Merc1

The DBS will launch the new Aston Martin era with one hell of a bang. Set to go into production in October, it'll be quicker than any Aston road car before it, thanks to its massaged V-12. It'll weigh about 220 pounds less than a regular DB9. It'll wear a body kit designed to help it slice through the air more cleanly. And it'll introduce high-tech materials and a new upgraded cockpit for the entire DB line.

The ultimate embodiment of the DB9 coupe, the DBS will replace the muscular Vanquish as the flagship Aston Martin, although senior execs struggle to admit it.

"It'll be our halo car and will have superior performance to the now-aged Vanquish," says Aston's Ulrich Bez, before quickly countering: "It's not the Vanquish successor, but another car to raise awareness of the brand." Adds design director Marek Reichman, "The DBS isn't replacing the Vanquish; it's a standalone product based on the DB9."

Guys, stop talking down the DBS. The $260,000 Vanquish goes out of production shortly. The price of the DBS? About the same. And with just 300 cars to be produced each year, the DBS will be as exclusive as, er...the Vanquish. Still, reading between the lines, Bez and Reichman are clearly leaving room for a new Aston supercar to slide in above the DBS at some point in the future.

At least they can stop acting like caring parents protecting their eldest child from a younger, more talented sibling. When the 450-horse DB9 was launched in 2004, it immediately matched the heavier, pricier Vanquish, which needed some nurturing-well a 51-horse boost-to stay on top. But without the need to protect the Vanquish, the DBS is edgier: lighter, louder, and faster.

Is it a track-day car? "Absolutely," says Reichman. But it won't be a stripped-out street racer like Ferrari's 360 Challenge Stradale. "We want an element of luxury, too. It'll still be swathed in carpet, but a carpet made of lighter materials. There'll still be leather and Alcantara." Bez puts it this way: "The DBS is brutal, but dressed in black tie."

A bit like Daniel Craig's edgier, darker, more intense James Bond, then, though Reichman, who started work on the DBS in October 2005, insists the car's crash-and-burn cameo in "Casino Royale" was never on the original agenda. "Part of my brief was to make the DB9 look more edgy, like a tough guy in a dinner suit," he says. " I wanted to convey strength, power, and agility." One month into the design phase, however, the producers of the James Bond films walked into Reichman's studio, and the seeds were sown for Aston's return to the big screen.

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Beemer B773ER

OK.. it's official!! The Am DBS is the best looking piece of automotive machinery on the roads today!!

I've always liked AM's coz they've had that seductively sexy look.. though a part of me has always been yerning for something more sporty, something more 'in your face'... something more aggressive ... and my oh my does the DBS deliver that!


That right there is what my ultimate car would be.... and like I said, the DBS delivers!!

The Emperor

ree

You're absolutely right! And look at this gorgeous interior!

Mirage77

It's pretty amazing to imagine Alex driving in one of these (albeit his is a DB9).

Mirage77

Speechless, I tell you!

El Zorro

Gorgeous car, stunning interior... although I prefer seeing it in a different color... (black, British Racing Green, ...)

Centurion

It is indeed breathtaking. Much more aggressive and exotic than the DB9. I was completely stunned when I saw it last year.