Behold! Aston Martin DBRS9 Caught Testing!

[F1GTR]

But the 599 GTB still doesn't look as elegant as the DB9. Drive a DB9, people will comment on how good the car looks, but drive a Ferrari and everyone will simply cut you up and shout derogatory comments at you.

 

[Dave A]

Well the reviews of the DB9 all said how great it was, tbh I have very little interestin the 599, it's looks don't do it for me and it's way too expensive. I have no doubt that it's the better performance car, but on the streets as a road car, can you honestly say that the Aston isn't more than enough. Ontop of that, it has a fantastic interior, a simply incredible engine note and engine and it is imo the best looking car ever built.

Um, that's nice, but is it impossible for Aston Martin to design a car that DOESN'T look exactly like all it's other models?

Should the BMW M5 look like a completely different car to the 550i? Should The Porsche 911 GT3 look like a completely different car to the 911 Carrera? No, so why should it be of note that the DBRS9 doesn't look like a completely differnt model to the DB9? They are part of the same model range. The V8 Vantage does imo look different enough, the Vanquish is the ugliest Aston in production at the moment imo, and is also notable different tothe DB9, especially fromt he front. Yes they are similar, but so is the Ferrari 599 to the 612.

 

[Tornado]

Should the BMW M5 look like a completely different car to the 550i? Should The Porsche 911 GT3 look like a completely different car to the 911 Carrera? No, so why should it be of note that the DBRS9 doesn't look like a completely differnt model to the DB9?

What are you going on about? Those aren't different models. Merely pumped up versions of another model. His point was about models.

The V8 Vantage does imo look different enough, the Vanquish is the ugliest Aston in production at the moment imo, and is also notable different tothe DB9, especially fromt he front. Yes they are similar, but so is the Ferrari 599 to the 612.

Wait, what!? Let me get this out of the way: I hate both of the Ferrari's with a passion. So I'm not defending them. But your saying that this

and this

look anywhere's near as similar to each other as this

this

and this

not to mention the Buick

The only one that looks different (and, in my opinion, not overdone and/or with poor rear end treatment, so therefore good)
is the Vanquish.
While I do see similarities between the 612 and 599 (most notably, the ugliness of both and the front end treatment), they are not carbon copies of each other at different sizes that the V8 and DB9 are.
And I still point you to a car that is better in every way, except arguably styling and exclusitivity.

 

[Dave A]

first of all McLaren said "Um, that's nice, but is it impossible for Aston Martin to design a car that DOESN'T look exactly like all it's other models?" in this thread, are you implying that for no reason what-so-ever he was talking about a model other than the DBRS9?

Also no the V8 and DB9 are not carbon copies of eachother, every single body panel is different, they don't look the same and are easilly identifiable from the different shaped lights, different grille and different stance, the V8 is much more squat than the DB9 while being notcably smaller as well. As for the Vanquish if you can't spot a Vanquish you arn't looking or it's moving past you very, very fast. Yes I do think there is just as much difference between the V8 and the DB9 as there is between the 599 and the 612 imo. I just find it funny that because it's Aston everyone finds it odd that their 3 model range lineup all shares a similar theme style wise, yet with other companies it's excusable.

Can you honestly say that you can't see a clear difference here.

I can, everything from the grill to the shoulders to the crease to the position of the wheels relative to the corners of the car is different. The style is similar, but the two cars are very different in the details.

 

[Tornado]

first of all McLaren said "Um, that's nice, but is it impossible for Aston Martin to design a car that DOESN'T look exactly like all it's other models?" in this thread, are you implying that for no reason what-so-ever he was talking about a model other than the DBRS9?

No. I was saying that your example of the M5 not being different from the normal 5-series not being valid.

Can you honestly say that you can't see a clear difference here.
I can, everything from the grill to the shoulders to the crease to the position of the wheels relative to the corners of the car is different. The style is similar, but the two cars are very different in the details.

I can see a difference, but the problem is that the cars are still too close together style-wise to determine which one is which. I don't suffer from that problem with any other manafacturer (including Porsche), including the god-awful Ferrari's (which would be from any angle). In addition, the largest (and pretty much only difference, for that matter) of any note that I can actually see is that the first one (which I'm guessing is the V8) has the lumpy rear-quarter panels, and a longer cut line. Of course, the rear-ends on both cars are nearly identicle, which doesn't help.
My problem is that the Vanquish manages to look very Aston Martin like, yet it looks almost nothing like the V8 or DB9, nor the DB7 before it. So why is it that the DB9 and V8 are so close?

 

[McLaren]

Well the reviews of the DB9 all said how great it was, tbh I have very little interestin the 599, it's looks don't do it for me and it's way too expensive. I have no doubt that it's the better performance car, but on the streets as a road car, can you honestly say that the Aston isn't more than enough. Ontop of that, it has a fantastic interior, a simply incredible engine note and engine and it is imo the best looking car ever built.

