Report: DB9 replacement expected in 18 months, will feature V12 and manual transmission

The next two years are set to be exciting ones at Aston Martin. We’ve already known for over a year now that the famed British marque will eventually be sharing engines with Mercedes-AMG. And the new DB10, which was developed to feature in the upcoming James Bond film, Spectre, has offered a glimpse into the future design direction of the brand. CEO Andy Palmer recently sat down with Car and Driver and offered up a timeframe for when we might be able to expect the company’s next projects.

According to the CEO, the gracefully-aging DB9 has just a year-and-a-half before it’s axed in favor of a successor. The replacement, however, will not be powered by a German V8. Rather, Aston is reworking their current V12 for that car. Thankfully, in this world of efficiency, downsizing, and forced induction, it’s reassuring to know there’s still somewhere to turn for old-school, naturally-aspirated British fun. What’s more, the company will continue to offer tried-and-true manual gearboxes with their next-generation offerings – even mated to the AMG mill.

Speaking of which, what about that V8? Palmer says the Vantage replacement, expected to launch in two years, will get Mercedes’ new twin-turbocharged powerplant. The partnership with Stuttgart also includes the company’s suite of advanced electronics systems, which could include autonomous tech down the line.

Palmer says that the new DB9 and Vantage will accompany a production version of the all-electric DBX announced at Geneva, and ultimately a Lagonda sub-brand to compete with the likes of Rolls-Royce and Bentley. The DBX will ensure that Aston can comply with fleet emissions regulations and continue to produce a V12, while in the long-term Lagonda will eventually help the automaker ramp up yearly production to 7,000 units, up from the current 4,000. Although the CEO admits that downsizing and hybridization are “an inevitability” at some point, you can rest assured that, at least for the moment, Palmer’s got your fix.

– By: Adam Ismail

Source: CARandDRIVER

Chris Chin

Chris Chin is the Editor-In-Chief of egmCarTech and is a regular contributor to Automobile Magazine.

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