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There does appear to have been an especially long
wait from the first announcement of the DBS and the unveiling of the actual
production car. Announced in January 2006, AM were forced to show pictures in
May 2006 to stifle damaging spy shots. James Bond was seen to drive his DBS in
November 2006 but their was no sign of the car in the showroom. Perhaps AM
just wanted to properly phase out the Vanquish before offering a new 'hero' car or
wanted as much testing time as possible on the Nürburgring to perfect the 'DBS'. By the Summer of 2007, everyone was focussed on
the September Frankfurt Motor Show but then from nowhere, AM used the Pebble
Beach Concours d'Elegance in Monterey, CA in August 2007 to showcase the
car. Excellent choice as AM were one of the featured marques at this most
prestigious event in the classic car world.
From what I can see, externally, the DBS is
exactly the same as the version seen in Casino Royale; much like a DB9 on which
it is closely based but with considerably more menace. The V12 engine has been tuned to produce 510bhp @
6500 rpm and 420 lb ft of torque at 5750rpm when coupled to a close
ratio 6-speed gearbox results in a top speed of 191 mph and 0-60 dash in 4.3
seconds. I don't really like to mention this, but peak power and top-end
performance are just a shade behind the outgoing Vanquish S. At launch, the DBS
was only available with a conventional
gear stick and three pedals although Touchtronic 2 was available from late 2008. For the first time on an Aston road car, the DBS
has vented carbon ceramic brakes: 398mm diameter six pot at the front, 360mm
four pot at the back. Another first for an Aston are the carbonfibre
composite body panels which are used for the boot enclosure, boot lid, door
opening surrounds, front wings and bonnet, together offering a 30kg saving over
the aluminium equivalent. On top of the carbon weave, a patented Surface Veil
process is used that applies a 200 micron layer of epoxy and glass to give the
ultra smooth finish expected on an Aston.
Overall, the weight of the two-seat only DBS is 65kg lower than the DB9; by
specifying the Kevlar and carbon-fibre optional seats (not available in the USA)
provides a further weight saving of 20kg. The interior leather is lighter weight
semi-aniline and even the carpets have been made of a lighter weight fibre. The conventional key has been ditched in the DBS
and replaced by a polished sapphire ECU that is inserted into a slot in the
starter button. The centre console has been changed with a cast metal surround,
new graphics and turned aluminium heater knobs.
Initially at the launch no price was given,
but later in the year it was announced that the DBS would start at £161,147 in
the UK. Deliveries began in
the very early part of 2008. Initially back in '06 I understood that the numbers
of DBS built could be limited to make it a 'special edition' but this now appears not to be the case. |
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Rumours of a watch used to open and close the DBS became reality
when fine watch manufacturer, Jaeger-LeCoultre announced the introduction of the
18 carat pink gold
AMVOX2 DBS Transponder. Only available to DBS owners through AM dealers, the watch can be used to both lock and unlock the car
when the wearer is in close proximity to the car by pressing on the pressure
sensitive sapphire crystal watch glass.
For the 2009MY, AM introduced as a
£2000 option, the Touchtronic 2 transmission from the DB9 perhaps in response to demand
from the US market where true manual cars are a rarity. Also made optional were
lightweight occasional rear seats. In addition, the DBS will now be fitted as
standard with bespoke
Bang &
Olufsen audio equipment featuring rather unusual speakers that rise out of
the top roll on the dash. Another option is the introduction of a new 10 spoke
20 inch lightweight wheel offering a 2kg per wheel reduction in unsprung mass.
Pictures of a 2009 car below were taken at the Geneva Salon, a 2+2 touchtronic
example.
I must point out that AM market this
car as a DBS but, for historic classification by the Aston Martin Heritage
Trust, this model should be known as the DBS V12 to differentiate it from the 6
cylinder model of the same name introduced in the 1967. |
