The Sporty Edge Of Aston Martin DBS
The first new model from Aston Martin since it left the Ford empire is a sporty two-seater supercar, with a name that goes back years, the Aston Martin DBS. Unlike the old DBS, the new one is a lightweight two-seater coupe.
Based on the aluminum space frame technology of the DB9, the DBS is actually slightly longer than the 2+2, with the aim of giving the car a sleek, long line. And it succeeds. The DBS gets the modern, sleek Aston Martin styling but with rather deeply sculptured sides to produce an elegant car.
There is the usual Aston grille but shallower than usual to allow space for a much larger air intake below to get plenty of air into the engine compartment. Faired in headlamps, side vents, and the fastback style are all the features that make Astons stand out as elegant supercars. The front is clearly shown in our image of the DBS and DBR9 at the Nurburgring.
Eyebrows and big wheels
To show its sporty pedigree, the DBS gets 20-inch wheels and eyebrows over the wheel arches. In fact, the style is closer to the V8 Vantage than the DB9, which is what you would expect as both are two-seaters.
But it is not all about style. There is an air splitter at the front, and diffusers at the back to improve airflow beneath the car and reduce lift and drag.
The first new model from Aston Martin since it left the Ford empire is a sporty two-seater, with a name that goes back years – the Aston Martin DBS. Unlike the old DBS, the new one is a lightweight two-seater coupe.
Based on the aluminum space frame technology of the DB9, the DBS is actually slightly longer than the 2+2, with the aim of giving the car a sleek, long line. And it succeeds. The DBS gets the modern, sleek Aston Martin styling but with rather deeply sculptured sides to produce an elegant car.
There is the usual Aston grille – but shallower than usual to allow space for a much larger air intake below to get plenty of air into the engine compartment. Faired in headlamps, side vents, and the fastback style are all the features that make Astons stand out as elegant supercars. The front is clearly shown in our image of the DBS and DBR9 at the Nurburgring.
Like the DB9 and Vanquish, the DBS is powered by Aston Martin's superb V-12 engine, but now tuned to deliver 510 bhp, enough to get the car to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds, and to produce a top speed of 191 mph, fast enough to rank highly. After all the difference between a top speed of 185, 190 or 200 mph is just for the record books, but good acceleration at any speed is what sets true supercars apart. And the DBS is a true supercar.
Power from V-12 up to 510 bhp in the quickest Aston Martin
To boost power to 510 bhp at 6,500 rpm compared with 520 bhp in the Vanquish S and 450 bhp in the DB9 the compression ratio has been raised to 10.9:1, the inlet ports have been reprofiled and there is now a by-pass valve that opens at 5,500 rpm, to let more air in at high speeds. Torque is up to 420 lb ft (570 Nm) at 5,750 rpm, so you can see that the emphasis is on the top end, with the best power range from about 3,500 rpm to 6,500 rpm.
Rear-mounted manual gearbox
As on other modern Astons, the manual six-speed gearbox is mounted at the rear, in unit with the axle gears, which puts slightly more weight on the rear wheels than the front, and keeps the mass within the wheelbase good for handling.
To reduce weight, the propeller shaft is carbon fiber, and instead of being a jointed shaft it is enclosed in an aluminum torque tube that connects the engine to the gearbox. This arrangement gives better gearshifts with a rear-mounted box, and is used on the DB9 and V8 Vantage.
Of course, the bonded aluminum space frame is very similar to that of the DB9, but to save weight, carbon fiber is used for many exterior panels the hood, door surrounds, front fenders, trunk lid, and trunk enclosure. These panels weigh 66 lb (30 kg) less than the metal panels they replace a step in the right direction.
There is some carbon fiber inside as well, and the instruments, controls and seats look very neat and purposeful. The seats are leather and most of the trim is Alcantara a rather sober and dull black interior seems to be standard.
Among the options are lightweight carbon fiber-Kevlar seats which reduce weight by 44 lb (20 kg) and no doubt hold the driver in place better as well.
Aston Martin DBS unique ignition ECU
However, the DBS is not all about weight reduction, it also has some new interior features. The electrically adjusted seats and mirrors can be preset to the positions the drivers want, and there is a new type of starting ECU (electronic control unit).
This ECU, which replaces the ignition key, is not just a hunk of plastic but polished sapphire, an elegant part of the DBS.
Once installed into its docking station, the ECU sets the starter button glowing, and the ECU is then pushed further in to start the engine. It is then flush with the fascia. To stop the engine, the ECU is pressed again, and it pops partly out. Neat, eh?
Double wishbones and adaptive damping
As with other Astons, the front suspension is by double wishbones, designed to reduce dive under braking, and the rear wishbones have anti-squat geometry. Anti-roll bars are used front and rear to limit roll and allow the suspension to be tuned for good handling.
New to Aston Martin is adaptive damping, the monotube dampers having two valves which can be actuated separately to five different positions so the damping can be adjusted to suit the road and driving conditions instantly. This is becoming quite common these days on high-performance cars, but as always it is not that technology that makes a car, but whether it is applied to give optimum results. This one sounds as if it should work well.
Carbon-ceramic brakes and Pirelli P Zero
Also new are carbon-ceramic brakes, which are being used increasingly to reduce weight and brake fade in near racing conditions. On the DBS, the use of carbon-ceramic discs of 15.6-inch (398 mm) front and 14-inch (360 mm) diameter reduces weight by 27 lb (12.5 kg), a useful amount, as this is unsprung weight.
To give plenty of power to the braking system, there are six-pot front calipers, and four-pot calipers at the rear. Pirelli P Zero tires 245/35 fronts and 295/30 rears grace the 20-inch by 8.5-inch front and 11-inch rear wheels.
The Aston Martin DBS now takes the crown as the fastest production Aston, eclipsing both the Vanquish S and V8 Vantage N24 racer. The combination of extra power and less weight are what give the DBS the edge.
Actually, the DBS is only 29 lb (13 kg) lighter than the DB9 at 3,737 lb (1,695 kg), and is a shade heavier than the more powerful Ferrari F599 GTB which is virtually the same size. The difference of 15 lb is virtually nothing in a car of this size, but with all that carbon fiber I would have expected the DBS to weigh just under 3,700 lb (1,680 kg), but it does not quite make it.