The Aston Martin DB9 will return largely unchanged for this model year with respect to its appearance, but 2007 begins a new era for the British automaker. Aston Martin has revolutionized its production process, relocating to a new technologically advanced assembly plant in Gaydon, England. Like many of the products from the exclusive British marques, Aston Martin cars are individually handcrafted. While the new DB9 looks very similar to the the previous DB7, Aston Martin touts the car as "new from the ground up." Both the coupe and the Volante convertible variation are built upon a special new chassis, specifically created for GT performance, which uses an incredibly light bonded aluminum construction. Other panels and parts are built from the same aluminum, or in some cases, lightweight magnesium alloy. The result is a remarkably light weight weight for this well-equipped V12-powered sports car. The two available models are the DB9 coupe and DB9 Volante convertible. Each is powered by a 6.0-liter, all-aluminum V12 that produces 450 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque. The DB weighs just over 3,700 pounds, and boasts one of the highest power-to-weight ratios in its very exclusive class. Both DBs can be had with six-speed automatic or six-speed manual transmission. The automatic transmission version gets steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters. The most direct competitor for the DB9 is probably the Bentley Continental GT. The Mercedes SL is far more affordable.