It’s easy to criticise Aston Martin for all sorts of reasons. While its rivals busy themselves launching a never-ending stream of entirely new models, Aston has stuck with basically the same range for years, with each model more or less a derivative of the car you see here. The DB9 has been with us for an entire decade now and, so cry Aston’s detractors, it’s way past its sell-by date. It’s high time, they spout, for an entirely new car with an entirely new look and chassis architecture.
But is that a statement of fact or based on prejudice? I’m not sure, but, on the basis of my four days spent behind the wheel of this special-edition DB9, there isn’t much wrong with it. Mechanically, it’s the same as any new DB9, the differences being cosmetic. Called the Carbon Edition, it’s available in either metallic black or white, with – as the name suggests – a smattering of carbon fibre addenda that gives it a meaner and moodier presence. Aside from the radiator grille, there’s no brightwork anywhere, everything having been blacked out or formed from carbon fibre.
Visually, it’s either a big hit or miss, depending on how much you like the dark side. And that blackness continues through the entire car, with a cabin trimmed in black leather and all the usual controls that are brushed metal have been suitably colour coded. Some red detailing breaks up the sombre tone, but it’s impossible to escape that carbon fetishism – even the centre stack is trimmed in it. As much as I admire this material for all it affords, I can’t help feeling its time as a trim choice has been and gone.
Like Porsche with its seemingly unkillable 911, Aston Martin has refined the DB9 almost beyond recognition compared to the model launched in 2004. The interior trim is possibly the only thing that’s really showing its age, with its silly and confusing switchgear, dated digital displays and a satnav that’s better than it used to be, but still not brilliant. Its air-conditioning system is outclassed by even a Nissan Tiida’s, too, and I cannot help but feel that if Aston could just stretch to a radical redesign inside the car, it would breathe new life into a car that is otherwise truly excellent.
The exterior looks aren’t as perfectly beautiful as they used to be, with the nose section, in particular, losing some of its previous elegance. From the side and rear it’s spectacularly good-looking, though, and it evidently still captivates onlookers with one or two almost sideswiping me as they struggle with steering and taking mobile-phone photos at the same time.
On the open road, however, is where its gradual evolution makes itself manifest. The glorious, naturally aspirated V12 still delivers plenty of punch and sounds as epic as ever, although it definitely deserves a more advanced transmission. The six-speed auto just can’t compete with the twin-clutch units on offer practically everywhere else when it comes to shift times or a sense of driver involvement. It doesn’t need more speeds, it just needs to make you feel more excited when you’re shifting it through the ratios. Drive a Jaguar F-Type back-to-back with this and you’ll wonder why Aston hasn’t managed to make its auto more stimulating.
Not that it spoils the experiences on offer. Because, once you’re on the right kind of roads, the DB9 shines brilliantly. The canyons that carve through the jagged mountains in the Hatta region are blessed with some of this country’s finest ribbons of tarmac, with plenty of sweeping bends where you can really get a feel for a car’s structural integrity. The DB9 feels taut and stiff but never harsh, exhibiting no flex from its chassis. It grips and goes, with its three-stage adaptive damping making for a beautifully fluid and entirely composed cross-country thrash, while that engine’s glorious symphony is properly liberated thanks to the transmission only changing gear when you want it to (once you’ve taken charge with the steering-wheel paddles).
Drive it like this and it still feels utterly modern – light years ahead of the DB9 that came in for criticism from all corners 10 years ago – and provides plenty of compelling arguments for considering it as a purchase. Bentley’s Continental V8 S is probably its closest rival, but, as undeniably great as that car is, it doesn’t feel as lithe and nimble as the current DB9 when you’re really on it. And, lest we forget, the Bentley has stayed looking the same inside and out for even longer than this.
Aston Martin has recently announced a Dh3 billion investment in its facilities, which will fund a range of all-new cars. It’s about time. But, as it stands, the DB9 is a distillation of all that’s great about this wondrous brand. With a new cabin design and a better gearbox, this car could soldier on for another decade without any complaints from me.
khackett@thenational.ae
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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The biog
Title: General Practitioner with a speciality in cardiology
Previous jobs: Worked in well-known hospitals Jaslok and Breach Candy in Mumbai, India
Education: Medical degree from the Government Medical College in Nagpur
How it all began: opened his first clinic in Ajman in 1993
Family: a 90-year-old mother, wife and two daughters
Remembers a time when medicines from India were purchased per kilo
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RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m, Winner SS Lamea, Saif Al Balushi (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer).
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,400m, Winner AF Makerah, Sean Kirrane, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m, Winner Maaly Al Reef, Brett Doyle, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh90,000 1,600m, Winner AF Momtaz, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 2,200m, Winner Morjanah Al Reef, Brett Doyle, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 2,200m, Winner Mudarrab, Jim Crowley, Erwan Charpy
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
The Disaster Artist
Director: James Franco
Starring: James Franco, Dave Franco, Seth Rogan
Four stars
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The%20specs
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
THE DETAILS
Director: Milan Jhaveri
Producer: Emmay Entertainment and T-Series
Cast: John Abraham, Manoj Bajpayee
Rating: 2/5
The%C2%A0specs%20
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
MAIN CARD
Bantamweight 56.4kg
Abrorbek Madiminbekov v Mehdi El Jamari
Super heavyweight 94 kg
Adnan Mohammad v Mohammed Ajaraam
Lightweight 60kg
Zakaria Eljamari v Faridoon Alik Zai
Light heavyweight 81.4kg
Mahmood Amin v Taha Marrouni
Light welterweight 64.5kg
Siyovush Gulmamadov v Nouredine Samir
Light heavyweight 81.4kg
Ilyass Habibali v Haroun Baka
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh234,000 - Dh329,000
On sale: now
AIR
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