Aston goes GT with its trusty DB9

ASTON Martin’s venerable DB9 has been given a pull-through by the company’s British engineers and designers to create a new version, called DB9 GT, in what could be a last hurrah for the 11-year-old model ahead of a replacement sometime in the next two years.

Changes include a tweak to the 6.0-litre V12 to give it an extra 22kW of power over the engine in the standard 2+2 coupe and Volante convertible variants, taking the GT’s peak to 402kW.

The extra oomph chops 0.1 seconds from the standard version’s 4.6-second sprint time from zero to 100km/h. Top speed is 294km/h.

The new variant has been confirmed for Australia, with pricing set at $368,500 plus on-road costs for the GT coupe – a premium of $19,000 over the stock model – and $399,501 for the GT Volante, an extra $18,601.

Aston Martin Australasia regional manager Kevin Wall told GoAuto that he expected the first customer cars to arrive in Australia in about November, with 20 orders possible for what he described as a “classic” model.

Apart from the extra power (torque remains the same at 620Nm), the DB9 GT gets a black-painted splitter and diffuser, revised headlight and tail-light treatments, new 10-spoke 20-inch alloy wheels, black anodised brake callipers and a GT engraving on the aluminium fuel filler cap.

The leather-trimmed seats are embroidered with the GT logo, with the cabin trim now in iridium. The steering wheel in the coupe comes wrapped in Alcantara.

As well, the GT features Aston’s latest infotainment package that includes text message integration, vehicle status information and more background themes for greater personalisation.

The same AMi II system also makes its debut on the Vantage and Rapide S, along with touch-sensitive centre console controls and a range of colour, trim and equipment enhancements for the new model year.

The DB9 has been a mainstay of the line-up since 2004, and while the company is not saying so, a replacement cannot be too far away. Britain’s Autocar speculates that a new model, dubbed DB11, will come by 2017.

Aston Martin had sold 59 vehicles in Australia to the end of May, a gain of 15.7 per cent over the same period in 2014.

Of those, the Rapide sedan accounts for five units, with remainder spread around the two-door models, including the entry-level Vantage, mid-range DB9 and flagship Vanquish.

Aston Martin DB9 GT pricing*

GT Coupe (a)	$368,500
GT Volante (a)	$399,501

*Excludes on-road costs.