A crimson starter button indicates that the 6-liter V12 is spinning. That 48-valve mill was developed from the Vanquish's existing 12-cylinder. New parts include four camshafts, both the intake and exhaust manifold, the crankshaft, and the engine management system. An impressive 450 hp. boils at 6,000 rpm while 420 lb.-ft. of torque twists at 5,000 revs. That's a lot of revolution for maximum torque, but Aston says that 80 percent is queued up at just 1,500 rpm. By locating the powerplant in a mid-front location, weight distribution is an equal 50:50. Aston Martin will bolt one of two transmissions to each V12 engine. A traditional 6-speed manual uses a twin-plate clutch, and a 6-speed automatic gets shift-by-wire gear changing. Rather than using a conventional lever to pick a drive mode, different buttons engage park, reverse, drive, or neutral. Manual shifting via paddles behind the steering wheel can also be activated on the automatic box. In the interest of ultimate handling performance, a frame made primarily of aluminum was used to underpin the DB9. Although 25-percent lighter than the DB7's bodyshell, the new frame is said to be twice as stiff torsionally. Ultrasonic welding is used in place of normal spot welding and is approximately 90-percent stronger. Even the driveshaft is made of carbon fiber to make the transfer of power to the rear wheels as rigid as possible. Body parts are constructed of both aluminum and composite.
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