The Vanquish is the final evolution of the first truly modern Aston Martin, the DB9, whose aluminum structure and transaxle layout brought the marque firmly into the 21st century. When it was unveiled, the DB9 represented a significant change in direction for Aston Martin. Following the David Brown years, Aston had encountered many financial troubles that often prevented them from devoting the resources to develop innovative new models from the ground up. The DB9 represented the end of this frustrating era and was the first of a completely new generation of Aston Martins, becoming their first truly modern car. With a remarkable aluminum chassis, the DB9 is stronger and 25% lighter than its predecessor. The car is clothed in stunning aluminum and composite bodywork styled by Ian Callum and Henrik Fisker, and is built in an all-new state-of-the-art facility at Gaydon. The powerplant is a 5.9 liter V12 producing 450hp and fabulous exhaust noises. The suspension is equally impressive, with forged aluminum double wishbones and even aluminum damper housings. The gearbox is mounted at the rear via a torque tube with carbon fiber driveshaft. A more aggressive performance variant of the car was produced, called the DBS, which was ultimately replaced by the Vanquish.