Should the BMW M5 look like a completely different car to the 550i? Should The Porsche 911 GT3 look like a completely different car to the 911 Carrera? No, so why should it be of note that the DBRS9 doesn't look like a completely differnt model to the DB9? They are part of the same model range. The V8 Vantage does imo look different enough, the Vanquish is the ugliest Aston in production at the moment imo, and is also notable different tothe DB9, especially fromt he front. Yes they are similar, but so is the Ferrari 599 to the 612.

Hmm, perhaps, I worded that wrong. What I mean is that Aston Martin likes to build the SAME bodystyle for every car. Yes, Porsche does that, but then again, it's a proven style. It also isn't a company where every car costs a pretty penny. They also vary in products. Aston keeps building its cars to the same degree. Short trunk, long front imo. It's great, but it's best they don't "overplay" it. Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.

And I must disagree. I'd rather have the Vanquish over the DB9 or AMV8. Sadly, I think I'm the only person on earth who thinks this.

 

[YSSMAN]

Well the long hood and short trunk is a classic look for almost any sports car, particularly the British GT car. Aston has, for as long as I can remember, done that baisic style with most of their cars, and IMO, they have only ever built one car that was "ugly"...

The Lagonda

 

[McLaren]

It's not ugly. It was just ahead of its time.

 

[YSSMAN]

...It looks like they stuck a DeLorean in a taffy puller and added an extra set of doors for good taste...

 

[Dave A]

No. I was saying that your example of the M5 not being different from the normal 5-series not being valid.

Why, it's part of the same model range as the 550i, just like the DB9 and DBRS9 are both part of the same model range. So if your going to complain that this looks like the DB9 you should complain that the M5 looks like the 550i as well. It's a perfectly valid comparison.

I can see a difference, but the problem is that the cars are still too close together style-wise to determine which one is which. I don't suffer from that problem with any other manafacturer (including Porsche), including the god-awful Ferrari's (which would be from any angle).

I don't with Aston Martins, I can honestly see a clear enough difference between the models they build now to identify them on sight, and at a glance.

In addition, the largest (and pretty much only difference, for that matter) of any note that I can actually see is that the first one (which I'm guessing is the V8) has the lumpy rear-quarter panels, and a longer cut line. Of course, the rear-ends on both cars are nearly identicle, which doesn't help.

If you have to guess the first one is the V8 your either not up on Aston's at all, in which case it'd be like me trying to identify what model Lada that is, I just couldn't. Or your just playing difficult.

 

[Tornado]

Why, it's part of the same model range as the 550i, just like the DB9 and DBRS9 are both part of the same model range. So if your going to complain that this looks like the DB9 you should complain that the M5 looks like the 550i as well. It's a perfectly valid comparison.

That wasn't my point either. This all hangs on what McLaren was trying to say, and if I was right in assuming that he meant all of Aston's models looking alike and not just the DBRS9 compared to the DB9.

If you have to guess the first one is the V8 your either not up on Aston's at all, in which case it'd be like me trying to identify what model Lada that is, I just couldn't. Or your just playing difficult.

Or perhaps they are too similar for me to easily tell them apart. Beleive me, I wasn't being difficult or sarcastic.

 

[Poverty]

Or perhaps they are too similar for me to easily tell them apart. Beleive me, I wasn't being difficult or sarcastic.

Go google the pictures. Its pretty damn easy to tell them apart, and alot easier than some other manufacturers vehicles out there.

 

[Dave A]

That wasn't my point either. This all hangs on what McLaren was trying to say, and if I was right in assuming that he meant all of Aston's models looking alike and not just the DBRS9 compared to the DB9.
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But you've already admitted that the Vanquish is notably different to the DB9 and V8, meaning that it can't be all even in your eye's. Sure they all share thew same theme style wise, but so do Audi's, the difference there, is Audi does a wider variety of cars than just coupe's and convertibles.

As for the looks, I agree with Poverty, the differences are clear as day to me, I've never had trouble differentiating a V8 to a DB9, or a DB9 to a Vanquish or a Vanquish to a V8. You have to remember the V8 is a complelte different shape to the DB9, not just a DB9 but smaller, the wheel arches come out differently, the overhangs are shorter, the roofline is lower in relation to the window line. The main shoulder that runs along the car is different, the V8 has an extra crease along the side of the car, the front lights are a different shape, the face has less intakes and I could go on. These are all things I can spot within seconds of looking at the two cars, I've also had the pleasure of seeing a DB9, V8 and Vanquish side by side in the metal which I will admit, helps but even before then I knew all the differences and could tell them apart easy enough. If you can't tell the difference that simply suggests to me that you arn't all that interested in Aston Martins in general.

