The first shots of the 2013 Aston Martin DB9 super tourer shows that the car is in the final stages of development.
The prototype seems longer than the current car, and is expected to be dynamically stronger with a firmer suspension set-up and widened track. At the front we can see other changes, with new air intakes and larger headlights featuring Rapide-style LEDs, while at the rear it gets stylish new light clusters similar to those found on the larger DBS. Even the number plate has also been repositioned, now inset in the bumper and lending the tailgate a more streamlined look.
A mesh grille replaces the multi-bar unit found on the current DB9, though that may come down to the fact that this is a prototype. We also can see some other minor details that include relocated, mesh-grilled hood vents and side mirrors that stand farther away from the doors, mounted on thinner, more aerodynamic stalks.
We still don’t know the powertrain upgrades, but probably Aston will simply continue with its current 6.0-liter V-12 engine, rated somewhere around the 510-horsepower mark as it is in several other new models, including the limited-production V12 Zagato. If so, that would amount to a 40-horsepower gain over the current 470-horsepower output. Transmissions will likely include a choice of six-speed manual or shift-by-wire six-speed automatic. The DB9 could also lose up to 10 percent of its current curb weight, potentially getting under the 3,300-pound mark.
For now though Aston is riding high on its recent financial successes; the One-77 hyper car and the entry-level Cygnet, which it’s hoped, this new model will build upon.
Source: Motorauthority
