Aston Martin DB9
Encyclopedia
DB9 Volante
The Aston MartinAston Martin
Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire...
DB9 Volante is the convertible version of the DB9 coupe. It is built by hand in limited numbers and has enhanced styling. It is powered by the same 6.0 litre, DOHC 48 valve V12
V12 engine
A V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders, usually but not always at a 60° angle to each other, with all 12 pistons driving a common crankshaft....
as the DB9 and is completed with 470 bhp (331 kW) and a top speed of 186 mph (300 km/h). Because it is a convertible
Convertible
A convertible is a type of automobile in which the roof can retract and fold away having windows which wind-down inside the doors, converting it from an enclosed to an open-air vehicle...
it will do 0–60 mph in 4.9 seconds, three-tenths of a second slower than the hard top coupe. The Volante is taller than the hardtop, standing at 51.2 inches (1,300.5 mm) compared to 50.1 inches (1,272.5 mm). The transmission options are either the Graziano-sourced six speed manual
Manual transmission
A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
or the ZF-sourced six speed 'Touchtronic 2' automatic
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
. The DB9 Volante is featured in the television shows Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
and Entourage
Entourage (TV series)
Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons...
.
DB9 LM
In order to commemorate Aston Martin's victory at the 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans2007 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 75th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France from 16–17 June 2007. Four classes of cars raced together, with each class having honors for its highest finishers...
, a special edition of the DB9 was released. Known as the DB9 LM, the car is limited to only 124 examples. All are coupes, and will only be available in a unique color known as Sarthe Silver, named in honour of the Circuit de la Sarthe
Circuit de la Sarthe
The Circuit des 24 Heures, also known as Circuit de la Sarthe, located near Le Mans, France, is a semi-permanent race course most famous as the venue for the 24 Hours of Le Mans auto race. The track uses local roads that remain open to the public most of the year...
, where Le Mans is run. The Sports Pack is included, while the brake calipers are painted red and a chromed mesh grill are added.
Facelift
In 2008, Aston Martin decided to do a facelift to the DB9. Changes include a more powerful engine, re-designed interior and some minor exterior modifications. Exterior modifications include a new front grille, re-designed mirrors which look closer to the DBS supercar made by the same company and all-new wheel designs available for the customers to choose from. Customers also can now select clear tail lights for their DB9, much like the ones in the DBS.Changes have been made to the engine as well which now produces 20 PS more (470 PS) and 600 newton metre through an increased compression ratio in the rethought cylinder heads. The Touchtronic gearbox has been modified as well to make faster and smoother changes. This was possible with the use of a new hydraulic control box. The new gearbox is also said to make parking easier than before. New Bilstein suspension was also added to the car which improved ride quality and handling characteristics.
Interior modifications include a re-designed center console which is identical to the one from the DBS supercar and thicker glass to reduce noise in the cabin.
In 2011, Aston Martin will give the DB9 another minor facelift, changing the front fascia, headlights, taillights, door sills, and wheels. The 2011 DB9 also gets Aston Martin’s Adaptive Damping System as standard equipment (previously an option.)
Motorsport
The DB9 has been adapted for use in sports car racing
Sports car racing
Sports car racing is a form of circuit auto racing with automobiles that have two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be purpose-built or related to road-going sports cars....
by Prodrive
Prodrive
Prodrive is a British motorsport and automotive engineering group based in Banbury, Oxfordshire, England. It designs, constructs and races cars for companies and teams such as Subaru, Aston Martin and Ford...
. Initially the DBR9
Aston Martin DBR9
The Aston Martin DBR9 is a racing car built by Aston Martin Racing, debuting in 2005. The name DBR9 is derived from the original 24 Hours of Le Mans-winning DBR1 car, named for then-owner David Brown, which not only won the 24 Hour race in 1959 but also the World Sportscar title.-Development:Based...
was launched prior to the 2005 season, running in the ACO
Automobile Club de l'Ouest
The Automobile Club de l'Ouest , sometimes abbreviated to ACO, is the largest automotive group in France. It was founded in 1906 by car building and racing enthusiasts, and is most famous for being the organising entity behind the annual Le Mans 24 Hours race...
and FIA's GT1 class. It retains the DB9's 6.0 litre V12 engine, but has been extensively modified to decrease its weight as well as to improve performance. The DBR9 won in its debut at the 2005 12 Hours of Sebring
2005 12 Hours of Sebring
The 2005 12 Hours of Sebring was the 53rd running of this event, and took place on March 19, 2005. The race was sponsored by Mobil 1 and was the opening race of the 2005 American Le Mans Series season run by IMSA.-Official results:...
, and has gone on to take wins in the American Le Mans Series
American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consists of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Teams compete in one of five classes: LMP1, LMP2 and LMPC...
, Le Mans Series
Le Mans Series
The Le Mans Series is a European sports car racing endurance series based around the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and run by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest . The series was originally named the Le Mans Endurance Series, but changed its name prior to the 2006 season...
, FIA GT Championship
FIA GT Championship
The FIA GT Championship was a sports car racing series organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation at the behest of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The championship was mostly concentrated in Europe, but throughout the years has visited other continents including Asia and South...
, as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
.
Along with the DBR9, a DBRS9
Aston Martin DBRS9
The Aston Martin DBRS9 is a racing car built by Aston Martin Racing to be a cheaper alternative to the Aston Martin DBR9, both of which are based on the Aston Martin DB9. The DBRS9 is the only GT3 class car produced by Aston Martin and was introduced in 2005....
variant was also developed. This car runs in the GT3 category, mostly used for small national championships as well as the FIA GT3 European Championship
FIA GT3 European Championship
The FIA GT3 European Championship is a sports car racing series organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation and regulated by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . It is a championship derived from the international FIA GT1 World Championship, but meant to provide competition for more...
. The DBRS9 also uses the standard V12, but is not as highly tuned as the unit in the DBR9. Bodywork modifications are also more subdued.
It weighs 1 tonne (2,200 lb) and does 0 to 60 mi/h in 3.4 seconds with a top speed estimated at 200 mph (320 km/h).