Aston Martin DBS

After Ford got rid of Aston Martin for what in the end amounted to a quickcash fix, it’s interesting to wonder just what’s going on at Britain’s most prestigious boutique sports car firm. To be truthful, it’s business as usual, building some of the world’s most stunning vehicles. Dr. Ulrich Bez is still at the head of the operation, and the consortium that’s providing the funds are all gearheads. What’s more is that after breaking ties with Henry and Co., they’ve strengthened ties with what might be their key representative - Mr. James Bond.

After a brief hiatus piloting BMW products, James Bond (a new James Bond no less) returned to the home brand of Aston Martin in absolute style. But this wasn’t just any Aston, it was a brand new model we’d never seen before fortifying the Bond brand name with the Aston brand name. After the movie ran its course (and Casino Royale is quite a fine flick, if you’ve not seen it) Aston Martin is finally ready to release details on its new flagship, the DBS. It’s being shown for the first time at Pebble Beach, as well as the major auto show in Frankfurt this September.

Now that the Vanquish has been vanquished, there’s a spot at the top of the Aston Martin lineup that needs filling, and the requirements for the job are power, beauty and soul. That’s a little vague - more precisely, what Aston needs is a car that people will take note of, something that’s powerful, and very rapid. Something that it can proudly compete with against the world’s ultra-GTs, like its key-rival, the Ferrari 599 GTB. Technology therefore is a big part of the new DBS, to the point where it’s on the same plane as style or craftsmanship, two other quintessential Aston Martin traits.

The reality of Aston Martin’s initial investment into the V-H (Vertical-Horizontal) platform is that the new DBS shares a lot with the DB9. There are some key differences, such as that it’s a two-seater rather than a 2+2, and that the DBS is longer, lower and wider. The DBS shares a close profile to the DB9, specifically the glass-work and some of the lights, but the two cars were actually styled by a different person. Marek Reichman filled inthe familiar shape with more muscular details, like the vents on the hood, the ripples on the fenders and the intakes on the lower valance, inspired by Aston Martin’s successes on the racing circuit.

This also explains why the Aston Martin DBS’ interior looks almost identical to the DB9. The dashboard, console and steering wheel is all carried over, which is no real problem since the DB9’s interior is one of the nicest in its class. Instead of the open-pore bamboo that normally trims the DB9, buyers get real carbon fiber, broken only by the Linn hi-fi stereo system’s head unit and the crystal starter button.

All Aston Martins currently employ lightweight aluminum extensively in their construction, but further weight loss was on the bill for the DBS. Most of its body panels, including the hood, fenders, doors, trunk lid and diffuser, are made from lightweight carbon fiber, which all combined shaves 66 whole poundsfrom the weight of the car. A new, optional carbon fiber structure for the seats saves 44 lbs, and the standard Brembo-designed carbon-ceramic brakes shed an extra 27.5 lbs of unsprung mass. This concentrated effort to make the DBS lighter has worked; it weighs some 143 lbs less than what a DB9 weighs, and some 308 lbs less than the final Vanquish S.

As for its suspension, the DBS uses the same hardware supplied by the DB9, with some uprated components. Like Ferrari’s finest grand tourer, the DBS receives an adaptive damping system, developed by Bilstien. It offers five settings to suit the driver’s needs and the conditions of the road or the track that it’s being driven on. Because this two-seater is aimed at the sporting driver, the standard level of suspension tuning is firmer than the DB9. Combined with less weight and better brakes, the DBS could very well be the best-handling road-going Aston Martin ever created.

The DBS uses the same basic engine that the DB9 and the Vanquish S use, but with a couple of minor changes. Aston’s engineers have taken the six-liter V12 and, without changing the displacement, upped output by increasing its compression ratio from 10.3:1 in the DB9 to 10.9:1 in the DBS. Also added is a two-stage variable intake system, although the car does not feature a variable valve timing system. Power gains are substantial over the DB9, with the new model rated at 510 hp versus 450 hp, but the torque rating is the same as before. Compared to the Vanquish S, the DBS makes 10 less horsepower and 5 less lb-ft of torque, but the explanation behind this is that the new engine is capable of meeting the new Euro V emissions standards, whereas the Vanquish S’ engine isn’t.

So, what’ll she do? A lot. The DBS will out-accelerate any Aston currentlyin production, taking just 4.2 seconds to hit 60 mph, and it provides much greater in-gear acceleration. Unlike the Vanquish or the DB9, the DBS reverts back to a traditional six-speed manual gearbox. No sequential manual or automatic transmission will be offered as of yet. Top speed has been pegged at 191 mph by Aston Martin, which seems a little on the low side given its power and aerodynamic shape.

Compared to the Vanquish, which was a groundbreaking technological advancement for Aston Martin DBS and a giant step forward for the brand, the DBS is a slightly more gradual evolution. It looks great, and will no doubt be great to drive, but isn’t it just a little too much like a DB9? Apparently this hasn’t deterred the long list of eager buyers, and although pricing has yet to be announced, for those waiting it’s unlikely to matter. Expect to shell out a lot of money to get into one of these beauties, though it’s been said to cost less than a 599 GTB, though not by much. But then again, this is Britain’s finest sports car. If it’s good enough for Bond, it’s probably good enough for you.

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