Aston Martin DBS V12

DBS V12 at a glance

The DBS is the bridge between the first and second generations of the Aston Martin Vanquish and a close relative of the Aston Martin DB9. All models are listed in the Aston Martin catalogue.

History and the Bond connection

The name DBS had been used before, on the grand tourer of 1967–1972. Aston Martin revived it for a new flagship developed from the DB9. The new car was unveiled at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in August 2007 in a new colour called "Lightning Silver", and deliveries began in the first quarter of 2008.

The public had already seen the car a year earlier. In Casino Royale (2006), Daniel Craig's first film as James Bond, the DBS appears before its official launch; the film cars were prototypes based on DB9 test vehicles. Its only gadget is a safe in the glovebox, and the car is destroyed in a crash during the film. In Quantum of Solace (2008) a DBS in "Quantum Silver" appears in the opening chase around Lake Garda; these were German-specification production cars of the 2009 model year.

Design and lightweight body

The DBS is 2,060 mm wide and rides on 20-inch aluminium wheels with Pirelli P Zero tyres. The car is 4,722 mm long and 1,280 mm high on a 2,741 mm wheelbase.

To save weight, Aston Martin used carbon fibre for the bonnet, the boot lid, the front wings, the door opening surrounds, the boot compartment and even the carpets; the roof and doors are aluminium. The saving over the DB9 is 30 kg. Carbon-ceramic brakes were standard - 398 mm discs with six-piston monobloc calipers at the front and 360 mm discs with four-piston calipers at the rear - and they reduced unsprung weight by 12.5 kg.

The VH platform keeps the heavy components between the axles: according to Wikipedia, about 85% of the car's weight sits between the wheels. An Adaptive Damping System adjusts the suspension, and its settings also change the throttle, braking and steering response.

Engine, gearbox and performance

The engine is the AM08, an all-alloy 5,935 cc V12 with four overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder, built at Aston Martin's engine plant in Cologne, Germany. With a compression ratio of 10.9:1 it produces 380 kW (517 PS) at 6,500 rpm and 570 Nm at 5,750 rpm.

At launch the only gearbox was a six-speed manual in a Graziano transaxle at the rear. In 2008 Aston Martin added the six-speed "Touchtronic 2" automatic, a ZF-based unit also used in the DB9. The automatic coupé weighs 1,765 kg, 70 kg more than the manual.

On the Top Gear test track the DBS lapped in 1:23.9, 3.2 seconds quicker than the Vanquish S and about a second faster than the Bentley Continental Supersports. The fuel tank holds 78 litres, and the US EPA rated consumption at about 20 l/100 km in town and 13 l/100 km on the highway.

Interior and the glass key

The cabin combines carbon fibre, Alcantara, leather, wood, stainless steel and aluminium. The DBS introduced Aston Martin's "Emotion Control Unit", a key made of stainless steel and glass that is used to start the engine.

DBS Volante

The open DBS Volante was unveiled at the Geneva motor show on 3 March 2009, and deliveries began in the third quarter of that year. Its fabric roof folds away in 14 seconds and can be operated at up to 48 km/h. Extra stiffening of the structure raised the kerb weight to 1,810 kg. Wikipedia gives 0–100 km/h in 4.3 seconds and a top speed of 307 km/h. Of the 3,381 DBS cars built, 845 were Volantes.

Special editions

• Carbon Black (2010): offered for both the DBS and the V12 Vantage, in carbon black, orange or grey paint, with the Touchtronic gearbox.
• DBS UB-2010 (2010): named after Dr Ulrich Bez, limited to 20 coupés and 20 Volantes in Azurite Black and unveiled at the 80th Geneva motor show.
• Carbon Edition (2011): the final edition, shown at the Frankfurt motor show as a coupé and a Volante.
• Volante Dragon 88 (2012): 88 cars celebrating the Chinese Year of the Dragon, shown at the Beijing motor show.
• DBS Zagato Centennial: a blue one-off commissioned by a Japanese entrepreneur, shown at the celebration of Aston Martin's centenary in London.

Legacy

The DBS V12 was replaced in 2012 by the second-generation Vanquish, and the name DBS returned in 2018 on the DBS Superleggera, the next V12 flagship. For the full background of the brand, see our Aston Martin history.

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