly the same DB9 that Aston launched in late 2003 though. It’s been constantly revised over the past ten years – including a hefty overhaul in 2010 – and at the end of last year new pedestrian protection regulations forced a raft of changes to all of Aston’s V12-powered cars. So the updated DB9 uses the latest ‘Gen4’ VH aluminium platform, making the coupe 20% stiffer than before; the 8% more powerful engine sits 19mm lower in the nose, to meet those ped-pro regs; and there are new standard-fit Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes and three-stage adaptive dampers.

But we can debate the DB9’s new dynamic qualities later. As we were lucky enough to collect KV13 EXG from Aston HQ and take a tour of the factory, let’s instead indulge in a few highlights from an experience few people are lucky enough to have. Since production of the Rapide was moved from Austria to the UK last summer, every Aston Martin is now hand-built at the company’s Gaydon base. There’s one line for the Rapide and Vantage, one for the Vanquish and DB9 – the rare V12 Zagato and One-77 are built in a separate facility next to the main factory – and only when each car is complete are the Aston Martin badges finally applied.

The DB9 makes up about 25% of production, and it takes around 220 man-hours to make each car, including 50 hours in the paintshop and 50 hours stitching and trimming the interior. Best bit? Watching a 5.9-litre V12 being mated to its magnesium torque tube and carbonfibre propshaft, which is in turn joined to the gearbox, then the differential, subframes and brakes, before this one enormous piece is finally fused with the rest of the car.

Back to north Wales, and knowing we journalists wouldn’t have the patience to obey any running-in procedures when presented with a 510bhp V12, there’s already just over 1000 miles on our DB9. So it’s straight towards 7000rpm in each gear. Press Sport and the long-travel throttle, which was giving gradual access to the power and protecting you from any untoward exuberance, is now much sharper and with a strong and sustained prod the DB9 really reveals how quick it is; the twin exhausts, surprisingly silent at low revs, now howl harder and louder at all the newborn lambs; and the gearshift mapping is more aggressive.

The six-speed transmission still can’t shift as swiftly as the newest eight-speeders, either up or down the gears, and the more expensive Vanquish or a £239k and 730bhp Ferrari F12 would doubtless leave it trailing. But the stiffer chassis means there’s a wonderful composed balance to the way the latest DB9 now flows down a road, and the accurate steering has none of the previous Aston grittiness. Great day, great car.

A few of the CAR team are already insisting that we have monthly, maybe even weekly gatherings at Rockingham, so they can bring along their Pandas and CR-Vs and Veloster Turbos and we can all try each other’s long-termers on track. As I said, quite a year to run an Aston.

By Ben Pulman

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Month 2 running an Aston Martin DB9: fixing our DB9's 'bespoke concerns'

Good news! The DB9’s faulty Garmin sat-nav has been fixed courtesy of a new control unit fitted under warranty by Aston’s Works dealership in Newport Pagnell. And credit to Works which installed the new ECU despite me turning up unannounced, and gave me a tour of the restoration centre while I waited.

Unfortunately the sticking fuel filler cap was on its best behaviour when the service technicians checked it over so no problem could be found. But it seems I need a more positive outlook on Aston ownership: I’m informed by one of the salesmen that the cars don’t actually suffer from faults, but instead have ‘bespoke concerns’…

By Ben Pulman

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Month 2 running an Aston Martin DB9: the DB9 heads to base for gremlin-fixing treatment

A quick update on our DB9. It’s been in to Aston’s own Works dealership in Newport Pagnell, and the diagnosis of the faulty Garmin sat-nav calls for a new control unit. It’s on order, and the new part should arrive in a week or so. And when we go back for it to be fitted I’ll get the sticking fuel filler cap looked at too – annoyingly I forgot to mention it during the visit.

As for Works, it’s in Aston’s old home of Newport Pagnell, where the previous Vanquish was built and where the company’s restoration centre remains. A complete refurbishment has just finished, and a huge wall of glass now separates the showroom from the service bays so you can watch the technicians working on your car while you wait. No slacking, now!

The glass isn’t 100% soundproof either, so every now and again you’re treated to the sound of a V8 or V12 barking into life. And with a £1m One-77 in the showroom next to the sofas, it’s not a bad place from which to wait. But we shouldn’t have been visiting in the first place…

By Ben Pulman

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Month 1 running an Aston Martin DB9: our Aston heads for the N24 in style

Gone are the days when Astons, Bentleys and the like were consummate continent-crossing GTs (blame high fuel costs) but on this occasion that didn’t stop designer Matthew Tarrant and I taking our newly arrived DB9 out to the recent Nürburgring 24hrs.

