The DB9 Sports Pack’s spring rates were increased by 68 per cent at the front of the car and 64 per cent at the rear. The front anti-roll bar was modified, and the dampers were revised to support the new spring and anti-roll bar characteristics. Together, the changes optimised body control and front-end grip without compromising ride quality or adding weight. The ride height was reduced by 6mm, lowering the car’s centre of gravity and further reducing body roll while leaving ample ground clearance and backed up by modified bump stops.

The composite undertray was also replaced by a load-bearing aluminium panel that performs the same function in managing underbody airflow while adding further structural stiffness, to resist larger lateral loads fed into the front of the car by the uprated front springs and anti-roll bar.

Back in 2004 and Evo magazine was, I think, the only motoring publication critical of the DB9 handling. Well, after driving a 9 with sports pack and they were impressed and completely won over.

Also, I need to add that the Sports Pack wasn’t just available for new cars, it could be retro fitted to any DB9 by official dealers or Works Service.  The Morning Frost car (just below), a rare manual, was taken at the 2007 Geneva Salon. The Sports Pack was not available for the DB9 Volante although the lightweight wheels could be optioned on the car.

In early 2010, AM began to offer the Premium Sports Pack as an option on the coupe and for the first time on the Volante. Premium Sports Pack involved the fitting of the Adaptive Damping System as had been introduced on the DBS. This option was discontinued a few months later when the 2011MY DB9 coupe and Volante had Adaptive Damping fitted as standard.

In some circles, the DB9 Sports Pack was also known as the ‘Sport Dynamic Pack’ or SDP, but this is not the correct factory description – SDP was used to describe the uprated pre ‘S’ V12 Vanquish.