2001 Aston Martin Db7 V12 Volante, Green/tan on 2040-cars

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Aston Martin gets to work on DB9 successor

Introduced over a decade ago, the DB9 is by now the oldest model in the Aston Martin lineup. It predates the arrival of the V8 Vantage, outlasted the Virage and DBS that spun off from it, and outlived the One-77, V12 Zagato and Cygnet that have all come and gone over the length of its tenure. But soon the current DB9 will be retired. In its place, we're looking forward to an all-new model to spell the beginning of the end of Aston's long-serving VH architecture and restrict the ubiquity of the 6.0-liter V12. In their place, as we well know, the DB9's successor will be based on an all-new aluminum platform and be powered by a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 to be furnished by Mercedes-AMG. Though AML insists that the engine is being developed by both parties and built by AMG to Aston's exact specifications, Autocar reports that it will be the same unit being developed for Mercedes' own models, with modifications limited to ECU, exhaust and possibly turbo boost, but with no internal modifications. Even as-is, the engine is expected to produce almost as much power as the DB9's current V12 but a bit more torque – which, combined with the lower weight, ought to make Aston's new core GT quicker than the one it will replace. Rather than using the new eight-speed automatic introduced for the latest twelve-cylinder Vanquish and Rapide S, the current DB9 is expected to continue using the old six-speed slushbox until its replacement goes with Mercedes' new nine-speed unit. Expect a step forward in styling but with familiar Aston cues, potentially previewed by the Zagato one-off pictured above and the new Lagonda sedan, when it arrives in 2016. The big question is what Aston will call the next-gen DB9. It skipped the DB8 when naming the replacement for the DB7 – ostensibly to show how big a step it was, but probably also to avoid confusion over its cylinder count. We couldn't imagine Aston going backwards in its naming scheme, but whether it sticks with DB9, moves on to DB10 or jumps to DB11, one thing's for sure: it will definitely carry the initials of the company's former president David Brown. When reached for comment on the development of the DB9 successor and what that would mean for the future of the V8 Vantage, Aston Martin spokesman Matthew Clarke told Autoblog: "Part of our agreement with Mercedes is specifically for V8 engine development but never have we anywhere made any comment as to where such engines would or wouldn't be used."

Aston Martin has another mid-engine supercar in mind

It seems Aston Martin is really gaining some valuable knowhow from Chief Technical Officer Max Szwaj, who has moved in from Ferrari. Having worked on mid-engine Ferraris for years, Szwaj is now focusing on mid-engine Aston Martins, such as the upcoming Valkyrie. The limited-edition car, its name revealed at Geneva, is co-developed with Red Bull. But it likely won't be the only mid-engine future Aston. Talking to Autocar in Geneva, Aston's CEO Andy Palmer said the Valkyrie is "important in establishing Aston as a credible maker of mid-engined models." The Valkyrie is the first since the one-off Bulldog prototype built in 1979. It could spawn a mid-engine companion in 2021, a rival to the Ferrari 488 GTB and McLaren 720S, and would possibly receive valuable engineering input from Red Bull's Adrian Newey, a famed F1 engineering legend. The Valkyrie would remain a limited-production halo car, as only 175 will be built and each will cost $3 million – but it seems lessons learned from it would be used to craft a significant mid-engine supercar. What is especially remarkable about the Valkyrie is that its development has been completely virtual up until now, and the first prototype cars will commence road testing later in the year.Related video:

2015 Aston Martin V12 Vantage S drives angry with XCAR

The Aston Martin V12 Vantage S is a monster of a sports coupe. At the front, those color-matched fangs and open mouth look like Dracula ready to take a bite. And underneath the hood, the 6.0-liter V12 sounds like the Wolf Man growling whenever the driver gets on the throttle. In a recent video, XCAR got its hands on this wonderful behemoth and showed its brilliant brutality. The smartest move that the producers made was letting the car speak for itself. Several times during the video, the host shuts up, and the only sound is the bellow from the exhaust of the Aston Martin. The cinematography is pretty darn nice, too. If you don't have time to watch the whole video, skip about 10 minutes into it when XCAR just lets the diabolical V12 thunder. It's definitely one of the highlights. Scroll down to watch – and listen – for yourself.