Aston Martin Adds Three New Special Edition Models to DB9 Line-Up

A new trio of new DB9 offerings are joining the Aston Martin line-up, in what can only be described as a tailor-fit sports car bonanza. The three models are named “Carbon Black”, “Quantum Silver” and “Morning Frost”, and can be had in coupe or convertible flavor.

The Morning Frost is more luxury-oriented and boasts a pearl-white paintjob, silver grille and brake calipers. Inside, a Piano Black center console, silver stitching and real polished glass switchgear complement the bronze leather trim. The Carbon Black and Quantum Silver lean towards the sports side, featuring more aggressive accents, including a blacked out grille and a sportier exhaust system with graphite tail pipes.

Aston Martin offers two sets of 10-spoke 19-inch alloys for the three models, with slightly different designs and black or silver finishes.

All cars are fitted with the Touchtronic II six-speed automatic transaxle transmission, mounted on the transaxle, which -according to the company- gives the car perfect 50:50 weight balance.

The special edition DB9s are available to order through Aston Martin’s dealership network.

By Csaba Daradics

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Aston Martin Recalling over 1,000 U.S. Vehicles Over Safety Concerns

British sportscar maker Aston Martin has notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of a safety recall 1,090 DB9, V8 Vantage and DBS vehicles built between 2007 and 2008.

In a letter sent by Aston Martin to the NHTSA, the British carmaker reported that the camber bolt that holds the front bottom suspension arm was not made to specification and "could crank along its shank" (shaft).

According to the company, this would allow the lower control arm to move freely, affecting the driver's ability to steer, and thus increasing the risk of a crash. The letter went on to say that drivers may hear a metallic rattling sound if the lower control arm had loosened in such a fashion.

An Aston Martin spokesperson told Bloomberg news that the defect was detected through company testing, not through any customer complaints. He went on to say that the driver would still be able to steer, but may notice 'looser handling'.

To rectify the defect, dealers will replace the affected camber bolts free of charge. Aston Martin has notified the NHTSA that the safety recall will begin on or before October 18th of this year.

By Tristan Hankins

Source: NHTSA / Bloomberg

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Britain Officially out of Recession... Rusty Old Aston Sells for Over £200,000 / US$300,000

When you think about it, the £160,000 (US$247,000) Aston Martin DBS is a little too common. Sure it's a beautiful machine with a monster V12 under the hood, but everyone and his mother has one these days. Now, what the car connoisseur needs is something a bit rarer; something that's unique. A vehicle with real motoring history coursing through its corroded veins. A fixer upper, even.

Fortunately - for one buyer at least - such a car exists. At Barsons' British Heritage Sale at Sandown Park, a very rare Aston Martin DB2/4 Mk III drophead coupe went up on the auction block with an asking price of £80,000-£100,000 (US$123,000-US$154,000). Not too extravagant; one could easily afford a spanking-new Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster or Coupe for that measly amount.

By the conclusion of the sale, however, this particular DB2/4 had fetched the rather more Barsons'-esque price of £206,866 (US$318,875). The Aston, once owned by company founder David Brown and which had spent the better part of thirty years under a tarpaulin, fetched twice Barson's top estimate.

Barons' Managing Director Laurence Sayers Gillan was quoted: "It was an amazing lot that attracted a huge amount of attention and exceeded all expectations."

And with the auction making around £700,000 (US$1.08 million), Sayers Gillan was no doubt laughing all the way to the bank. Recession? What recession?

Also auctioned off – albeit at far more mundane prices – were a very special '66 Lotus Cortina (£40,250 / US$62,000) and a '57 Daimler Conquest Century convertible (£29,000 / US$44,700). One can only speculate on the condition and pedigree of these vehicles given their "humble" sale prices.

By Tristan Hankins

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2011 Aston Martin DB9 Coupe and Volante Receive Minor Nip and Tuck

Only a few days after we showed you a set of spy pictures of the revamped DB9, Aston Martin went ahead and released the first photos and info on both the Coupe and Convertible (a.k.a Volante) versions of its best-selling sports car. For the 2011MY, the V12-powered DB9 gets a minor nip and tuck along with some mechanical and equipment enhancements.

The most prevalent changes have been made cosmetically to the front end with a new front bumper featuring a re-shaped lower intake, a bright finish radiator grille and reworked headlight bezels. The re-sculptured side sills, silver brake calipers, 20-spoke diamond turned alloy wheels and clear rear light lenses round off the external revisions.

For the record, the camouflaged DB9 showcased in the recent spy photos featured more styling changes including (but not limited to) Rapide-like headlamps and a new rear bumper design, which could very well mean that Aston Martin is working on a more comprehensive facelift for the car in the near future.

Under the sheetmetal, Aston Martin's engineers replaced the DB9's passive damping system with a new [standard] Adaptive Damping System (ADS), said to offer enhanced ride comfort together with sharper handling when switched to Sport mode.

A revised Bluetooth microphone system, new tire pressure monitoring system and the addition of a new Double Apex alloy finish trim and Bang & Olufsen hi-fi options, complete the list of changes for the 2011MY.

Aston Martin said that production of the revised DB9 is already underway, with deliveries set to start in July. Prices in the UK start from £122,445 for the DB9 Coupe and £131,445 for the drop-top DB9 Volante.

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Aston Martin Veloce: Conceptual Study for a DB9 Replacement

The Aston Martin Veloce is a well executed styling exercise for a more dynamic replacement to the British brand's DB9 supercar and it was sent to us by Marouane Bembli, a 24-year old industrial design student from Sweden. You may remember him from one of his previous works that we showed you here on Carscoop back in November '09, the Audi R10 V10 supercar concept study. Hit the jump for the gallery and why not, leave a comment with your take on the concept.

Design: Marouane Bembli

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Opel Calibra Transformed into an Aston Martin DB9

A team of tuners, allegedly from Thailand, chose to sacrifice a 1990s Opel Calibra coupe to create this Aston Martin DB9 replica. We don't have any details on the project, but judging by the photos, we gather that it could fool an untrained eye.

While not a popular model for conversions, this isn't the first time we've seen an Opel Calibra being used as a donor car for the creation of a replica.

If you click here, you can check out a Calibra-based Porsche 911 Turbo replica that was up for grabs on eBay a couple of years ago.

Via: Topspeed & Motofilm

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Opel Calibra

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Aston Martin DB9 Volante Tricked Out by Wheelsandmore

Now here's an elegant tuning proposal for the Aston Martin DB9 Volante, courtesy of the German firm, Wheelsandmore. The tuner's program for the drop-top Aston Martin includes styling and performance upgrades both for the suspension and V12 powerhouse. On the outside, the DB9 Volante gains a tasteful and non-intrusive bodykit comprising of front and rear aprons, side skirts and a boot lid spoiler.

The convertible's looks are complemented by a set of 20-inch Kahn RS-V alloy wheels shod in Dunlop Sport Maxx tires size 255/35 at the front and 285/30 at the back.

Under the bonnet, Wheelsandmore reprogrammed the 6.0-liter V12 engine's ECU and installed a sportier stainless-steel exhaust system with electronically controlled flaps, thus raising output from 470HP and 600Nm, to 536HP and 650Nm

A H&R sport suspension system that lowers the car's ride height by 25mm completes the package.

Via: Autoblog.nl

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