Yeah, not easy to be graceful. I'm getting much better at launches than last season.. rev up and hold 1500-1700rpm when letting clutch out - and get on it hard only when fully engaged - takes care of most situations... I'm still exploring this to get consistent. Believe it or not, the Bora isn't much easier - but I'm sure neither car was engineered to perform best at launch. - Art
I've missed a few posts here.....oops! I LOVE the sound of my exhaust with #22 pulled, esp at start-up and on acceleration. It just sounds like a race car. Yes, Black interior. No real metallic in the paint. I've taken care of this car for 6 years prior to buying it. The paint is very, very nice. Going to do one last correction on it this spring and then have it coated with Ceramic Pro. I've done my Yukon and my 335 BMW and LOVE the results. So far this summer I've put about 3,000 mile on it. Driving it like I stole it. JIM
That sounds awesome - that's good for it too. I'd love to drive mine more... Had a ton of work and distractions this summer, but there is still time left for some more miles.. the reactions it gets from people are far above anything else I drive.. That color is killer. - Art
Just found this thread and I must say that is one beautiful DB9. I'm fortunate enough to have both a DB9 as well as a DBS.. Both 6speed cars myself and I must say they have been an absolute pleasure and by far the best cars I've ever owned. Sadly I'm wrapping up a deal to sell my DB9 since acquiring my DBS it's a bit silly to own both as they're so incredibly similar. Regarding exhaust I'd like to offer a bit of an opinion. First I should say that I have experimented with every possible combination of secondary cat delete pipes and rear boxes you can possibly imagine over the years trying to dial in the "perfect" sound which certainly isn't easy as these cars sound really magnificent with no modification at all as we all know. I do most of my own service work on them so changing exhausts has become a half hour job for me now and I can tell you that the very best "bang for your buck" is to replace the secondary cats with a cat delete / test pipes. Those secondary catalytic converters rob a ton of power and when you pull them off the car breaths so much easier and the increased throttle response is amazing. The engine revs up quicker and it also improves the drive ability in terms of the tricky clutch / throttle being discussed here. Changing these out is a simple operation and can be done in an hour or less. The pipes cost anywhere from $800-$1100 so pretty inexpensive for the return you're getting. My DBS is fitted with a "Xpipe" in place of the secondary cats which is a small leap past the straight pipes in terms of performance (and cost). I've also got a Tubi exhaust rear box (muffler) on the DBS. My DB9 has the straight test pipes I described above with the OEM muffler in place. I have videos with sound clips available if anyone is interested in hearing any of these configurations. Just wanted to share a bit of my experience with anyone interested here. On a side note, I installed the DBS aluminum shift knob in my DB9. I actually have a couple more of these beautiful pieces of hardware available that I'm interested in selling should anyone here with a 6speed Aston Martin be interested. These fit any 3 pedal modern Aston Martin including the Vantage and DB9. Congrats again on the car! What a wonderful color! A couple pictures of mine as well. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Couple more pictures of the exhaust and shift knob.. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
What a great post, thanks for sharing details Speedr.. Speaking of beauty - here are some nice fall colors from around here... Image Unavailable, Please Login
Excellent post...as someone who wants own a DB9 at some point, I really appreciate all the real-world information. I would love to see the video links you mentioned. Also, do you have any recommendations regarding year models and other items to look for or avoid (I'd probably be looking at earlier cars)? Great collection and garage btw....well done!
Thank you for your kind words. Congrats on your decision to treat yourself to one of these exquisite pieces of art. I've owned many cars like most people here. From American muscle to Porsche, Mercedes, and Ferrari and just about everything in between over the last 30 years and what I can tell you without hesitation or even the least bit of doubt is that Aston Martin trumps (ugh.. Poor choice of language them all. I traded in a Porsche 997 Turbo on my DB9 and before doing that I thought I wanted a first generation Vanquish. After driving one of those I really disliked the paddle shift automatic in that car. I was really disappointed because I really loved the look of those cars. Then I was fortunate enough to find my 6speed DB9 at a Ferrari dealer in Chicago. We've been talking about how rare they are but at the time I was new to the brand and really didn't quite understand just HOW rare a find it truly was. From the moment I first sat in that car I was totally hooked. I'd definitely recommend driving a manual transmission Aston Martin before buying anything. I'm not sure if you're interested in a V12 car or a Vantage but either way you have to really drive both before making a decision. While others have mentioned the trickyness of the clutch, which I absolutely agree with, in my opinion it's part of the charm of the car and is easy to get used to. Once I did, I've found it to be the very best transmission in any car I've ever driven. There's something so satisfying about the shifter and the mechanical way it feels. It's very special.. OK.. Sorry, I get wrapped up in the moment when I start describing driving an Aston Martin. Lol In regards to information about models, yearly changes and features there's a single book that every owner has and every prospective owner NEEDS. It has a permanent spot on the ottoman in my living room. It's called "The Definitive Guide - to new Gaydon era - Aston Martin". This is the universally recognized Bible amongst Aston Martin enthusiasts. The book walks you through each (Gaydon era) model, complete with options etc specific to every year. If you want to know what year DB9 (for example) was offered with a particular wheel..it's in there and it's easy to find. Definitely the first place for a prospective owner to start. Here is a links to one of the videos I've created with different exhaust configurations. Each has a description of the exhaust the car has for that recording. If you find my YouTube "channel" you'll be able to see all the videos in the same place. I hope you enjoy and I'd love to hear your feedback. https://youtu.be/tHMd5worfT0 Image Unavailable, Please Login
I saw a DB9 Volante a couple years back in that same color (in North Carolina). It was an automatic though. Getting on topic though, I read that only about 5% of DB9s were sold with three pedals, and Volantes with manuals were likely even rarer. Yellow definitely isn't a big seller, and it is somewhat likely that the one pictured could be the only '09 DB9 with three pedals in the US.
Nicholasn, I've heard 3%....regardless, it's rare. I'm pretty confident that it IS the only Yellow DB9 made in 2007 with 6spd Manual AND Sport Pkg. Trying to get this confirmed..... JIM
Thanks.! The color is Chiltern Green - listed as optional from Aston's 'heritage' selection.... Meaning it was a color from a prior model year. - Art
Did I hear someone say "video"?... here are 15 minutes of 2007 6-speed DB9 for ya.... https://youtu.be/K4aYtQS0VLA Cheers, - Art
Did AM stop making manual db9's? I haven't seen any after like 2007. If so when? I know the virage in 2012 was only in auto so I would guess db9 from 2013 and on were also auto. I see a few early dbs (2009) in manual. No late year cars. Thanks for any definitive input. Robb
DB9 production started in 2005 and were available with 6 speed through 2010. There were a few early 2010 DB9's but really 2009 was the last of any real production. The same for DBS.. More in 2009 then any other years. 2009 was first year of production for DBS that came to the US market. A few 2010 6 speed DBS's but that was it (I am nearly certain).
DBS available with 6 speed for all years. And I've seen them, but not many, to be sure, for 11 and 12.