Why? Because not only was Aston was aiming for overall victory with its V12 Vantage GT3 and going for a world record with a hydrogen-powered Rapide, but it had chosen the infamous endurance race to unveil the glorious CC100 concept as part of its centenary celebrations, and then have it lead a pre-race parade (including our DB9) around the Nordschleife.

Besides our car there was company boss Dr Bez in the CC100, Sir Stirling Moss driving the DBR1 in which he won the 1959 Nürburgring 1000km, one Daniel Craig in the same DB5 that starred in Skyfall, and over 100 other Astons.

I’m lucky enough to have taken part in a similar parade in our long-term BMW 1-series M a few years back, so handed the DB9’s key over to Matt. It was only as we were pulling onto the circuit that he mentioned he’d never driven around the ‘Ring before. Thankfully he didn’t bin it, and we had a great time charging around the ‘Ring sandwiched between the roars of a rare V12 Vantage Roadster and a new Vanquish.

In the actual N24 race Aston’s V12 Vantage GT3 qualified second on the 200+ grid, soon took the lead, and was out in front when the race was red flagged six hours in due to heavy rain. Unfortunately it struggled in the wet conditions when the race restarted nearly ten hours later, and eventually finished tenth in the shortest ever Nürburgring 24hrs.

Best bit? As usual the atmosphere in the forest at night (at least before the race was cancelled). Many fans arrive nearly a week before the N24 starts, construct their own three-storey viewing platforms at the edge of the track, set up their own nightclubs deep in the thick woodland, and party hard until the chequered flag is waved. Nothing beats watching the race cars emerge from the gloom, blast past and off into the night, while you’re surrounded by the sights and smells of the crazy crowd. It’s nothing like Le Mans.

As for the DB9, I think we’re going to get on well. It’s got a small boot and even smaller back seats, so there’s not much room to accommodate all the luggage a 21st century man needs for a weekend away in the Eifel Mountains, but an Aston draws smiles and waves and appreciation like few other cars. Everybody loved it.

We’ll have more on the dynamic side of the DB9, and what it’s like to actually live with over the coming months, but for now there are a few faults to sort. For a start the fuel filler cap release only works around 50% of the time, and although Aston cunningly foresaw this problem and fitted an emergency release handle in the boot, that’s not faultless either.

That, and the in-built Garmin sat-nav system crashes and resets whenever you attempt to enter the name of a town or city. The postcode functionality works fine, but as Aston’s own Works showroom, service and restoration centre in Newport Parnell is mere minutes from my house, the DB9 is booked in for a visit ASAP. More soon…

By Ben Pulman

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How we specced CAR's new Aston Martin DB9 long-termer - 30 April 2013

Has there ever been a more poignant year in which to run a long-term Aston Martin? The world’s coolest car company celebrates its 100th birthday this year, so can the DB9 – Aston’s oldest model – still cut it in 2013? We’ve got the next few months to find out…

It’s not the same DB9 that Aston launched in late 2003 though, as over the past decade it’s been constantly revised – including a hefty overhaul in 2010 – and then at the end of 2012 new pedestrian protection regulations forced a raft of changes to all of Aston’s V12-powered cars. That means the updated DB9 uses the latest ‘Gen4’ version of Aston’s VH aluminium platform, making the Coupe 20% stiffer than before; the 5.9-litre V12 is 8% more powerful and sits 19mm lower in the nose to meet those ped-pro regs; and there are Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes and three-stage adaptive dampers fitted as standard.

We’re going to take our DB9 to the Nürburgring 24hrs in late May where Aston will be racing a hydrogen-powered Rapide S, and it’s already registered for the culmination of the company’s centenary celebrations, a 1000-car parade through London in July. I’m sure it’ll be on duty at a few weddings too, but for now let’s reveal exactly how we’ve specced our new long-term Aston Martin. Here’s what we’ve ordered:

Aston Martin DB9: £131,995 OTR
Cobalt Blue metallic paint: £995
20-inch 10-spoke silver diamond-turned wheels: £2595
Exterior Carbon Pack: £5995 (front splitter, door mirrors and rear bumper in carbon, plus graphite coloured exhausts)
Interior Carbon Pack: £3495 (dashboard, door trim and gearshift paddles in carbon)
1000W Bang & Olufsen BeoSound system: £5495
Headrests embroidered with ‘DB9’ logo: £495

Total: £152,150

We could try and make excuses for the near-£10k spent on carbonfibre as both options are new to the revised DB9 as Aston chases the lucrative personalisation market, but frankly, when presented with the chance to spec a £130k V12-engined GT, can you honestly tell us you wouldn’t go to town? Either way, I’m sure you’ll agree Cobalt Blue is a stunning colour in which to paint what might already be the best-looking car on sale today. Our order is in, and we’re eagerly awaiting delivery…