Friday 17th August 2007

Aston Martin DBS - the Details Are Out

Now pay attention, 007

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Lovely.

Yes, it’s not like we didn’t see this one coming. Endless shots from the Nurburgring, not to mention Casino Royale, but we were kept in the dark about the details. Well not any more.

The details are out – and the DBS doesn’t look like it’ll disappoint.

In this guise, Aston’s classic 6.0-litre V12 will produce 510bhp at 6500rpm and will deliver 420lb-ft of torque. The DB9 has been slimmed down by 65kg to 1695kg using carbon fibre panels and the result is a 0-62 time of 4.3 seconds and 191mph top speed.

The DBS doesn’t look like it’ll be another sports GT. There’s no laid back semi-auto here.  To deliver that power, there’s a six-speed manual transmission through a limited-slip diff and to haul the beast in, 398mm up front and 360mm at the rear – carbon ceramic, no less.

Nice arse.

Aston Martin’s CEO, Dr Ulrich Bez says the DBS bridges the gap between the DB9 and DBR9.

To give you an idea of the exact focus of the car, the DBS has an Adjustable Damping System that automatically changes the suspension settings for different driving conditions. There’s also a ‘Track’ mode that firms up the dampers and a revised Dynamic Stability Control with two settings: the first relaxes the system to let you explore the car’s limits and the second turns it off completely.

The 20” wheels and Pirelli P-Zero tyres have been specially designed for the DBS.

It’s hard not to compare it with the F430 Scuderia. It too, will come with a computerised system for control (the Manettino switch) and it too has 510bhp – although it weighs 445kg less than the Aston.

Semi-aniline leather and Alcantara in here.

All the sculpted vents that you see in the pictures aren’t just for show. The revised inlets and grills deliver more air into the engine and the carbon fibre splitter and new front bumper channel airflow around the car.

Aston estimates a price of £160,000 and deliveries of the DBS will start at the beginning of 2008. Although if you haven’t already put your name down for one, we expect you might be waiting a while.

 

[LathamJohnP]

£50k+ over the DB9 Sport for ceramic brakes, 1" more wheel rim, a 3.7% reduction in weight and some tweaked electronics.

That makes a GT3RS seem good value.

John

[smele]

£160K. I suppose they have to cover the cost of all those ones that 007 broke.

[Dr S]

They should have done these mods to the AMV8 methinks

[chocolatebruce]

Just think the Vanquish was a similar price and just how different was that to the DB9?

[varsas]

still prefer the vanquish...

also how come the steering wheel's on the wrong side? I know, I know it's done for the americans but it's a british car, it should have the wheel on the right dammit!

Edited by varsas on Friday 17th August 11:37

[NIIKME]

shocking weight difference between that and the 430..

[bobalog]

You can't quantify a car like that in figures... let's see how it drives.
The prodrive AMV8 package seemed hugely overpriced for what you got, but as a package it gave massive improvements.. apparenlty.

[j-j]

Not bad at all... I feel like they could have done a little more though. They really need to REPLACE the Vanquish, rather than hot up the DB9. I guess we just have to wait until 2010...

[cvegas]

This is simply awesome. From cruiser to bruiser. If it sounds anything like the racing version that is reason enough to buy it.

[LathamJohnP]

bobalog said:

You can't quantify a car like that in figures...

Er, how can you quantify something without figures?

[LooseCannon]

They could have integrated the bodykit a bit better. Still the interior is a lot more sporty than the "IKEA" one in the DB9.

[g4ry13]

I'm just confused what market it's targeted at and who it's competitors are. It looks Vanquish price so is this a replacement?

[Bizzle]

I would put money on this actually being really awsome to drive and a massive improvement over the DB9 from a drivers point of view.
I think it looks awsome.

[kambites]

It seems to be a replacement for the Vanquish but aimed at a rather different market - it's a supercar rather than a hugely expensive GT.

[jimbo2792]

how come the steering wheel's on the wrong side? I know, I know it's done for the americans but it's a british car, it should have the wheel on the right dammit!
I'm with you it really pi55es me off.

[Conian]

I wouldn't have one... did ya see the handling of it in the Bond film?
One swerve and it rolled 11 times or something?
Be safer in an A-Class or a Suzuki 4x4.

[jimbo2792]

They actually couldn't roll it. They had to use a hydrolic canon to make it spin.
Also there is a nice video on the Aston Martin website, unfortunatley there is no sound though

[bobalog]

Not performance figures, figures can apply elsewhere £50k, for a small weight reduction and carbon breaks etc. etc. was my point. Numbers don't tell the whole story, and sense, reason and value don't often apply in a £160K car.

[ceriw]

Conian said:

I wouldn't have one... did ya see the handling of it in the Bond film?
One swerve and it rolled 11 times or something?
Be safer in an A-Class or a Suzuki 4x4.

yes, pretty lame driving by oo7 there.. obviously not paying much attention to the road ahead etc... maybe he thought the bird was a sleeping policeman?... (there was one of them in the news recently- gave it a whole new meaning!)

[markomah]

Don't like the looks - appears to have an aftermarket bodykit glued on.

M