DBS Carbon Edition

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Discussion

George H

Original Poster:

14,707 posts

165 months

Monday 12th September 2011
quotequote all
Revealed at the Frankfurt motor show.


http://site.astonmartin.com/eng/thecompany/news?a=...
http://www.astonmartin.com/cars/dbs-carbon-edition...

Seems a bit pointless to me, although the Flame Orange is a fantastic colour.

Edited by George H on Monday 12th September 17:40

yeti

10,523 posts

276 months

Monday 12th September 2011
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Sweet Jeebus, £200k for the Volante!

Seems like a regular DBS with a carbon finish dash... Meh.

Colour is ace though!

Jockman

17,917 posts

161 months

Monday 12th September 2011
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Nice colours on an absolute monster car.

Price is not excessively more expensive than standard, considering the amount of charcoal, sorry, carbon they are throwing in.

TT2 only, so perhaps the demise of the Manual DBS is on the cards.

Wonder if they will continue offering a 2 + 0 seating arrangement on the coupe only smile

George H

Original Poster:

14,707 posts

165 months

Monday 12th September 2011
quotequote all
I have to agree, vastly overpriced.

I'll take a standard Volante over this. Not a fan of the black alloys, black grill, or smoked rear lights. Or the carbon bits in the interior. But I do love that colour, something about Aston's in orange, just works extremely well.

Jockman said:
Wonder if they will continue offering a 2 + 0 seating arrangement on the coupe only smile
That is only with the lightweight seat option isn't it?

Edited by George H on Monday 12th September 19:24

Jockman

17,917 posts

161 months

Monday 12th September 2011
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George H said:
That is only with the lightweight seat option isn't it?
No idea Georgeous, though it was on my DBS prodrive on Saturday. I think my seats were indeed lightweight but definitely not deep bucket seats. Bit wierd really since the seat hubs are still there but no leather seats, just a parcel shelf bracket at the foot of each hub.

Obviously unavailable on volantes smile

George H

Original Poster:

14,707 posts

165 months

Monday 12th September 2011
quotequote all
Jockman said:
No idea Georgeous, though it was on my DBS prodrive on Saturday. I think my seats were indeed lightweight but definitely not deep bucket seats. Bit wierd really since the seat hubs are still there but no leather seats, just a parcel shelf bracket at the foot of each hub.

Obviously unavailable on volantes smile
Is it a no cost option? Does it save any weight, or in fact serve any purpose?

If you have to pay for it, may as well get the 2+2. Judging by Vanquish prices, 2+2 seem to command a bit of a premium. Would seem silly not to go for it really, despite them being pretty much completely unusable.

Jockman

17,917 posts

161 months

Monday 12th September 2011
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George H said:
Is it a no cost option? Does it save any weight, or in fact serve any purpose?

I assume so...I assume so...some would argue that they serve as much purpose as the 2+2 version.

I much prefer having the seats. smile

DB9VolanteDriver

2,614 posts

177 months

Monday 12th September 2011
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The 2+0 is available with the standard electric seats and in fact this was the only configuration available on the coupe early on.

To me, the car looks so much nicer inside in the 2+0 configuration (has nice 'mood' lighting over the parcel area) and doesn't pretend to offer two xtra seating positions that can't be used. The other problem is that the plus 2 seats have the original design that matches the original seats that came in the DB9 at introduction. So when you look at an early 4 seat DB9 Volante, everything matches design wise. When they changed the DB9 seats in 2007, they just didn't bother to change the design of the rear seats to match the fronts. So now you've got seats that don't match front and rear...very poor in my opinion.

Take a good look, see if you agree...

Colesie

83 posts

158 months

Monday 12th September 2011
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Aston Martin said:
A first for Aston Martin is the option to specify a satin lacquer paint finish, creating a silk-like texture.
Anyone else notice this? Don't like the sound of it much.

Not sure about that CF dash in a DB, but I quite fancy it in the V12V to match the door bars. I wonder how much that would cost for a retrofit?

DB9VolanteDriver

2,614 posts

177 months

Monday 12th September 2011
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Colesie said:
Anyone else notice this? Don't like the sound of it much.

Not sure about that CF dash in a DB, but I quite fancy it in the V12V to match the door bars. I wonder how much that would cost for a retrofit?
Well if you think it would look good on a V12V, then why not the DBS? They both have the CF door pulls.

And to be clear, it's the fascia/console trim that's CF, not the 'dash'. To me, those are very different areas.

