Aston Martin DB9 / DB9 Volante V12: enhancing the naturally aspirated V12, the complete guide

The Aston Martin naturally aspirated V12: one of the most beautiful voices in motoring

The naturally aspirated V12 in your DB9 V12 is unanimously considered one of the most beautiful sounds ever produced: twelve cylinders, a silky climb that turns into a scream, mechanical refinement from another era. These engines will never be built again, and their values reflect it. The elegant factory exhaust remains calibrated for grand touring discretion: the V12 has much more to offer.

The Rog exhaust reveals it: the high harmonics are freed, the crescendo becomes unforgettable, and the valves give you back hushed refinement on demand. On a naturally aspirated V12, it is the modification that changes everything.

What makes up the exhaust on your Aston Martin DB9 / DB9 Volante V12

An exhaust system is best understood in two parts. Here is what each one does, and what Rog replaces.

Your Aston Martin DB9 / DB9 Volante V12 in figures

On a modern car, an exhaust system first changes the voice, the breathing and the weight at the rear. Power, on the other hand, comes from an ECU remap.

Published factory figures.

Our exhaust systems work perfectly with or without an ECU remap. On your Aston Martin DB9 / DB9 Volante V12, however, we recommend having it done at an approved tuning centre: it is what lets the engine reach its full potential.

Let's be honest, it is our trademark: on a naturally aspirated V12, the measurable gains from an exhaust remain modest. What changes is the breathing, the response and, above all, an entirely new dimension of sound. You do not modify an Aston V12 for lap times: you do it for what you hear.

Configuring your exhaust, step by step

4 choices, in the same order as the product page configurator.

1. 1

   Step 1 of 4: Material: stainless steel or titanium

   Titanium costs more than stainless steel; the price of each version is shown on the product page, in your currency.

   304 stainless steel

   Weight

   Baseline

   Sound

   Full and rounded

   The benchmark for high-end exhausts: tough, corrosion-proof, with a full, rounded sound. The choice of most of our customers.

   Titanium

   Weight

   Around 40% lighter

   Sound

   Metallic, crystal-clear

   Around 40% lighter than stainless steel for the same design, with a more metallic sound that turns crystal-clear at high revs. Its finish ranges from brushed to blued tints.

   Over time, both hold up: 304 stainless steel stands up to winter salt and damp, and titanium does not rust. Stainless steel or titanium: what really changes.

2. 2

   Step 2 of 4: Front section: manifolds and catalytic converter

   Optional: the manifolds on your Aston Martin DB9 / DB9 Volante V12, with their catalytic converter. Sound intensity is rated on our scale of 0 to 10, valves open; the factory exhaust scores 3.

   Cat-back only

   Included

   7/10

   Factory emissions control

   The factory catalytic converter stays in place. The starting point and, for many of our customers, more than enough.

   200-cell sports catalytic converter

   8/10

   Road use and inspection

   Emissions control is still very much there, and flow improves noticeably. The choice for everyday driving.

   100-cell sports catalytic converter

   9/10

   Inspection: depends on local rules

   Half as many cells: flow comes close to a decat and the sound gains real aggression at high revs.

   Decat

   10/10

   Track use

   No emissions control: maximum flow, raw sound, the sharpest revving.

   Sound intensity, on a scale of 0 to 10

   1. 10/10Decat manifolds + Rog cat-back
   2. 9/10100-cell sports catalytic converter + Rog cat-back
   3. 8/10200-cell sports catalytic converter + Rog cat-back
   4. 7/10Rog cat-back only, factory catalytic converter retained
   5. 3/10Factory exhaust, for comparison

   Valves open. With the valves closed, every configuration becomes discreet again.

   What about the engine warning light? With a sports cat, it can come on with some engines: the sensor placed after the catalytic converter measures a different level of emissions control from the original. It is not a mechanical failure, but a warning light should never be masked or cleared without dealing with its cause: the right answer is a catalytic converter suited to the engine, with a map by a tuner who takes it into account. The decat version, for track use only, almost always triggers it. If this happens to you, write to us and we will point you in the right direction. Passing vehicle inspection with a sports exhaust.

3. 3

   Step 3 of 4: Valves: Rog remote or factory control

   Two ways to control the valves on your Aston Martin DB9 / DB9 Volante V12.

   Rog remote

   

   A small control unit fits in the boot. Two buttons, open and closed: the valves respond at any moment, whatever the drive mode. Simple to fit, and we stay on hand throughout the installation.

   Factory control

   • Only for vehicles fitted with factory valves
   • Controlled by the drive modes

   If your vehicle is fitted with factory valves, the exhaust keeps their existing control. The drive modes decide, just as they did from the factory, with no added electronics.

   On the motorway, with the valves closed, the gases pass through the silencer, designed for cruising: no drone at a steady speed. You open up when you feel like it, not when the motorway decides for you. More about exhaust drone.

4. 4

   Step 4 of 4: Tips: the visual signature

   Match the tips to the style of your Aston Martin DB9 / DB9 Volante V12, understated or bold. A particular finish in mind? Send us a photo and we will look at it together.

   • Chrome
   • Gloss black
   • Blued titanium

   

The Rog sound signature on the V12

The Aston naturally aspirated V12 has a voice the whole world recognises: silky when cruising, screaming and crystalline through the revs. Our exhaust frees the high harmonics the factory system holds back, and turns every climb through the revs into an event. With the valves closed, the grand touring refinement is intact.

From order to fitting

1. Configuration

   You choose your exhaust and enter your VIN, found in box E of your registration document or at the base of the windscreen.

2. Check

   We check compatibility with your VIN before manufacturing begins.

3. Manufacturing

   Your exhaust is made to order, for your car.

4. Delivery

   Free, insured to your door, tracked from dispatch.

5. Fitting

   No welding or cutting: clamps and gaskets, around two hours on a lift.

20 working days from order confirmation to delivery

Warranty

3 years, parts and workmanship, from the date of purchase

Payment

Card, PayPal or bank transfer

Installation

At the garage of your choice

What about the manufacturer's warranty on your Aston Martin DB9 / DB9 Volante V12? In Europe, a manufacturer cannot refuse warranty cover simply because a part from another brand has been fitted: it has to prove that the fault comes from that part. Our article on the manufacturer's warranty.

Our recommendations for your Aston Martin DB9 / DB9 Volante V12

• Daily driving

  • Stainless
  • Cat-back only
  • Rog remote

  Your Aston Martin DB9 / DB9 Volante V12 stays easy to live with, the factory emissions control is retained, and you open the valves whenever you decide.

  View this configuration

• Fast road

  • Titanium
  • 200-cell manifolds
  • ECU remap

  More sound, more breathing, and a car you can still present at vehicle inspection.

  View this configuration

• Track

  • Titanium
  • Decat manifolds
  • Stage 2

  The most extreme configuration, for track use only.

  View this configuration

And if you are still unsure, that is perfectly normal: it is exactly why we answer every message.

Aston Martin DB9 / DB9 Volante V12: your questions

Further reading

• All Aston Martin exhaust systems
• Aston Martin DB11 V12 5.2
• Aston Martin DB11 / DB11 Volante V8 4.0
• Aston Martin DB12 / DB12 Volante V8 4.0
• Exhaust diameter: bigger does not mean more powerful
• How to pass vehicle inspection with a modified exhaust
• Stainless steel or titanium: what really changes
• The 28 brands we cover