Aston Martin DB9: the V12 super-GT you can buy from £20k

By Antony Ingram

| 17 Jul 2026

Classic & Sports Car – Aston Martin DB9: the V12 super-GT you can buy from £20k

It can’t be an easy task, engineering a new Aston Martin.

Making cars is tricky enough to begin with, as everyone from relative newbies Tesla and Rivian to seasoned hands such as Mercedes-Benz will tell you.

But with an Aston Martin, you then have to consider the delicate balancing act that is delivering high performance with modern environmental requirements, while also imbuing its cars with fine luxury without compromising driver appeal.

And, to top it all off, every modern Aston grand tourer must live up to the standards set by one of the company’s true greats: the Aston Martin DB9.

Press for Aston Martin V12 music

When the DB9 was conceived, perhaps the DB7 appeared a similarly difficult act to follow.

Developed in a scant two years on a modified Jaguar XJS floorpan, and wrapped in timelessly elegant styling by a young Ian Callum, the DB7 was as significant to Aston Martin’s survival as the Boxster was for Porsche later in the decade.

By the time the model left production in 2004, Aston had sold 7000 examples, making it the most successful car in the company’s history to that point, and turning Aston Martin from a business that was just trying to keep the lights on to one that could finally focus on competing in the car market at the highest level.

The Aston Martin DB9 hints at classic models without being a pastiche

We had seen hints of Aston Martin’s future direction as early as 1998, when Project Vantage made its debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Just three years later, that concept emerged in production form as the mighty Vanquish, powered by a derivative of the DB7 Vantage’s 5.9-litre V12 but otherwise completely unrelated.

The Vanquish was a technological marvel compared to its parts-bin predecessor, using all-new extruded and bonded aluminium architecture, as pioneered by Lotus with the Elise, with carbonfibre elements in its construction and aluminium panels draped over the top, while the V12 was paired to an en vogue automated manual transmission.

Aston Martin’s unmistakable grille on the timeless DB9

By early 2000s standards the Vanquish was more supercar than grand tourer, and wasn’t intended to replace the DB7, but its engineering and styling strongly hinted at what was to come from Newport Pagnell in a few years’ time.

That car was the DB9, which was unveiled in late 2003 and finally hit the roads in summer 2004.

The new model’s styling was attributed to then design director Henrik Fisker, who later went on to shape the compact V8 Vantage (and had previously worked on BMW’s striking Z8).

Ownership of the design has since been claimed by Ian Callum, who by 1999 had moved on to Jaguar, but whoever was primarily responsible, the surfacing and detailing were close in spirit to Callum’s Vanquish, as was the interior, a development of the ‘waterfall’ design language – that characteristic broad, sloping centre console that would later spread across the whole Aston Martin range.

The Aston Martin DB9’s modular V12 was developed from the unit that powered the DB7 and Vanquish, with 450bhp

The DB9’s styling was more refined both outside and in, however, making full use of the 4.7m-long footprint to produce a more elegant profile.

If it appeared a little too similar to the earlier Vanquish and later V8 Vantage, that was a deliberate choice by Aston boss Ulrich Bez, who determined that onlookers should be able to identify the car as an Aston Martin first, and an individual model second.

Inside there were improvements, too; the waterfall was a huge step on in appearance and material quality from the synthetic monolith that dominated the cabin of the Vanquish.

The Aston Martin DB9’s iconic side vent

Notably, the DB9 was also a two-plus-two – although, as per the DB7, the rear seats were best considered as particularly well-trimmed additional storage.

Nevertheless, an additional 149mm in the wheelbase ensured that the cabin was more expansive than that of the DB7, despite their similar overall lengths, while the structure was stronger both in accident safety (Aston leant on its Premier Automotive Group partner Volvo to help with crash testing) and rigidity.

While it was similar to the bonded structure of the Vanquish, the DB9 marked the first use of Aston Martin’s new Vertical/Horizontal (VH) platform.

