It can be fun to imagine what a future Aston Martin would look like and although it may at first be hard to tell, this is the new 2013 DB9. This DB9 prototype was spotted testing at Nurburgring recently. What is known about the prototype are some minor details such as a central diffuser element, Jaguar-like mesh-grilled hood vents, and revised fascias both front and rear that appear to have more of an airflow-redirecting purpose. For now, the DB9 is heavily camouflaged, so it's hard to pinpoint specific styling changes.

Under the camouflaged hood, Aston Martin will most likely continue to use the standard 6.0-liter V12 engine with an ouput somewhere in the neighborhood of 510hp - a gain of 40hp over the current DB9. Buyers will have the option of either a six-speed manual or a shift-by-wire six -speed automatic. The current DB9 can go from 0-60 mph in just 4.6 seconds and has a top speed of 190 mph. This prototype DB9 was caught testing with supercar rivals such as the Ferrari 599 and Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, so it's quite clear what Aston Martin has set as benchmarks. Photos courtesy of Teamspeed.