What you are looking at is the Aston Martin DB9 replacement clad in all its testing camouflage regalia, a low profile attempt to draw attention away from itself. Obviously if you clad your “secret” test car in gaudy camouflage you draw attention to yourself, but this type of camouflage is designed to fool the eye. Aston’s DB9 replacement is scheduled for a 2016 reveal and release, the prototype car was spotted outside Germany’s Nurburgring before resuming full test track duties. The successor to the DB9 will face an uphill struggle, first how do you replace one of the most beautiful looking supercars currently on the market. The DB9, whether its dressed up as the Vanquish derivative or in its native DB9 state still looks as fresh as a daisy. So will Aston go for a Porsche style evolution over revolution design? We reckon its going to be evolution. Aston is expected to debut a twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 engine supplied to it by Mercedes-AMG. Will Merc allow Aston Martin to tweak the engine? Aston will certainly tweak the current V12. The new engine will also see the introduction of Mercedes wrapping Aston Martin in a gradually tight embrace. The two are now partners, Mercedes owns a 5 percent shareholder stake in Aston Martin and has a seat on the board of directors. Important times for Aston Martin, the company is technically surviving to survive and is without the comfort blanket of a major manufacturer to bail itself out of trouble as it once could under full Ford ownership. Aston Martin is owned by a group of venture capital firms, and the best intentions of these type of institutions is to make money quickly and that usually means putting a cap on research & development. The common theory is that Mercedes will one day be in a prime position to make a bid for a full acquisition of Aston Martin, but right now the Germans are laying low.