Aston Martin is busy at work on its next-generation sports-car line, and the first model to market will be the successor to the current DB9 (pictured above).
According to a report from the U.K.’s Autocar magazine, work on the next-gen Aston GT “is well under way” and the car could be unveiled as soon as late 2016 and go on sale by early 2017. The car will ride on an all-new aluminum-intensive architecture and is likely to be offer Mercedes-Benz/AMG V-8 engines as a result of a new partnership finalized late last year.
The DB9 successor will be the first of many Astons to use the flexible new platform and Mercedes-Benz/AMG-based powertrains, although unlike the current crop of AMs, the next-gen lineup will be markedly more distinct and more in line with Ferrari’s stable of exotics, says Autocar. The report also outlines some of the technology that could be shared between Mercedes and Aston Martin, including braking systems, a stereoscopic camera setup for advanced traffic functions, hybrid technology, and more.
The report also says that the huge investment Aston is pouring into its future products is earmarked for sports cars, including successors to the Vantage and Vanquish, but an Aston Martin SUV is not in the mix at this point and the future of the Rapide is hazy.
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Question marks also surround the DB9 successor’s name. The DB- prefix was first applied to Astons by the company’s postwar financial savior, Sir David Brown, and the number following the DB is traditionally retired with each all-new model. Will this one buck the trend and stick with DB9 or be called DB10? Time will tell.
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