 

[Tornado]

Go google the pictures. Its pretty damn easy to tell them apart, and alot easier than some other manufacturers vehicles out there.

Humor me.

I've never had trouble differentiating a V8 to a DB9, or a DB9 to a Vanquish or a Vanquish to a V8. You have to remember the V8 is a complelte different shape to the DB9, not just a DB9 but smaller, the wheel arches come out differently, the overhangs are shorter, the roofline is lower in relation to the window line. The main shoulder that runs along the car is different, the V8 has an extra crease along the side of the car, the front lights are a different shape, the face has less intakes and I could go on.

Okay. Perhaps I look at the overall shape a bit too closely than the details, but they still look strikingly similar in my eyes.

If you can't tell the difference that simply suggests to me that you arn't all that interested in Aston Martins in general.

In theory, and I will concede that I dislike the styling trend the DB9 has, and the V8's very name; completely forgoing my preference to the DB7 and V12 Vanquish. But I hate both the 599GTB and 612 Scaglietti with a passion unparalleled by even the BMW X3, and I can tell them apart easily enough.

 

[Dave A]

Three completlely different models. Are you telling me that if you didn't know what details to look for you could tell which one was which? Theres more of a difference between the AM V8 and DB9 than thoes imo that's for sure.

 

[Tornado]

One need only look at the rear end. And the 3rd image doesn't work.

 

[Dave A]

All three show up the fine for me. But now your splitting hairs, the difference at the back between the V8 and DB9 isn't great, that is true, but the differences at the front and sides are notable. The difference at the back in these Audi's is notable, but the difference from the front and sides isn't, you can't have it both ways, the Astons are different at the front and sides, the Audi's are different at the back. Personally I consider the front and sides to be more important, but I couldn't call you wrong if you though it was the back.

 

[Poverty]

Humor me.

I used tot hink the same about the aston martins, but I think its just a misconception because each of these cars have such clean lines, which is arguably only rivalled by audi. After having seen each aston side by side I can now easily tell the difference. I wouldnt trust my dad who knows next to nothing about modern cars to be able to do the same though, and that goes for porsche and audi aswell.

 

[GT4_Rule]

So it's official then...

Can't wait to see the fianl version.

 

[YSSMAN]

...I'm confused by where this thread has gone in the past few days...

 

[McLaren]

Big problem with including Porsche and Audi. They also build vehicles of DIFFERENT areas.

My problem with Aston is that they build a 2 door coupe that looks the SAME as all the other models. Porsche and Audi do this, but they don't badge a 911, and then make a coupe looking just like it, and call it a V8 Racer or whatever.

My point is that the AMV8 looks like a mini DB9 which looks like a mini Vanquish (sort-of). That's it. No SUVs, or nothing besides ONE Volante.

Porsche doesn't build a 911 bodystyle in 3 different models. That bodystyle STAYS as a 911 in different variants. When Porsche show off a new model, it does not include 911. It includes either Boxster, Cayman, or Cayenne, and guess what. None of these share anything quite similar to a 911 bodystyle. The same goes for Audi.

Aston builds its cars to the same style, and recalls them different mode. Porsche/Audi build the same styles for the SAME model. When they actually have a different model, it becomes a NEW model, with a DIFFERENT bodystyle.

 

[Dave A]

And all the Audi saloons look similar as I showed before, they're just different sizes, saying that's ok because they also build a 4x4 a hatchback and a coupe isn't a valid argument. Anyone remember what the BMW range used to be like. You see them all as similar becasue you look at the cars shape only, like a silhouette, I look at a car and I look at the details and I see plenty in the Aston Martins, the headlights alone easilly distinguish which model is which for me.

 

[harrytuttle]

Also no the V8 and DB9 are not carbon copies of eachother, every single body panel is different, they don't look the same and are easilly identifiable from the different shaped lights, different grille and different stance, the V8 is much more squat than the DB9 while being notcably smaller as well. As for the Vanquish if you can't spot a Vanquish you arn't looking or it's moving past you very, very fast. Yes I do think there is just as much difference between the V8 and the DB9 as there is between the 599 and the 612 imo. I just find it funny that because it's Aston everyone finds it odd that their 3 model range lineup all shares a similar theme style wise, yet with other companies it's excusable.

This is like saying all the late-90's BMW's were totally different. They were, and we here can all tell the difference quite easily, but to the average person on the street the they looked very similar. There's more than a clear family resemblance between the V8 Vantage, DB9, and Vanquish. It's got nothing to do with the fact that all the body panels are different, or the taillights are from different suppliers. It's the proportions and relative location of all the details. The silhouette is nearly the same in each case. Being built on the same VH platform doesn't help, either.

We're not the only ones calling Aston Martin out on this one. Many reviewers are wondering when AM is going to be more adventurous with their design.

Not that this overly-copied shape is bad, of course....