Aston Martin DBS

THE DBS flies the flag for Britain in the battle of the world’s most desirable sports cars, and represented the pinnacle of the Aston model line-up when it was launched in 2008. 

It’s powered by the same 6.0-litre V12 as the Rapide and DB9, but the engine has been tuned to produce 510bhp. And thanks to the use of composite and aluminium components in its construction, the DBS is 30kg lighter than the DB9 on which it’s based.

But it’s the gorgeous looks that really set the DBS apart. It strikes a great balance between style and aggression, with the intricate front bumper, bulging wheelarches and motorsport-inspired rear diffuser beautifully incorporated into the flowing DB9 bodywork. 

The DBS takes its inspiration from the DBR9 that won the GT1 class at the Le Mans 24 Hours in both 2007 and 2008, and had a starring role in the first Daniel Craig Bond movie, Casino Royale. However, the car met a sticky on-screen end after a spectacular stunt saw it roll seven times!

The DBS was the first Aston to feature the now trademark sapphire-topped key – dubbed ‘Emotional Control Unit’ – and pressing it and hearing the V12 engine fire into life really does stir the soul… The starter whirls for a second before the mighty engine burbles into life. It’s pretty tame at low revs, but once above 3,000rpm it erupts into a gorgeous bark.

The chassis is engaging, too, with accurate steering and lots of feedback – it feels truly alive from behind the wheel. The adaptive damping set-up provides two suspension settings. In Comfort mode it serves up a compliant ride for such a focused machine, while switching to the Sport setting stiffens the suspension and sharpens throttle responses. 

To make sure it has plenty of stopping power, ceramic brakes are standard. Their lightweight construction reduces unsprung weight, which improves steering feedback and helps the suspension do its job more effectively.  In a straight fight, the DBS isn’t a match for the latest generation of similarly priced mid-engined supercars, but then it’s not really trying to be. Instead, the DBS is more of a grand tourer with a racy alter ego. And with an open-top Volante model also in the line-up, this Aston is as desirable as ever.
* Price: £170,500

* Engine: 6.0-litre V12

* Power/torque: 510bhp/570Nm

* Transmission: Six-speed manual or six-speed Touchtronic auto

* 0-62mph/top speed: 4.3 seconds/191mph