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Murray Motor Company
WELCOME<br />
Welcome to Murray Motor Company Aston Martin, Edinburgh.<br />
Murray Motor Company has an enviable reputation for quality,<br />
commitment and customer satisfaction. Today we stand as one<br />
of the longest serving Aston Martin authorised dealers in the<br />
UK. Our comprehensive range of services and facilities can<br />
accommodate all needs and requirements.<br />
We are always striving to find new and exciting ways of making<br />
the business of owning and running an Aston Martin more<br />
rewarding. Murray Motor Company seeks to achieve the<br />
same excellent standards through our commitment to<br />
customer service.<br />
Rodger Laing<br />
General Manager
LOCATION<br />
N<br />
Gogar Station Road<br />
South Gyle Cresent<br />
Bankhead Drive<br />
M8<br />
M8<br />
Cultins Road<br />
Bankhead Terr<br />
.<br />
Bankhead Crossway N<br />
Sighthill<br />
Park<br />
A71 - Calder Road<br />
Bankhead Ave<br />
A71<br />
A71 - Calder Road<br />
Murray Motor Company<br />
Bankhead Drive<br />
Sighthill<br />
Edinburgh<br />
EH11 4DJ<br />
Tel: 0131 442 2800<br />
Fax: 0131 468 7219<br />
Opening times<br />
Mon-Fri: 9.00 - 18.00<br />
Sat: 9.00 - 17.00<br />
Sun:<br />
By appointment<br />
www.murrayastonmartin.co.uk<br />
murraymotorco@jmgroup.co.uk
OUR SALES DEPARTMENT<br />
Our Aston Martin sales team encapsulates many years of knowledge and expertise with<br />
Aston Martin. Whether you are looking for a new or pre-owned Aston Martin, we will be<br />
delighted to arrange a test drive.<br />
We are fully equipped to offer you very competitive finance quotations, and our Sales<br />
Specialists are well qualified to advise you on the most efficient way of funding your<br />
chosen Aston Martin. We welcome the opportunity to consider current vehicles for partexchange,<br />
and aim to offer you the very best valuations.<br />
In choosing your new Aston Martin you will have access to the specification room,<br />
situated within Murray Motor Company’s purpose built showroom. You can take full<br />
advantage of the facilities available, to ensure that your new Aston Martin is built to your<br />
exact and unique specifications. Before you finalise your order, you will have the unique<br />
opportunity to view the configuration on the state-of-the-art order screen.<br />
Alternatively, if it is a pre-owned Aston Martin that you are looking for, you will find that<br />
we have an excellent stock of high quality pre-owned models available to choose from.
ASTON MARTIN AFTERSALES<br />
Our Aftersales Department has the facilities to provide you with an outstanding level of commitment and care. Our factory-trained vehicle<br />
technicians ensure that we meet Aston Martin’s exacting standards in Service and Vehicle Care and Maintenance. To make servicing and<br />
repairs as convenient as possible for you, we offer a collection and delivery service. We also offer a courtesy car facility for your use, subject<br />
to availability. Before your Aston Martin is returned to you it will be treated to a complimentary valet.<br />
Our experienced team look forward to hearing from you, and providing for all your Aston Martin aftersales requirements.
SERVICE DEPARTMENT<br />
Murray Motor Company’s Service Department has the experience, passion and ability to care for any Aston Martin, with exquisite<br />
skill and attention to detail. We know that our clients expect nothing less and, with Aston Martin trained technicians ready to deal<br />
with any of your servicing needs, you can be happy that your Aston Martin will be in safe hands. We are here to provide you with<br />
superb value and a personalised service.<br />
As you would expect, we have extremely high standards at Murray Motor Company’s Service Department; standards which<br />
encompass attention to detail, quality of work and engineering excellence.<br />
Whatever your needs, we can help.
FROM SMALL BEGINNINGS<br />
The John Martin Group, one of Scotland’s most prominent and<br />
respected privately-owned motor businesses, takes its name<br />
from the man who founded it, Chairman John Martin.<br />
Having served his apprenticeship as a motor mechanic with<br />
Rossleigh, John Martin established his own servicing business in<br />
a lock-up in a lane in Edinburgh. The lock-up was the Group’s<br />
real foundation, from which John Martin established his own<br />
benchmark of always going the ‘extra mile’ for customers. He<br />
went on from here to sell his very first new car in 1968, a Volvo<br />
from a garage in Edinburgh which he had named ‘Belmont’ after<br />
a rather imposing house in the same area.<br />
After almost 40 years, the Belmont name continues to live on in<br />
the Edinburgh dealership network, expanding from its humble<br />
origins to a multi-franchise group with turnover in excess of<br />
£160 million, and multiple sites across Scotland. The Group<br />
is now one of Scotland’s top 200 businesses. The additional<br />
trading names of Murray Motor Company and JM Accident<br />
Repair Centres have joined the fold over the past four decades<br />
and represent many franchises across the country, incorporating<br />
some of the most prestigious names in our business. We are one<br />
of the select few companies in the UK to have represented Aston<br />
Martin for over 20 years.<br />
Spanning the Central Belt of Scotland, the Borders and Grampian<br />
region, the Group now employs over 600 staff who together<br />
deliver over 16,000 new and used cars each year, and ensure<br />
the maintenance and care of many more.
ASTON<br />
MARTIN<br />
COLLECTION
ASTON MARTIN COLLECTION<br />
The pace of development across the company, and ultimately our cars, is<br />
unparalleled to anything we have ever done before. We are now poised upon<br />
the threshold of something that is truly special.<br />
Inspired by this new direction, we have created the Collection – a diverse<br />
and exclusive range of fashion accessories and merchandise.<br />
Each piece has been carefully selected to ensure it embodies the qualities<br />
of style and exclusivity synonymous with Aston Martin, whilst reflecting the<br />
unique philosophies of design and craftsmanship for which Aston Martin is<br />
renowned the world over.<br />
The Collection includes timeless art pieces of stunning and innovative<br />
photography, a children’s range of clothing, executive pen and pencil sets<br />
and accessories. There are also beautiful and luxurious mens’, ladies’ and<br />
unisex fashion items, all with the subtle Aston Martin stamp of excellence.<br />
The Leather Collection includes wallets, purses, organisers, business<br />
portfolios, journals and notepads - all encased in the highest quality leather,<br />
most being embossed with the Aston Martin logo.<br />
Individually handmade nubuck leather holdalls in a choice of four bright<br />
colours, exclusively designed by Aston Martin, are a must for any trip -<br />
business or pleasure - as are our custom-made range of travel items. For more<br />
information on the pricing of any items, please take a look at our website.
HISTORY OF ASTON MARTIN<br />
1913 Bamford & Martin Ltd founded in London<br />
1914 Aston Martin is born, following success at Aston Hill Climb<br />
1915 First Aston Martin is registered<br />
1921 First Works competition car makes its appearance<br />
1922 Aston Martin makes first appearance<br />
overseas at French Grand Prix<br />
1924 Charnwood family lend financial support<br />
1925 Company forced to close<br />
1926 Aston Martin Motors Ltd is formed & sets up in Feltham<br />
1928 First entry at the Le Mans 24 hour race<br />
1931 Bertelli temporarily ‘pawns’ his company to finance the<br />
Works cars<br />
1932 Sutherland family take over the company<br />
1937 140 cars built – the highest pre-war production figure<br />
1939 The Atom is built<br />
1946 Company advertised for sale in The Times<br />
1947 David Brown buys Aston Martin Motors Ltd & Lagonda<br />
1948 The Spa Special wins the Spa 24 hour race.<br />
Aston Martin 2 litre is built<br />
1949 Two DB2 prototypes enter Le Mans &<br />
one is placed in its class<br />
1950 DB2 goes into production<br />
1951 DB2 comes 1st, 2nd & 3rd in the 3 litre class at Le Mans<br />
1953 DB2/4 goes into production – the first 2+2 seater<br />
1954 David Brown buys Tickfords & moves<br />
production to Newport Pagnell<br />
1955 DB2/4 Mark II goes into production<br />
1956 During this & the following three years,<br />
four DBR1 race cars are built for competition<br />
1957 DB Mark III goes into production<br />
1958 DB4 goes into production<br />
1959 Aston Martin wins World Sportscar Championship<br />
in the DBR1 following wins at the 1000kms at the<br />
Nurburgring, Le Mans & the RAC Tourist Trophy<br />
1963 Roy Salvadori wins at Monza in a1963 DB4GT.<br />
DB5 goes into production<br />
1965 DB6 goes into production<br />
1967 DBS goes into production<br />
1969 DB6 Mark II & DBSV8 go into production<br />
1972 David Brown forced to sell & Company<br />
Developments takes over. Aston Martin Vantage<br />
& Aston Martin V8 go into production<br />
1975 Receivership declared & company rescued by<br />
consortium led by Peter Sprague & George Minden.<br />
Production hits an all time low of 21<br />
1976 William Towns-designed Lagonda unveiled<br />
1977 V8 Vantage goes into production<br />
1978 V8 Volante goes into production
1980 Towns’ Lagonda goes into production<br />
1981 Victor Gauntlett & Pace Petroleum take over<br />
1983 Victor Gauntlett is backed financially<br />
by the Livanos shipping family<br />
1986 V8 Vantage Zagato goes into production<br />
1987 V8 Volante Zagato goes into production.<br />
Ford Motor Company takes a 75% shareholding<br />
1989 Works supported AMR1 comes 6th in the World Championship<br />
1990 Virage production starts<br />
1991 Victor Gauntlett resigns & is replaced by Walter Hayes<br />
1992 Virage Volante goes into production<br />
1993 Vantage goes into production<br />
1994 Ford Motor Company acquires 100% holding<br />
in Aston Martin. DB7 goes into production<br />
1996 DB7 Volante & V8 Coupé go into production<br />
1997 V8 Volante goes into production<br />
1998 First dedicated Aston Martin Showroom in UK<br />
is opened by Stirling Moss & Bob Dover<br />
at Lancaster Sevenoaks<br />
1999 V8 Vantage Le Mans & DB7 Vantage go into production<br />
2001 5,000th DB7 is built, V12 Vanquish goes into production<br />
2002 After almost 15 years, Aston Martin renews its relationship<br />
with legendary Italian coachbuilders Zagato to<br />
produce the Ltd edition DB7 Zagato<br />
2003 Aston Martin unveil the AMV8 Vantage<br />
concept car at the Detroit Motor Show.<br />
DB9 goes into production.<br />
Gaydon manufacturing facility is officially opened,<br />
it is the first purpose built factory for Aston Martin<br />
2004 The new Aston Martin Engine Plant in Cologne<br />
is officially opened. It is the first dedicated<br />
engine production facility in Aston Martin’s history.<br />
DB9 Volante goes into production.<br />
Vanquish S launched at Paris Motorshow.<br />
Aston Martin announces a return to<br />
International Motorsport with DBR9<br />
2005 Aston Martin wins GT1 class at 12 Hours of Sebring.<br />
DBR9 wins the Tourist Trophy outright at Silverstone and<br />
makes successful return to Le Mans 24 Hours with fourth<br />
consecutive podium finish.<br />
V8 Vantage goes into production<br />
2006 Aston Martin unveils the Rapide Concept, the first<br />
four door coupé. Aston Martin unveils the DBS which is<br />
used by James Bond in Casino Royale<br />
2007 Aston Martin claims historic victory at Le Mans, for the<br />
first time since 1959.<br />
A consortium led by David Richards,<br />
founder and chairman of Prodrive, buy Aston Martin
ASTON MARTIN & JAMES BOND<br />
James Bond is synonymous with power, style, excellence and an unmistakable British<br />
sophistication. It is no surprise, therefore, that this British institution continually<br />
chooses to put this infamous character behind the wheel of an Aston Martin.<br />
The films have a special fondness for the DB5; it is best known for being the first and<br />
most famous James Bond car, making its unforgettable debut as the gadget ridden<br />
flagship car in Goldfinger with Sean Connery in 1964. The following year, the same<br />
DB5 continued its partnership with Sean Connery’s James Bond in Thunderball.<br />
During the 1970s and early 1980s there was a lull in the Aston Martin/James Bond<br />
relationship, which was renewed for the 1987 film, The Living Daylights; allowing<br />
007 to sample the Newport Pagnell V8.<br />
Then, in 1995, the DB5 blasted back onto our screens with Pierce Brosnan as our<br />
hero in Goldeneye. Each new Bond car had more and more impressive gadgets and<br />
upgrades from the one before. Tomorrow Never Dies was the next Bond feature to<br />
use the DB5, followed by The World Is Not Enough, where the appearance was brief,<br />
in 1999. The Vanquish also made an unforgettable appearance during this period.<br />
That brings us round to the stunning gadget-free DB5 in 2006’s Casino Royale, which<br />
Bond wins from his enemy in a game of cards. This film was the prequel to all the<br />
other Bond films, and so this displays to the audience how Bond was introduced to,<br />
and began his relationship with, Aston Martin. It is in this feature that the stunning<br />
new DBS made its debut with new Bond, Daniel Craig.
GAYDON HEADQUARTERS - THE FACTORY<br />
The dynamic architecture of Aston Martin’s headquarters at Gaydon, in England’s historic Warwickshire, symbolises optimism<br />
and confidence.<br />
The building is the embodiment of Aston Martin and its cars, reflecting the power of the idea, the aesthetic and inner beauty of<br />
technically advanced solutions, and the very soul that comes from the hands that create pure sports cars.<br />
With ample space to manufacture up to 5000 cars a year, the Gaydon Factory is a quality investment for Aston Martin and the<br />
people associated with the marque - employees and customers alike. The splendid building offers space for not only extreme<br />
attention to detail and workmanship on each individual car, but the breathtaking entrance hall provides Aston Martin with the<br />
opportunity to display heritage vehicles alongside vehicles straight from the factory.
What strikes a person when<br />
approaching the Gaydon Headquarters<br />
is the refreshingly unusual drawbridge<br />
over the moat, and the staggeringly<br />
impressive castle-like grandeur of the<br />
building which goes with it. Designed<br />
by the Weedon Partnership and clad<br />
in sandstone and glass; the outside is<br />
dramatic, majestic and exciting.<br />
Once over the drawbridge and inside,<br />
you enter the atrium, a vast and naturally<br />
lit two-storey space decorated in<br />
travertine marble.<br />
Leading from the atrium is a double<br />
height walkway that leads to the factory<br />
floor, the walls here are decorated with<br />
vast Aston Martin images.
V8 VANTAGE ROADSTER
The V8 Vantage Roadster represents the essence of pure driving<br />
pleasure. It is a compact sports car that offers an astonishing<br />
blend of performance and exhilaration, a vehicle with two distinct<br />
personalities: open and invigorating, or closed, cosseting and<br />
protective.<br />
The key to any great sports car is the engine. This new V8 has been<br />
specifically designed and developed for the Vantage Roadster and<br />
Vantage Coupé. Hand assembled at Aston Martin’s purpose-built<br />
engine facility in Cologne, Germany, it is a light, compact, all-alloy<br />
unit – high performance yet ultra-responsive, even at the lower end<br />
of the rev range. Its maximum torque is an impressive 410 Nm<br />
(302 lb ft) @ 5000 rpm, 75 per cent of which is delivered at just<br />
1500 rpm – barely more than idle – making the Roadster extremely<br />
tractable and great fun to drive. Push harder, and that V8 engine<br />
revs freely, delivering refined, exhilarating pace.<br />
The Vantage Roadster is a unique and singular design statement<br />
that has been styled and engineered to excel from every angle.<br />
The fabric hood stows neatly beneath a metal tonneau cover, its<br />
lines blending seamlessly into the muscular rear haunches of this<br />
luxuriously powerful vehicle. Strong and smooth; the Vantage<br />
Roadster’s unique stance and balance come from within. The car<br />
uses Aston Martin’s unique VH architecture to provide its structural<br />
backbone. Sophisticated materials such as lightweight alloys,<br />
magnesium and advanced composites help to reduce weight and<br />
create the Vantage Roadster’s class-leading rigidity.<br />
Like all Aston Martins, the Vantage Roadster is hand-assembled<br />
and hand-finished, allowing its designers freedom to produce an<br />
impeccable formation, without the constraints and inflexibility of<br />
mass production. Only craftsmen can deliver the design details<br />
and level of finish that Aston Martin engineers and designers<br />
demand. For instance, the bonnet of the Vantage Roadster has shut<br />
lines that travel all the way to the front of the vehicle, without the<br />
need for a separate nose cone, creating a cleaner, crisper design.<br />
Furthermore, the Roadster uses metal mesh grilles and trims instead<br />
of the typical plastic alternatives. Integrity is a cornerstone at<br />
Aston Martin and we believe that everything has to be right.<br />
The new Sportshift feature of Aston Martin, which is available<br />
for both the Roadster and the Coupé, adds electro-hydraulic<br />
control to the car’s 6-speed manual transmission. This means<br />
there are improved shift times and the conventional manual<br />
gear lever is now replaced with push button controls on the<br />
centre console to select auto drive, reverse or neutral.<br />
Manual gear changes are selected in Paddle Shift Mode - this<br />
new ultra-quick system provides the driver with heightened<br />
precision via fingertip control of gear changes using steering<br />
column mounted paddles, forged from lightweight magnesium,<br />
to progress smoothly and swiftly through the ratios.<br />
Sportshift offers gear changes up to three times faster than<br />
the standard manual transmission already available, with the<br />
driving enthusiast able to access precision gearshifts in around<br />
200m/s. To adapt to all driving conditions, an additional<br />
‘Comfort’ mode offering a more relaxed gear change features,<br />
which is selected via a single button on the centre console.<br />
Sportshift functionality is also enhanced with a low speed<br />
‘crawl’ feature, which acts as a manoeuvring aid, gently<br />
engaging the clutch to move the car up to 4mph - allowing<br />
the driver to focus on positioning, rather than throttle control,<br />
when parking. Additionally, Sportshift includes a user-selected<br />
‘Auto Drive’ mode which, when operated, will take full control<br />
of the timing of all changes and select the appropriate gear for<br />
all conditions.<br />
Equipped with Sportshift, the Vantage Roadster retains its<br />
low polar moment of inertia and excellent balance, with a<br />
negligible increase in overall weight and minimal impact to<br />
the Roadster’s optimal 49:51 weight distribution. Equally, top<br />
end performance is unchanged, at 280 km/h (175 mph).
One life. One du Vin.<br />
SCOTLAND’S FINEST BASE FOR FIELD SPORTS AND<br />
AWARD-WINNING CUISINE IS ONE DEVONSHIRE GARDENS.<br />
G L A S G O W<br />
I think. Therefore I du Vin.<br />
One Devonshire Gardens,<br />
Glasgow G12 0UX.<br />
To book telephone<br />
0141 339 2001<br />
www.hotelduvin.com or<br />
events.odg@hotelduvin.com<br />
Life is all about choices. Where to shoot, where to dine, where to play golf or simply escape.<br />
Let us narrow down your options. One sublime place to sample award-winning cuisine, to<br />
experience one of Glasgow’s most outstanding wine cellars, the finest base imaginable for<br />
field sports, or to feel thankfully at one with oneself. Recently voted ‘Scotland’s Most Stylish<br />
Hotel’ - There is only One Devonshire Gardens. There is only one du Vin.<br />
49 BEDROOMS BAR & BISTRO ALFRESCO & PRIVATE DINING CIGAR SHACK<br />
WEDDINGS EVENTS & MEETINGS FIELD SPORTS OUTSTANDING CELLAR
V8 VANTAGE
Aston Martin unveiled the production version of its eagerly<br />
awaited V8 Vantage at the 2005 Geneva International Motor<br />
Show. First shown as a concept car at the 2003 North American<br />
International Auto Show in Detroit, the V8 Vantage immediately<br />
caused a worldwide sensation.<br />
The exterior of the V8 Vantage is beautiful and perfectly<br />
proportioned from every angle, with a low purposeful stance.<br />
Each carefully detailed feature provides graphic evidence of the<br />
painstaking craftsmanship and quality which is synonymous with<br />
the Aston Martin marque.<br />
The long bonnet and two-seater cabin creates an instantly<br />
recognisable stance, while minimal front and rear overhangs,<br />
combined with a wide track, appear to push the rear wheels<br />
out and enhance the extremities of the bodywork. At the rear,<br />
a hatchback offers practicality not normally found in sports cars<br />
of this type.<br />
The V8 Vantage is a two-seater, with the rear environment offering<br />
a large luggage shelf area accessed by a tailgate.<br />
Inside, Aston Martin’s craftsmanship is matched by striking 21st<br />
century style. The dials are made from aluminium and, together<br />
with the switchgear, have a very distinct design and unique Aston<br />
Martin look and feel.<br />
The V8 Vantage has endured the most extensive testing and<br />
development programme in the Company’s history, during which<br />
78 Prototypes were vigorously tested over 1.5 million miles.<br />
In Dubai, over 12,000 miles of testing was carried out where<br />
ambient temperatures regularly hit 48 o c and the bodywork of the<br />
vehicles reached 87 o c.<br />
High speed testing was conducted at the Nardo test track in Italy,<br />
and extensive testing carried out at Nürburgring’s Nordschleife in<br />
Germany, besides cold weather testing at temperatures as low as<br />
-30 o c in Sweden.<br />
The V8 Vantage is the second model to use Aston Martin’s<br />
unique VH (Vertical Horizontal) architecture. Constructed<br />
from lightweight aluminium extrusions, precision castings and<br />
pressings, the underframe is bonded with aerospace adhesives<br />
and mechanically fixed with self-piercing rivets.
The frame is bonded with cold-cure adhesive, which has<br />
exceptional damping properties that help soak up the vibrations.<br />
The unique architecture provides an excellent backbone, while<br />
the use of sophisticated materials such as lightweight alloys,<br />
magnesium and advanced composites for the body further<br />
contributes to the car’s low weight and class-leading rigidity.<br />
The V8 Vantage is very much a pure sports car so, from the<br />
outset, the priority of Aston Martin’s engineers was to focus on a<br />
lightweight, compact size encapsulating agility and power.<br />
At just 4.38 metres long it is compact and very nimble, and is the<br />
smallest model in the Aston Martin range.<br />
The new 380 bhp engine is a 4.3 litre, low emissions, allaluminium<br />
alloy V8; unique to Aston Martin.<br />
This new V8 uses the latest technology to deliver outstanding<br />
performance in all environments.<br />
The layout of the powertrain adopts a transaxle configuration,<br />
whereby the front mid-mounted engine is connected to the<br />
transmission at the rear of the vehicle via a cast aluminium torque<br />
tube and carbon fibre prop-shaft. This configuration provides the<br />
car with a 49:51 weight distribution, giving outstanding handling<br />
characteristics and excellent all round capabilities.<br />
A dry-sump lubrication system is employed in the V8 Vantage.<br />
Often used in racing vehicles, this system allows the engine to sit<br />
very low in the body, lowering the centre of gravity which in turn<br />
helps to improve handling and the overall balance and stability<br />
of the car. The system also helps to improve engine durability by<br />
maintaining lubrication under conditions of extreme cornering<br />
and braking.<br />
The advanced quad-cam 32-valve engine is hand assembled by<br />
skilled Aston Martin technicians at the Company’s new engine<br />
production facility in Cologne, Germany, where every Aston<br />
Martin engine, including the V12 units for Vanquish S and DB9,<br />
is built.
DB9
The future of Aston Martin is epitomised by the DB9, a 2+2 seater sports car<br />
that sets new standards in its class due to its astonishing combination of agility,<br />
V12 power, smoothness, beautiful design and hand built craftsmanship.<br />
Using a radical new aluminium-bonded body frame, the DB9 is one of the<br />
most sophisticated and technically advanced sports cars in the world. It is<br />
powered by the latest version of Aston Martin’s own designed and developed<br />
6.0-litre V12, producing 450bhp and a top speed of 186mph. Yet the DB9 is<br />
significantly well beyond being a class-leading sports car. It is the beginning<br />
of a new era for Aston Martin. It is the first car to be hand-made at Aston<br />
Martin’s new high technology facility in Gaydon, Warwickshire, where all<br />
future Aston Martin models will be developed and built.<br />
The body frame is one of the most structurally efficient in the world,<br />
taking into account strength, torsional rigidity and weight. It has double<br />
the rigidity of many rivals, as well as being lighter, resulting in superior<br />
handling and agility.<br />
All body panels are either aluminium or lightweight composites with<br />
magnesium being used on the steering column and inner door frames. Even<br />
the gear selector paddles are made from magnesium alloy. The total weight<br />
is 1710kgs, extremely light for a V12-powered prestige 2+2 seater sports car<br />
with every imaginable luxury feature. This has a hugely beneficial effect on<br />
performance. Top speed of the manual is 186mph and 0-100 km/h (62mph)<br />
acceleration takes just 4.9 seconds. Other technologically radical features<br />
include a ZF ‘drive-by-wire’ six-speed automatic gearbox that dispenses<br />
with a traditional gear lever. Instead, the drive, park, neutral and reverse<br />
controls are selected by buttons.<br />
Touchtronic manual mode enables the driver to change gear using paddles<br />
mounted behind the steering wheel. The automatic gearchange has been<br />
tuned to provide the perfect balance between superfast operation and<br />
comfortably smooth shifts. A conventional six-speed manual transmission<br />
is also offered.
The agility of the car is boosted by the perfect 50:50 weight distribution.<br />
This has been achieved partly by putting the gearbox at the rear. A carbon<br />
fibre drive shaft, running in a cast aluminium tube, delivers torque from<br />
the engine to the gearbox. Handling is further improved by the light<br />
aluminium wishbone suspension and aluminium bodied dampers. The<br />
whole DB9 cabin is hand-finished in premium quality materials, giving it<br />
a simple and functional feel. Aluminium is used in the interior, reflecting<br />
the most commonly used material in the structure and body. Even details<br />
such as the instrument dials are made from aluminium. Features include<br />
full leather Bridge of Weir upholstery of the highest quality, and a stateof-the-art<br />
music system specially developed for Aston Martin by British<br />
audio specialists Linn.<br />
Among the many technological firsts is the ‘message centre’ in the dashboard.<br />
It is an organic electroluminescent display (OEL), as opposed to the more<br />
common LCD. OELs have a higher resolution, better contrast, and are easier<br />
to read, especially when viewed at an angle. Of course, no Aston Martin<br />
would be a true Aston Martin without a beautiful body. The DB9 is modern<br />
and clean but retains much of its heritage. It is a modern interpretation of<br />
a traditional Aston Martin, the successor to benchmark designs such as the<br />
DB4 and DB5. The aluminium bonnet is long and extends all the way to the<br />
vehicle’s leading edge. There is a minimum number of ‘cut’ or ‘shut’ lines, to<br />
aid styling simplicity and beauty.<br />
The design of an Aston Martin is integral to its appeal. Taking styling cues<br />
from the past, and reinterpreting them for the future, forms the central theme<br />
of every new Aston Martin currently under development.<br />
The DB9 manages to combine all facets of style, quality and usability of a<br />
traditional Aston Martin without relying on retrospective detail or design. It<br />
is a truly modern Aston Martin.
DBS
Truly great luxury sports cars are few and far between. In a world where<br />
innovation is all too often hampered by compromise, pure performance is<br />
a rarity available only to the genuinely discerning. Designed as the ultimate<br />
driving experience, the Aston Martin DBS bridges the gap between road<br />
and track – DB9 and DBR9. Equally at home on a twisting mountain<br />
circuit as on the open road, the DBS is a true thoroughbred.<br />
The Aston Martin DBS is a 6.0-litre V12 powered, race-bred, two-seater<br />
shaped by the aerodynamic demands of high performance, with an<br />
exquisite interior that marries beautifully hand-finished materials with<br />
the very latest in performance technology. A combination of elegant<br />
design, innovative manufacturing processes, race-derived materials and<br />
components, and Aston Martin’s unrivalled hand-build expertise makes<br />
the DBS a luxury sports car without equal.<br />
Outstanding power with supreme control: the DBS represents the synthesis<br />
of raw power, race-bred technology and design excellence. Powered by<br />
a hand-built V12 engine producing 380 kW (510 bhp/517 PS), the DBS<br />
delivers breathtaking power and performance. Beneath the flowing lines<br />
of the lightweight bodywork, the DBS’s components have been honed to<br />
create an exhilarating driving experience: taut, dynamic and monumentally<br />
fast, but always highly controlled.<br />
The DBS was developed as the ultimate expression of Aston Martin’s<br />
engineering and technical ability. The need for high-performance<br />
stability, handling ability and low kerb weight defined the car’s form<br />
and construction. The DBS is the first production Aston Martin to make<br />
extensive use of ultra-light carbon-fibre body panels. Its high level of<br />
performance is delivered by the combination of inherent light weight,<br />
near-perfect weight distribution, a supremely powerful and flexible V12<br />
engine, and a performance-honed six speed transmission.
RAPIDE CONCEPT<br />
The Aston Martin Rapide Concept is a four-door, high<br />
performance coupé of remarkable grace and poise. Based on<br />
Aston Martin’s unique VH (Vertical/Horizontal) architecture, the<br />
Rapide combines the Company’s commitment to power, beauty<br />
and soul with space and practicality for every eventuality. It<br />
stands for stylistic excellence, market innovation and flexible<br />
manufacturing. The Rapide is the epitome of Aston Martin’s<br />
low-volume, high-technology approach, the synergy of modern<br />
methods and materials with traditional skills to create a new<br />
form of craftsmanship for the 21st century.<br />
While the Rapide retains Aston Martin’s inherent design<br />
characteristics, the additional length and extra doors build upon<br />
the DB9’s taut, poised stance, generating a natural, even flow<br />
and a dynamic sensation that’s conveyed even when the Rapide<br />
is standing still. “In terms of elegance, the Rapide is adding value<br />
to the DB9’s undisputed elegance and subtle understatement,”<br />
says Dr Ulrich Bez, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of<br />
Aston Martin. “Our cars must look beautiful from all angles, and<br />
the four-door is very well balanced.” Practicality and power are<br />
the Rapide’s signature qualities, but above all it is recognisably<br />
an Aston Martin, a testament to the strength of the marque’s<br />
design language. The Rapide’s four-door body provides greater<br />
access to the extended architecture, making it a performance<br />
vehicle for every occasion. “The proportions must be perfect,”<br />
says Dr Bez, “If we couldn’t achieve this then we wouldn’t have<br />
made the car.”
ASTON MARTIN RACING<br />
Aston Martin returned to international motor sport in 2005 with<br />
an exciting new programme focused on the DBR9 - a stunning<br />
GT based entirely on the road going sister vehicle, the DB9.<br />
The DBR9 was unveiled at Aston Martin’s state-of-the-art facility<br />
at Gaydon, near Warwick on 4 November 2004, finished in<br />
the same evocative shade of Aston Martin Racing Green as the<br />
Works cars of the 1950’s.<br />
Though billed as a ‘test and development year’, the DBR9<br />
made an instant impact, taking class honours on its debut at 12<br />
Hours of Sebring in March 2005 and then winning the famous<br />
Tourist Trophy - today a round of the FIA GT Championship<br />
- at Silverstone. Aston Martin’s eagerly-anticipated return to<br />
Le Mans followed, and with it came further podium success<br />
- the DBR9 shared by David Brabham, Stephane Sarrazin and<br />
Darren Turner posting a top ten overall result on the vehicle’s<br />
maiden appearance at the Sarthe circuit and finishing third<br />
in its GT1 category.<br />
Already the DBR9 is taking up where the DB3S and DBR1 left<br />
off, by combining outstanding performance with the beauty and<br />
integrity of a true, thoroughbred Aston Martin.<br />
The DBRS9 race car was unveiled at Le Mans 2005, providing<br />
a competition vehicle for club and national racing series, and<br />
a bridge for teams and drivers looking towards international<br />
GT racing.<br />
The DBRS9 is based on the DB9 road car, but shares many design<br />
features with the full GT1 specification DBR9. It uses the road<br />
car’s aluminium bonded chassis with a DBR9-based roll cage.<br />
Aston Martin’s Racing Engineers have tuned the standard 6.0<br />
litre V12 engine to produce approximately 550bhp (an increase<br />
of 20%) and reduced the overall weight by 480kg, to increase<br />
the power to weight ratio to nearly 430 bhp/tonne.
HISTORIC VICTORY AT LE MANS<br />
In June of 2007, for the first time since 1959, Aston Martin<br />
triumphed at Le Mans. The winning Aston Martin Racing with<br />
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts DBR9 – numbered 009 – was<br />
driven to GT1 class victory and a remarkable fifth overall by<br />
David Brabham, Rickard Rydell and Darren Turner after 24<br />
hours of non-stop competition, characterised by changeable<br />
conditions and several safety vehicle periods.<br />
The bad weather was in evidence right from the start of the<br />
first qualifying session, where the AMR Larbre Competition 008<br />
DBR9 claimed pole position – before going on to finish third in<br />
the actual race.<br />
David Richards, Aston Martin’s Chairman, said: “To see Aston<br />
Martin winning at Le Mans again, nearly 50 years after our last<br />
famous victory, is a truly magnificent achievement for everybody<br />
associated with Aston Martin across the world.”<br />
Dr Ulrich Bez, Aston Martin’s Chief Executive, commented:<br />
“Since our last victory here in 1959, Le Mans has been<br />
dominated by several other great marques. But this year we had<br />
more cars than any other manufacturer and they all finished: six<br />
out of six, including the GT1 winner. It’s been a truly historic<br />
day for Aston Martin and I am absolutely delighted.”
© 20 08. Published by Marque One Limited<br />
Bleasdale House, 9 Copse Road, Fle et wood, Lancashire F Y7 6RP • Tel: 01253 778 4 4 4<br />
Dealership photography by Camerawork East • Tel: 07954 383986