Speedraser

1,657 posts

184 months

Tuesday 13th September 2011
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Why, oh WHY, is it apparently auto-only??? Why not let the buyer choose a manual 'box if he (or she) wants it??? It's an Aston Martin, for crying out loud -- being able to choose one's spec is part of the appeal, and the gearbox is such an important part of the car.

JohnG1

3,472 posts

206 months

Tuesday 13th September 2011
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DB9VolanteDriver said:
Well if you think it would look good on a V12V, then why not the DBS? They both have the CF door pulls.
Really? The bit that actually moves on my V12V is not CF...

CIE560

18,810 posts

194 months

Tuesday 13th September 2011
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To be honest they could have a 'Graffiti' DBS Edition covered in all kinds of crap and I'd still want it.

I can't explain how beautiful I think the DBS is... one day.........

George H

Original Poster:

14,707 posts

165 months

Tuesday 13th September 2011
quotequote all
Speedraser said:
Why, oh WHY, is it apparently auto-only??? Why not let the buyer choose a manual 'box if he (or she) wants it??? It's an Aston Martin, for crying out loud -- being able to choose one's spec is part of the appeal, and the gearbox is such an important part of the car.
I would guess it is down to emmisions. Easier to maniuplate the tests when using an auto as opposed to a manual. Plus, how many DB9/DBS manuals are sold compared to the TT2. I would guess about 5-10% manuals?

DB9VolanteDriver

2,614 posts

177 months

Tuesday 13th September 2011
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JohnG1 said:
DB9VolanteDriver said:
Well if you think it would look good on a V12V, then why not the DBS? They both have the CF door pulls.
Really? The bit that actually moves on my V12V is not CF...
Not the lever (the part that moves), the pull (the part you use to close the door).

Speedraser

1,657 posts

184 months

Thursday 15th September 2011
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George H said:
I would guess it is down to emmisions. Easier to maniuplate the tests when using an auto as opposed to a manual. Plus, how many DB9/DBS manuals are sold compared to the TT2. I would guess about 5-10% manuals?
That shouldn't matter at all, though -- since the DBS is available with a manual, it has already been through the certification process with both transmissions. "Special Edition" status does not require any further testing. FWIW, I'm told that in the northeast US (where I live), manual 'boxes in the DBS still sell well (whereas a manual DB9 is quite rare -- in that 5-10% range). The V8V, unsurprisingly, also sells very well with gear lever and clutch pedal.

George H

Original Poster:

14,707 posts

165 months

Thursday 15th September 2011
quotequote all
Speedraser said:
That shouldn't matter at all, though -- since the DBS is available with a manual, it has already been through the certification process with both transmissions. "Special Edition" status does not require any further testing. FWIW, I'm told that in the northeast US (where I live), manual 'boxes in the DBS still sell well (whereas a manual DB9 is quite rare -- in that 5-10% range). The V8V, unsurprisingly, also sells very well with gear lever and clutch pedal.
I didn't mean testing it again, I meant companies average emmisions through sales. I.e. trying to reduce them by not offering the more polluting gearbox option.

I suspect, as Jockman said, that it is the beginning of the demise of the manual gearbox. I wouldn't be surprised to see the new DBS doesn't even have the option.

Speedraser

1,657 posts

184 months

Friday 16th September 2011
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The difference is quite small, though, and in any event the figures are nowhere near low anyway. It would also be a complete absurdity since the difference in the official emissions between the 'boxes is due to the way the tests are conducted rather than actual differences between what the cars produce.

JohnG1

3,472 posts

206 months

Friday 16th September 2011
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Speedraser said:
The difference is quite small, though, and in any event the figures are nowhere near low anyway. It would also be a complete absurdity since the difference in the official emissions between the 'boxes is due to the way the tests are conducted rather than actual differences between what the cars produce.
When did legislators let the real world get in the way of some nonsense rules and regulations?

I am driving a 911 turbo with a pdk box at the moment. In standard settings at 31mph you are in 5th gear. Switch to sport+ mode and you'll still be in first gear.

In standard settings you can be overtaken by a hot hatch. But it gives great mpg.

All nonsense, all irrelevant to the environment and the real world. I will now remove my rant hat and relax wink

George H

Original Poster:

14,707 posts

165 months

Friday 16th September 2011
quotequote all
JohnG1 said:
I am driving a 911 turbo with a pdk box at the moment. In standard settings at 31mph you are in 5th gear. Switch to sport+ mode and you'll still be in first gear.

In standard settings you can be overtaken by a hot hatch. But it gives great mpg.
What exactly do you mean by great mpg? Is that comparable to a V12V, or a normal car? hehe