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| 08 Aston Martin DBS |
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08 Aston Martin DBS
MSRP $262,000
The Aston Martin DBS is the storied British automaker's flagship sports car. A high-performance two-seat version of the already extremely capable DB9, this V12-powered vehicular star of the James Bond films Casino Royale and the upcoming Quantum of Solace is one of the fleetest production cars in the world, with seductive looks and lavish interior appointments to boot. Only the deepest-pocketed consumers could even consider procuring one, but there's no denying the powerful allure of the DBS, even when stacked up against its formidable competitors. Few, if any, cars on the road today can match this über-Aston's combination of dashing style, opulent luxury and ferocious V12 vigor -- just ask 007.
Current Aston Martin DBS
The Aston Martin DBS exotic sports car debuted for the 2008 model year. It offers seating for two passengers and a veritable smorgasbord of high-end standard features, among them massive alloy wheels, an electronically adjustable active suspension, carbon ceramic disc brakes, xenon headlights, front and rear parking sensors, automatic climate control, leather and Alcantara upholstery, power heated seats, an Alcantara headliner, Bluetooth, a hard-drive-based navigation system and a premium sound system with in-dash six-CD changer and iPod integration. The options list includes satellite radio and various aesthetic upgrades.
In the engine room, the rear-wheel-drive DBS sports a fire-breathing, hand-built 6.0-liter V12 that generates 510 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque -- 60 hp more than the DB9, which employs a lesser version of the same engine. (Torque is unchanged.) A six-speed manual gearbox is mandatory on this performance-oriented model, whose 3,737-pound curb weight is nearly 150 pounds less than the DB9.
Remarkably, the DBS's engine output actually isn't as impressive as it sounds in today's horsepower-crazed marketplace -- there are cars available for a fraction of the Aston's lofty price that generate comparable power numbers. But the exotic sounds the DBS emanates under full (or for that matter, partial) throttle are sufficiently intoxicating to render such numbers meaningless. For the record, the DBS will sprint to 60 mph in a shade over 4 seconds, so the stopwatch-crazed should be satisfied as well. Top speed comes in at a world-class 191 mph -- another numerical feather in the Aston's cap.
In road testing, our editors have generally been smitten with the Aston Martin DBS. At civilized speeds, its advanced suspension yields an amazingly compliant ride, road noise is admirably hushed and the luxurious leather-lined interior seems fit for royalty. Yet the harder you push the car on straights and through corners, the more buttoned-down it feels, remaining flat and composed through all but the most demanding stretches of pavement. Granted, the DBS doesn't afford the razor's-edge performance of, say, a Ferrari 599, and its light steering is something of a disappointment. However, it more than makes up for those slight deficits by providing a genuinely livable ride/handling balance -- and drop-dead-gorgeous styling.
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