Vertical referred to the integration of parts and processes that would be shared throughout all models on the platform, and Horizontal was a nod to its adaptability.

The Aston Martin DB9’s seats are comfortable and supportive

At the time, Aston Martin had just three cars in mind – the upcoming V8 Vantage below the DB9, and a new Vanquish above it – but ultimately VH went on to underpin eight production models, and several more coachbuilt cars besides.

Extruded, diecast and stamped sections were glued together (by a robot named, rather brilliantly, James Bonder), and clothed in a mix of aluminium and composite panels.

In technical terms, the benefit was a structure that was 25% lighter than that of the DB7, yet twice as stiff, while the arms of the double-wishbone suspension were also formed from aluminium to reduce unsprung weight.

The aggression of the Aston Martin Vanquish made way for elegance in the DB9, both in the silhouette and the retro-modern detailing

The engineers opted for conventional passive dampers, albeit with chunky anti-roll bars at each end, and the suspension was mounted on subframes that could be adapted for other vehicles based on the VH platform.

Wheels were of 19in diameter, alloy, and wrapped in Bridgestone RE050 tyres from the factory.

The new structure provided the perfect framework in which to install the latest variant of the brand’s 5.9-litre modular V12.

Modified with new camshafts, a fresh crankshaft, and revised inlet and exhaust manifolds, the engine weighed 11.8kg less than that in the DB7 Vantage.

‘The Aston Martin DB9 plays that trick of all the best driver’s cars by feeling more compact than the tape measure would have you believe’

It was more powerful, too, yielding 450bhp at 6000rpm and 420lb ft of torque 1000rpm below that, though the improved internals and latest engine management ensured that 80% of the quoted maximum was available from only 1500rpm.

Two transaxle gearboxes were available; a six-speed manual and a ZF six-speed automatic with Graziano internals – the first conventional automatic on the market to deliver perfectly rev-matched gearshifts when changing down.

The lighter engine and the transaxle layout contributed to perfect 50:50 weight distribution.

Flashes of red lift this Aston Martin DB9’s cabin

The Peak District is surprisingly busy for a damp day in February, but the number of hikers swivelling their heads to take a look at the DB9, a few sneaking smartphone shots, suggests its visual impact still rivals that of the nearby hills.

Grey paintwork usually sends a shiver of despair through photographers, but Jayson couldn’t be happier as he snaps away – as well as doing a fine job of hiding road grime, this Tungsten hue undoubtedly suits the Aston Martin perfectly, letting the deft curves express themselves without distraction.

Push the flush handle with your thumb then pull as it pops out and the large ‘swan wing’ door swings outwards and 12° upwards, ostensibly to avoid reshaping the metalwork on high kerbs, but also for a little theatre.

The Aston Martin DB9’s foldaway sat-nav keeps the cabin tidy

DB9 owner Adam Osborne’s car is tastefully trimmed, with a contemporary feel from the black leather, but a light headlining and Chancellor Red leather trim on the three-spoke wheel combine to give the cabin a lift.

While the style of the interior has dated – favourably for some, given that all of the controls are still physical and the old sat-nav is neatly hidden away rather than dominating the dashboard as is now normal – the quality feels little different from the latest Astons.

The materials are rich and some of the touches delight, such as the counter-rotating needles in the machined-aluminium dials.

The Aston Martin DB9’s superb dashboard adds flair

Another theatrical touch is the glass starter button – thank DB9 interior designer Sarah Maynard for that exquisite addition – which rouses the 5935cc V12 on a prolonged press and a similarly prolonged whirr of the starter.

There’s no start-up flare of revs, but the engine is certainly present, sending a hum through the structure and, from the outside, idling with cultured menace.

Another press of a button, this one marked ‘D’ (in black plastic, slightly less aesthetically pleasing than the starter), and the car pulls away smoothly.

The Aston Martin DB9’s ‘waterfall’ centre console was previewed in 1998’s Project Vantage

The driving position is spot-on, finding the right balance between feeling hunkered-down yet still offering expansive vision.

