Aston Martin's DBS is an envy-magnet on wheels, writes Craig Donaldson
"Only God could produce a better car," drooled my Brit Aston Martin-mad friend in the passenger seat, enthusiastically expressing his admiration of the car as he traced his envious little fingers over the piano black interior facia trim. "It's allll class, innit?"
A lot of luxury and prestige sports car manufacturers ham up the PR for their latest models, churning out all sorts of guff that may or may not be true to encourage potential buyers to part with their money. But, in the case of the DBS, everything Aston Martin says about it is right on the money.
The DBS is a sexy supermodel among supercars. Lower and tauter than other Aston Martin production models, the DBS boasts a number of visual enhancements such as subtly flared wheel arches accommodating standard 20" diameter wheels and tyres, a new front bumper design to help channel airflow around the car's wider bodywork, a widened front and rear track to improve handling and give the car a more muscular character, and a redesigned iconic Aston Martin side strake incorporating a bank of LED lights for indicators.
These visual improvements conspire to create the most beautiful form on wheels. It is this design that attracts plenty of attention, ranging from numerous respectful nods of the head coupled with a "Nice car, mate" to more creative expressions of admiration, such as the awe-struck "Phwooar!", the wide-eyed "That car is sex-on-wheels!" and the observationally learned "That is car porn!" Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and many eyes are indeed beholden to the DBS.
This beauty extends in both form and functionality to the interior, with an understated but classy elegance. On the form front, the centre console, for example, comes with a cast metal surround, crisp typography and new graphics, while the traditional dial-face clock in the centre is flanked by two rotary controls for the heating and air-conditioning system, fashioned from solid, turned aluminium. Lovely.
On the function front, Aston Martin says the DBS represents the epitome of its commitment to using materials honestly, without disguise or embellishment. Lightweight materials are used throughout the interior; door pulls are made from carbon-fibre, for example, while the carpet has been woven with lighter fibres and special semi-aniline leather is used throughout the cabin to save weight and add a luxuriously soft feeling. As another Aston-mad friend commented, the DBS "really is the Rolls Royce of sports cars".
At its heart, however, the DBS is a high-end sports car, and the need for high-performance stability, handling ability and low kerb weight defined both its form and construction. Powered by a formidable yet flexible 6.0-litre V12 engine, the DBS is capable of delivering performance that will make most Ferraris cringe in their little Italian cotton socks. Combined with a seamless-smooth six-speed transmission, new carbon ceramic brakes and an adaptive damper-controlled suspension system, the DBS provides for possibly the most balanced, eminently capable and well-rounded on-road experience a sports car can deliver.
Touted by Aston Martin as the "ultimate luxury sports car," the DBS well and truly delivers. Through a combination of beautifully aggressive styling and breathtaking performance, the DBS is powerful visual and tactile automotive experience, inside and out.
