‘But they all look the same.” It’s a complaint that’s been heard for years whenever Aston Martin is mentioned, and to be fair, the detractors do have a valid point. All Astons do look a lot like each other, but that isn’t normally much of a problem. I mean, what’s not to like?
Over the past few years, I have spent a great deal of time in the company of Aston Martin’s design chief, Marek Reichman, and I have always maintained that I don’t envy his job. When it comes to automotive design, the now ageing DB9 is about as perfect as modern cars get. And as the naysayers point out, the entire range is based on the lines of that most luxurious GT car. So how do you go about expanding a range of cars and updating it, keeping it fresh and relevant over a lengthy production run, while not ruining the original’s purity?
You can't really. Reichman's team has gently massaged the lines and features of the firm's cars, but the time has come to write a new chapter for Aston. The accompanying photo is the clearest indication yet regarding the looks of the DB9's replacement, which will be unveiled this year, possibly at the Geneva motor show in March. Called the DB11 (the DB10 moniker was taken by the car made for the latest James Bond film, Spectre), I'm not sure it will silence the critics, but it has the makings of a beautiful automobile.
As Reichman has promised for some time now, there are styling elements of the One-77 supercar, as well as the DB10, dragging the DB9 into a new era. The outlines of the headlamps are similar to those on the Bond car. Those rear haunches are much wider and more pronounced than those on the outgoing model – a definite One-77 touch. The famous grille shape remains, as do the iconic side strakes, and the overall vibe is still very much “GT express” as opposed to “psychotic supercar”. It’s still, essentially, an Aston.
But the big news will be found underneath the beautifully sculpted body panels (which will use carbon fibre and composites more than ever before), thanks to an industry-wide push for greater engine efficiency. The party faithful will be relieved to know that the V12 remains, but in a move no doubt influenced by the success of manufacturers such as Bentley and Porsche, there will be a V8 available, too.
The V12 will (initially at least) be supplied by Ford, which has been building Aston engines at its plant in Cologne, Germany, for years now, although its displacement will no doubt be lower than the current 6.0L. And with the potential weight savings afforded by using composites in its body, a turbocharged V8 should make for a credible alternative, just as it has in Bentley’s Continental, itself a direct rival to the DB9.
Aston Martin’s Achilles heel has always been its electrical architecture. Thankfully, that should become a thing of the past, thanks to the supply from Mercedes-Benz’s AMG division, with whom Aston has gone into partnership. The V8 engine is understood to be a modified AMG unit that will sound “Aston” as opposed to “Merc”, but the cars’ wiring and other electronic architecture will henceforth be a strength, not a weakness.
Other good news comes in the shape of Lotus’s former chassis expert, Matt Becker, who will no doubt have influenced the way this new Aston handles, making it more of a sports car than its predecessor. And a newly designed interior should finish things off nicely.
Thirteen years after the covers were removed from the DB9 at the Frankfurt motor show, it remains one of the world’s most beautiful automobiles, and if every car on the road looked like it, that would be fine by me.
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