2005 Aston Martin DBR9 Pictures, Specifications, Information

Aston Martin Racing unveiled the DBR9 in late 2004, which spearheaded the British marque’s return to international motor racing in 2005.

The car was shown to a selected audience for the first time on 4th November 2004 at Aston Martin’s headquarters at Gaydon in the UK.

The DBR9 GT racing car is based on the latest Aston Martin production sports car - the DB9 - but is significantly modified for competition use. The DB9’s bonded-aluminium body architecture is shared with the DBR9 and provides both with a lightweight rigid chassis. The race engine uses the same aluminium cylinder block and head as the DB9’s 450bhp 6-litre V12 unit, but with racing modification it is expected to produce in the region of 600 bhp.

The DB9’s double wishbone suspension configuration is retained on the DBR9, but features up-rated components and a revised geometry for racing purposes. Formula One style carbon brakes are fitted front and rear and a competition, six-speed sequential gearbox is mounted at the rear axle.

The DBR9 was styled by Aston Martin Racing’s own design team who made extensive use of Computational Fluid Dynamics to optimise the aerodynamics before producing the final body surface. The panels are hand made from carbon-fibre composite, helping the car to meet its 1,100kg minimum weight and giving it a power to weight ratio of 550bhp per tonne - more than double that of the road car.

The DBR9 was victorious in its debut at the 2005 12 Hours of Sebring. It raced succesfully in the 2005 FIA GT and ALMS seasons.