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Last 9 Aston Martin DB9s roll off the line

It's been 13 long years since the Aston Martin DB9 debuted and the automaker just finished producing the last nine models. Aston tweeted "farewell to an icon" and posted pictures of the final DB9s. Farewell to an icon. The last nine Aston Martin DB9s are now ready for final inspection. pic.twitter.com/arpi2NPus7 — Aston Martin (@astonmartin) July 22, 2016 Just like the DB9 in 2003, the upcoming DB11 is expected to be a fresh start for Aston thanks to a new 5.2-liter twin-turbo V12 and a modern platform. While the DB9's VH underpinnings will live on in the Rapide and Vanquish, the sports car was a huge success for Aston and arguably kept the company afloat during rough times. According to Left-Lane, Aston sold 8,701 DB9s from 2004 to 2015 in Europe alone. With its sales numbers and large following, it shouldn't come as a surprise to hear that Aston is hard at work ensuring the DB11 be a hit. Related Video: News Source: @astonmartin, Left-LaneImage Credit: Aston Martin/Twitter Auto News Plants/Manufacturing Aston Martin Coupe Luxury Performance aston martin db9

2015 Aston Martin Vanquish [UPDATE]

There's something really special about an Aston Martin Vanquish. It's not my favorite model in the British automaker's range – I'm more of a Vantage guy, if I'm being choosy. But every time I drive one, I feel like I'm piloting something fit for royalty, $300,000 price tag and all. It's stunning to look at, even in the rather drab shade of gray pictured here. It makes an absolutely killer noise, the free-breathing V12 firing from beneath the hood and out the back with a truly intoxicating sound. And from behind the wheel, it feels like a truly proper grand tourer. Well, almost. The one major hiccup with the Vanquish I drove last year was its six-speed automatic transmission. In a word, it was awful. Really jarring shifts, delayed manual control through the paddles, and really, just a hugely misaligned piece of an otherwise excellent puzzle. So I was happy to hear that for 2015, Aston Martin had fitted a new, ZF-sourced, eight-speed unit – you know, the transmission being used by automakers like BMW, Jaguar, Audi, and many more. I normally have zero issues with this silky gearbox. But in the Vanquish, it wasn't smooth sailing like I expected – it feels like it still needs some final calibrations. But that doesn't make this car any less special. Drive Notes I love this engine. The 5.9-liter, naturally aspirated V12 makes 569 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque, and it absolutely loves to rev. That's a good thing, since the siren song of the Vanquish's V12 is most pronounced at higher engine speeds. In fact, it's not really all that audible right from the get-go. You have to work it up past 2,500-3,000 rpm before this thing really starts to sing. But when it's turned up to 11, it's one of the best-sounding engines I've ever heard. That said, getting the Vanquish going is kind of an awkward process. There's a surprising momentary lack of power delivery right at throttle tip-in, and then the Vanquish suddenly jolts forward. It's alarming – I found myself raising an eyebrow and yelling "GO!," especially when trying to quickly merge into the traffic flow. But it'll go, when it's ready, and hitting 60 miles per hour takes just 3.6 seconds. The transmission is still an issue here. When left to its own devices, it doesn't have a problem finding the right gear for the occasion, but the actual shifts don't fire off with the smoothness and quickness that I've come to expect from this tranny in other models.

So we think the Aston Martin DB11 Volante is coming in Spring 2018

Most automakers go out of their way to disguise new cars. There's camouflage and body cladding and if a spy photographer does get close enough to get a snap, engineers usually greet them with certain hand gestures. Aston Martin is not most automakers – instead of hiding the new DB11 Volante, it headed to the Arctic Circle in an undisguised car with a "DB11 – Opening Spring 2018" sign on each door. Subtle, guys. The new images of the droptop DB11 should assuage the emotions of critics of the hardtop model's odd roofline. The addition of a fabric softtop improves the car's look immeasurably, giving it a much more conventional profile. Where the sloping, floating roof on the DB11 coupe fights for visual attention with the rear haunches, the convertible top is innocuous, blending in favorably with the strong line over the rear wheels. We can't wait to see this car with its roof down, because it will look stunning. But as is the case with most convertibles, the roofline is the only place where changes happen. Below the beltline, the Volante shares its fascia and, rather unfortunately its weird side vent, with the hardtop model. And of course, the droptop is also sharing its engine with the coupe. We expect the same 5.2-liter, twin-turbocharged V12 and eight-speed automatic when the DB11 Volante debuts. Normally, this is the point in a spy photo story where we'd speculate about when and where a new car will debut. But since Aston Martin helpfully scrawled part of that info on the side of the car, it's not really necessary. The Aston Martin DB11 Volante will debut in spring of 2018, a period that lines up neatly with the Geneva Motor Show. Related Video: