2013 Aston Martin DB9 – Virage Vanquished

Aston Martin has given the DB9 a makeover – a facelift and a bit more – for 2013 as the tweaked DB9 signals the end of the Virage.

But all is not lost with the Virage, as the 2013 DB9 gets a Virage makeover – inside and out as well as more power from its V12 and the addition of Aston Martin’s adaptive damping.

The 5.9 litre V12 engine under the new DB9′s bonnet now offers 510bhp and 442lb/ft of torque – more than the Virage managed to muster – and is much the same as the revised AM11 V12 we see in the new Vanquish but with a bit less power.

That extra power means the DB9 can now hit 62mph in 4.2 seconds and power on to 183mph. Oddly, although the 0-62mph is actually the same as the departing Virage – and 0,2 seconds quicker than the old DB9 – top speed is down a bit.

Apart from the Virage makeover, Aston Martin have now thrown in Brembo ceramic brakes as standard on the DB9 and adaptive dampers with three settings - Normal, Sport and Track – are also standard fitting.

Inside the DB9 it’s all rather Virage-like with hand-stitched leather welts on the seats and posher glass switches, and you can opt for lightweight seats made from carbon fibre and Kevlar which lose 17kg in weight.

Apart from the Virage makeover (and a more pronounced boot lid lip for improved aerodynamics) there are new 20″ alloys, reversing camera, DB9 logos on the seats and a choice of two carbon packs, with the exterior carbon pack offering splitter, mirrors and diffuser in carbon fibre and the interior pack throwing it at the dash top, door pulls and flappy paddles.

The 2013 Aston Martin DB9 goes on sale straight away with first customer cars arriving next month. Prices start at £131,995 ($185,400 in the US and €174,995 in Germany) which, in the UK at least, is just £4k up on the old DB9 and £18k less than the outgoing Virage.

2013 Aston Martin DB9 Photos >>

By Cars UK