First look: Aston Martin's new sports king

ASTON Martin rolled out its crucial DB7 sports car replacement, the DB9, at Frankfurt this week and the Ford-owned British brand has pronounced the car its most important ever.

To be the first vehicle built at Aston Martin’s new plant in Gaydon, England, the 2+2 coupe uses an ultra-lightweight aluminium-bonded frame derived from the all-new VH (Vertical/Horizontal) platform underpinning all forthcoming Aston models.

It is believed to be 25 per cent lighter than the DB7. Power comes from a 6.0-litre V12 engine mated to either a six-speed manual or drive-by-wire six-speed automatic with pseudo-manual control.

Over the past decade, DB7 has become the biggest-selling Aston Martin on record, with more than 7000 cars produced since 1993.

To be launched early next year, the DB9 is expected to surpass that total in less than five years.

Australia should see the DB9 by mid-2004, with pricing tipped to rise between five and 10 per cent from the DB7 Vantage. That puts it in the $340,000 to $360,000 bracket.