Cars - Aston Martin DB7

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	Cars - Aston Martin DB7

The Aston Martin DB7 was a grand tourer made by Aston Martin from September 1994 to December 2003. The grand tourer was available either as a coupé or a convertible, and debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in March, 1993. The six-cylinder DB7 replaced the lower Aston Martin V8 models, placing below the hand-built V8 Virage introduced a few years earlier. The DB7 was the most successful Aston Martin model ever, with more than 7,000 built before it was replaced by the DB9. The DB7 was styled by Ian Callum, and it is widely considered one of the most beautiful and timeless of automotive designs.

Overview

The DB7, known internally as the NPX project, was designed to replace the twenty-year-old Aston Martin V8. It was made mostly with the resources from Jaguar and had the financial backing of the Ford Motor Company, owner of Aston Martin since 1988. The DB7's platform is an evolution of the Jaguar XJS's, though with many changes.

With production of the Virage (soon rechristened V8 Vantage) continuing at Newport Pagnell, a new factory was acquired at Bloxham, Oxfordshire, where every DB7 would be built throughout its production run.

The convertible Volante version was unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in 1996. Both versions have a supercharged straight-6 engine that produced 335 bhp (246 kW). In the United States, the Coupé sold for $140,000, and the Volante for $150,000. Works Service provided a special Driving Dynamics package, which greatly enhanced performance and handling for drivers who wanted more than the standard configuration.

V12 Vantage

In 1999, the more powerful DB7 V12 Vantage was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show. Its 6.0 litre, 48-valve, V12 engine produces 420 bhp (309 kW) and 400 ft·lbf (542 Nm) of torque. It has a compression ratio of 10.3:1. It was available with either a six speed manual or a ZF 5HP30 five speed automatic gearbox. Aston Martin claims it has a top speed of either 185 mph with the manual gearbox or 165 mph with the automatic gearbox, and will accelerate from 0–62 mph (100 km/h) in five seconds. It is 4,962 mm long, 1,830 mm wide, 1,243 mm high, with a weight of 1.8 tonnes.

After the launch of the Vantage, sales of the supercharged straight-6 engine DB7 quickly dried up, and production was ended in mid–1999.

V12 GT and GTA

In 2002, a new variant was launched, named V12 GT or V12 GTA when equipped with an automatic transmission. It was essentially an improved version of the Vantage, its V12 engine producing 435 bhp and 410 ft·lbf of torque. Aesthetically, compared to the Vantage it has a mesh front grille, vents in the bonnet (hood), a boot (trunk) spoiler, an aluminum gear lever, optional carbon fibre trim and new wheels. It also has 355mm front and 330mm rear vented disc brakes made by Brembo.

Special editions

A number of special-edition DB7 cars was built:

DB7 I6
* 1998 Alfred Dunhill Edition — 78 "platinum metallic" cars with a built-in humidor
* 1998 Neiman-Marcus Edition — 10 special black cars for the 1998 Neiman-Marcus Christmas catalog
* 1999 Stratstone Edition — 19 special black cars, 9 coupes and 10 Volantes
* 1998 Beverly Hills Edition — 6 "Midnight Blue", 2 coupes and 4 Volantes
DB7 V12 Vantage
* 2002 Jubilee Limited Edition — 24 "jubilee blue" cars (19 RHD, 5 LHD) to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II
* 2002 Keswick Limited Edition — A small number of "nero daytona black" models
* 2003 Anniversary Edition — 30 (of an announced 100) "slate blue" cars to celebrate the end of DB7 production

Special models

Two special edition variants were made late in the DB7's production run:

Images

Image:Aston Martin DB7 Vantage rear.jpg|DB7 rear Image:Aston Martin DB 7.jpg|DB7 Image:DB7_and_Brooklands.JPG|A DB7 next to a Bentley Brooklands Image:Aston Martin V12 Engine.jpg|DB7 V12 engine

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