DBS Superleggera configurator goes live
Buyer beware, configurators for 725hp super GTs can be addictive
A shiny new digital configurator has been launched for the Aston Martin DBS Superleggera, which, if you haven't been paying attention, is the fastest and most hardcore machine yet produced by the 105-year-old firm - so it's obviously worth sacrificing the rest of your working day for. Even if the configurator is a bit clunky.
Available to order from £225,000 before deliveries kick-off in the autumn, Aston's two-door GT uses the company's blown 5.2-litre V12 although it's been uprated to produce 725hp at 6500rpm and 664lb ft from 1800rpm, which is enough propel the DBS to 62mph in 3.4sec and onto a top speed of 211mph. Figures that slot it firmly into Ferrari 812 Superfast territory.
The DBS comes draped in carbonfibre bodywork shaped to work the air hard and gives the Superleggera - used in reference to the Italian coachbuilder rather than the car's weight - all the ingredients of a proper supercar. Ok, so at 1693kg you'd be hard pressed to call this a featherweight, but it is 72kg lighter than the DB11, and that doesn't exactly feel chubby.
With big power comes big options, and in the case of this GT, there's a palette with dark, classic colours including the gorgeous Hyper Red of the car first revealed last month, as well as shades so vibrant they'd likely melt a TDI Audi A4 (see Lime Essence). There's also carbonfibre trim offered on almost every panel and a full Alcantara-trimmed interior, really emphasising that this is a proper performance Aston - one built with Maranello's buyers in mind.
Six forged wheel designs are offered, all in 21-inch format so there's no risk of picking a wheel size not tailored to the car's double wishbones (front) and multi-link suspension (rear) suspension with adaptive damping. The car's carbon ceramic brakes are also pinched by calipers that can be finished in shades ranging from black to orange, although we'd opt for the bronze.
With such a range of options, particularly in the cabin, it does leave the door open to some pretty vulgar designs, some perfectly suited to garnering attention on the Brompton Road. You could spec yellow leather seats with yellow rooflining for example, or you could remember that this is a £215k Aston Martin and therefore more synonymous with tuxedo-wearing secret agents than Harrod's front doors.
Alternatively, you might think Aston's most extreme model deserves an extreme finish to go with - and Aston would certainly argue that its 725hp super GT can pull off any look without seeming sacrilegious. Over to you.
Sam Sheehan
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