2008 Aston Martin DBS

Tough Brit is Ready to Tussle

The first Aston Martin DBS sports cars should start trickling into the U.S. in the first quarter. Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Porsche had better watch out.

After much anticipation, Aston Martin is unleashing a new sports car that is to be the pinnacle of its line-up and one that will snap Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Porsche to attention.

Aston Martin’s 2008 DBS is half racecar, half luxury car — the most extreme vehicle this small British automaker has produced in years.

Aston Martin executives say that this sleek two-seater "bridges the gap" between the company’s DBR9/DBRS9 racecars and the DB9 road car. It walks a fine line between performance and luxury, offering the decadent accoutrements of a luxury car in a lightweight race-inspired structure that keeps it from being too heavy and cumbersome — one of the downsides to the current Aston Martin DB9.

To shed pounds, the new DBS has body panels made of ultra-lightweight carbon fiber — a first for Aston Martin road cars. These include the trunk enclosure, trunk lid, door frames, front fenders, and hood. Together they weigh 66 pounds less than panels made from conventional materials. Carbon Ceramic Matrix (CCM) brakes shave off another 27 pounds.

Aston Martin bonds together the aluminum chassis structure with a high-tech glue to save even more weight while at the same time create one of the most rigid chassis in the auto industry.

Like the bonded chassis, the engine in the DBS is similar to those of the DBR9 and DBRS9 racecars, although the race engines are more powerful. The massive V12 in the road-going DBS makes do with a mere 510 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque. Still, that’s good enough for a top speed of 191 miles per hour and a 0-62 mph sprint of 4.3 seconds.

Erich Merkle, vice president of forecasting at IRN Inc., an automotive consulting firm, says that DBS customers will appreciate the car’s performance value. "With the DB9, it's more of a status symbol, but this is really set to compete with some of the supercars out there," he says. "It's a way to hit that segment of the market who may not have initially put Aston Martin on their shopping list."

Marek Reichman, head of Aston Martin design, says that the DBS is based on existing cars, but was updated to create an aggressive look that’s still very refined. "We wanted to make the DBS look like the equivalent of a tough guy in a dinner suit," he said. "We gave it bigger wheels and widened the front and rear track of the car, which gives it a more muscular appearance than the DB9."

The body panels were sculpted to optimize airflow around the car, which not only reduces aerodynamic drag and boosts top speed, but also helps cool the engine and brakes, Reichman says. All of this is accomplished without massive wings, scoops or splitters so as to preserve that restrained and refined look Aston Martins are known for.

Other race-inspired features on the DBS include a six-speed manual transmission, 20-inch high-performance wheels and tires, and an Adaptive Damping System (ADS), which automatically adjusts the suspension for a softer or stiffer ride depending on driver input. A "Track" mode sets all suspension dampers at their firmest. This variable suspension is another important part of the car that helps create its dual personality.

On the inside, carbon-fiber door trim, as well as lightweight leather and carpet, help offset the weight of gadgets like the 700-watt Dolby Pro Logic II audio system, satellite navigation, and Bluetooth hands-free phone system. Optional carbon-fiber and Kevlar sport seats trim another 44 pounds from the car, but will not be available in North America because they don’t meet safety regulations.

Those concerned with keeping up appearances when not behind the wheel will be delighted by the rectangular paperweight-like device that is inserted into a slot in the center of the start button to enable ignition. But don't even think about calling this stainless steel and sapphire crystal bauble a key. Aston Martin dubs it the Emotion Control Unit (ECU).

"All other carmakers use keys made of plastic," says Kevin Watters, a spokesman for Aston Martin. "We wanted the ECU to look like a fine watch or piece of jewelry." Nobody from Aston Martin could tell us how much a replacement ECU costs, but we imagine that it won’t be cheap — nothing is on Aston Martins.

One accessory inspired by the movie character James Bond, who gave the world its first glimpse of the DBS by driving it in the 2006 feature film Casino Royale, is the handmade Jaeger-LeCoultre Chronograph DBS. This companion wristwatch will have a limited production of 999 black and titanium models, and 200 pink gold models. Pricing for the watches will be about $17,500 and $26,600, respectively.

As for the Aston Martin DBS, approximately 500 examples will be produced this year, with around 35 percent destined for the U.S. It is estimated that the DBS will cost around $262,000.