In a modern DB12 you almost feel like a child pretending to drive your parents’ car, with so much metal and so little glass around you that it feels twice as large as it really is, but despite only sporting marginally smaller dimensions, the DB9 plays that trick of all the best driver’s cars by feeling more compact than the tape measure would have you believe.

With some fairly severe-looking kerbs and dry stone walls in this part of Derbyshire, and lots of distracted tourist traffic to navigate, the DB9’s accessibility is easy to appreciate, but the broken road surface highlights the firm ride immediately, one of few real criticisms in period.

We weave around the worst of the potholes, but the car still jiggles and clatters over the patchwork asphalt.

The Aston Martin DB9 still turns heads

It stops short of feeling harsh, and the rigid chassis allows the suspension to take the brunt.

It also ensures the interior trim doesn’t chatter away in unison, but it’s as close as the DB9 gets all day to feeling a little uncouth.

The faster, more open roads ahead should help.

As hinted at by the starting procedure, there’s a real liveliness to the V12’s demeanour.

Flex your right ankle and a distant growl accompanies that tantalising build-up of torque you expect from a large-capacity, 12-cylinder engine.

The Aston Martin DB9’s styling still looks fresh more than 20 years since launch, with a purity that is yet to be bettered

The ZF transmission is inclined to shuffle swiftly to a higher ratio to keep things quiet and stress-free, but it also mutes the throttle response, so clicking the left-hand downshift paddle a couple of times is almost mandatory to experience more of the V12’s vocal range.

Swapping between third and fourth as the moorland roads crest and meander, the DB9 is in its sweet spot: effortlessly brisk, but still holding plenty in reserve.

That slightly brittle low-speed ride quickly evaporates – the dampers are much happier dealing with higher loads – and here Aston’s decision to opt for firmer settings makes more sense, because the DB9 is far better equipped to deal with the compressions and crests of an undulating B-road, morphing from cruiser to sports car as both you and the road demand more from it.

The DB9 launched a whole new dynasty of Aston Martins

There are no Continental-style high-speed sweepers here, but it would no doubt feel comfortable on those, too; around tighter corners it’s balanced and grippy, even on the damp surface.

The steering feels ideally weighted, too: like contemporary road testers, owner Adam finds the rack a little heavy, but to my hands it feels well balanced with the other controls, and its accuracy contributes to the DB9’s sense of wieldiness

A couple of open stretches finally present themselves and give us a chance to extend that engine.

Sink the pedal from around 2000rpm in second for the best effect: an instant, insistent push from behind as the revs begin to rise, with a rate of acceleration that seems to build proportionally with every hundred rpm.

The Aston Martin DB9 has shift paddles for its six-speed ZF gearbox

By around 4000 an induction bark has begun to permeate the previously hushed cabin, and by six-and-a-bit, as you’re flexing your fingers for the next gear, it’s grown into a blue-blooded roar.

A DB12 is more guttural, and gives you a much more brutal kick in the kidneys, but its extra 350bhp or so is almost wasted; the DB9 is still wonderfully potent, but not so much that you couldn’t regularly enjoy the full breadth of its urgent and orchestral performance.

That you can today combine an engine such as that with one of the most elegant shapes of the past quarter-century for as little as £20,000 looks baffling when its closest contemporary, the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, costs three times that.

The Aston Martin DB9’s jewel-like dials

It’s also just a fifth of what the DB9 cost when new, before inflation is taken into account, and while you’d probably want to spend a little more to find a car with a suitably heavy folder of paperwork – and set aside a bit extra for unexpected costs – the DB9 today cannot be considered anything other than a bargain.

But there’s more to it than that, because the DB9’s core appeal lies in it being one of the best-resolved cars that Aston Martin has ever made – and, thanks to its use of the VH architecture that underpinned more than a decade of Astons to follow, one of the most significant, too.

It’s reassuring to find that it’s no less compelling today, either visually or as an involving grand tourer – and, as exotica goes, nor is it especially difficult to run.

