Bosch, Aston Martin team up on DB9 hybrid

German engineering firm Bosch has teamed with Aston Martin on a plug-in hybrid version of the venerable DB9. It keeps the 6.0-liter V12, thankfully, and is boosted by electric motors, for a total of more than 740 hp, according to Auto Express.

Two motors sit at the front wheels, providing power, making this technically the first all-wheel drive Aston. A 180 kW lithium-ion battery stores the power, and sits near the rear of the car, in between the axles. The motor will be able to send different amounts of torque to each wheel, improving performance even further. Total curb weight on the new car is a hefty 4,411 pounds.

Work reportedly began in April 2012 with 74 engineers working on the hybrid. Aston handed over the DB9 in November, and the project was finished at the end of May.

The hybrid power will lower the DB9's 0-62 mph (100 km) time by at least a second. It's all electric range should be about 16 miles.

The one-off Aston Martin DB9 uses Bosch's four-mode traction control system including safe, sport, drift and custom. The custom setting can be tuned incrementally depending on track and tire temperatures, passengers and the weight of your right foot. The system can also be connected to the internet, according to Auto Express, letting the driver download different settings for each track.

Like the hydrogen-powered Aston at the 24 Hours of N

By Jake Lingeman