Consider all that, and it’s even easier to appreciate the lengths Aston Martin has gone to in order to surpass it.

Images: Jayson Fong

Thanks to: Scott Fisher at Aston Martin

Aston Martin DB9: owner’s view

What’s it like to own an Aston Martin DB9?

Adam Osborne has owned the Aston Martin DB9 on these pages for around 18 months, marking the culmination of a 20-year dream after watching Top Gear’s famous race with a train to the south of France.

In 2024, Adam sourced the car through Aston Martin Timeless, the brand’s approved-used programme, paying £40,000 for a car with 27,000 miles.

He covers around 3000 miles a year and has so far needed only a door seal and an alternator belt, plus routine servicing, while Adam pays c£90 a month for insurance on a classic policy and £66 per month on VED, and the car returns 19mpg in mixed driving.

Aston Martin DB9: specialist’s view

Aston Martin Works looks after models from all eras

Buying an Aston Martin super-GT at a temptingly reasonable price need not be as nerve-racking as you’d expect.

“There’s a noticeable difference in cars that have been serviced regularly,” says Mark Cranston, senior service manager at Aston Martin Works, “they tend to have fewer problems.”

Maintain a DB9 to a reasonable degree, Mark says, and it should be reliable and relatively easy to look after: “Some items are in short supply from time to time, but generally parts availability is very good.”

Aston Martin Works recommends servicing every year or 10,000 miles, and has a 10-year schedule, with filters replaced every 20,000 miles, transmission and diff fluids at 40k, coolant at 50k and plugs at 70k.

Prices are fixed across all AML dealerships, with smaller services at £865, rising to £1065 when several big jobs coincide in the 10th year, and spark-plug replacement adds an extra £1270.

“It doesn’t use special plugs,” says Mark, “but the job is quite labour-intensive, which pushes up the cost.”

Aston Martin’s VH-platform family

Clockwise from top left: Aston Martin Vantage; DBS; Rapide

Aston Martin Vantage

The DB9’s shorter V8 sibling was more sports car than GT, while the V12 Vantage was even more intense. The V8 is another bargain today.

Aston Martin DBS

Famously driven – and crashed – by Daniel Craig’s 007 in Casino Royale. A more focused take on the DB9, with a 510bhp V12.

Aston Martin Rapide

The VH architecture made it relatively simple to scale for four doors, though the rear accommodation is still tight for a saloon.

Clockwise from top left: Aston Martin Virage; Vanquish; Lagonda Taraf; DB10

Aston Martin Virage

The classic moniker returned on this limited-production model that sat between DB9 and DBS. Adaptive dampers among the refinements.

Aston Martin Vanquish

The oft-forgotten 2012 Vanquish replaced the DBS, with dramatic styling, a carbonfibre body and a 565bhp iteration of the V12.

Aston Martin DB10

10 cars were built for Bond movie Spectre, based on V8 Vantages. The styling pointed the way for the post-VH Vantage of 2018.

Lagonda Taraf

Closely related to the Rapide and aimed at Middle Eastern buyers, with styling inspired by the 1974 William Towns-designed Lagonda.

Factfile

Aston Martin DB9

Sold/number built 2004-‘12/ c16,500 (all variants)
Construction aluminium monocoque, aluminium and composite panels
Engine all-alloy, dohc-per-bank 5935cc V12, Visteon fuel injection
Max power 450bhp @ 6000rpm
Max torque 420lb ft @ 5000rpm
Transmission six-speed automatic, RWD
Suspension independent, by double wishbones, coil springs, telescopic dampers, anti-roll bar f/r
Steering power-assisted rack and pinion
Brakes ventilated discs, with servo and anti-lock
Length 15ft 5in (4697mm)
Width 6ft 7½in (2017mm)
Height 4ft 4in (1318mm)
Wheelbase 8ft 11¾in (2740mm)
Weight 3880lb (1760kg)
0-60mph 5.4 secs
Top speed 186mph
Mpg 12.1
Price new £103,000
Price now £20-60,000*