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Aston Martin has fully unveiled its new range-topper, the DBS Superleggera. Targeting the Ferrari 812 Superfast, the new DBS uses a further development of the company's twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine, focusing on torque output over high-revving theatrics. Pitched as a 'Super GT' car, the DBS uses carbon fibre to keep its weight down and advanced aerodynamics, too.
Exterior
While the DBS Superleggera comes from the same school of design as the Aston Martin DB11 (and shares much of its extruded, bonded aluminium structure), the DBS is considerably more muscular and extrovert in appearance - and it uses carbon fibre body panels to bring weight down below that of the DB11. Up front, the clamshell bonnet is lead by a huge radiator grille featuring a hexagonal mesh, taking up most of the aggressive new front bumper, which includes a pronounced splitter. That bonnet has longer 'power bulges' and flared air vents, while the lights are all-LED affairs.
Aston focused closely on the aerodynamics of the DBS, implementing a development of the DB11's 'curlicue' features that helps relieve air pressure from within the wheelarches. They're found deep inside the more pronounced side strakes, while the rear of the car houses a double diffuser and 'Aeroblade II' (air enters in-body ducts near the rearmost side windows and exits atop the rear deck). Aston quotes a downforce figure of 180kg at the car's maximum speed, which is apparently the highest of any series production Aston to date.
Executive Vice President & Chief Creative Officer, Marek Reichman said: "With DBS Superleggera we had the perfect opportunity to celebrate Aston Martin's unrivalled Super GT pedigree. We wanted to create a car that combined cutting edge aerodynamics with the classic muscularity and presence for which our most potent series production models are renowned. The result is a shape of true purity and exceptional efficiency - one that generates a significant increase in downforce without any drag penalty. Explicit but not exaggerated, it exudes a sense of immense potency."
Interior
The interior of the DBS Superleggera retains the 2+2 seating of the DB11, plus the Daimler-sourced infotainment and neat TFT instruments in front of the driver. Standard on this car, though, is a flat-bottomed Sport Plus steering wheel, with much larger gearchange paddles, complemented by Sport Plus seats. It's no stripped-out special, either, as there's satnav, Bluetooth, a 360-degree camera, etc. all included in the price. A vast amount of personalisation is offered to buyers in terms of colours and trim materials.
Mechanicals
Up front is a new development of Aston Martin's twin-turbocharged 5.2-litre V12 petrol engine. It now produces 725hp and up to 900Nm of torque, the latter on tap from just 1,800rpm all the way around to 5,000rpm. That's sent via a carbon fibre prop shaft to the strengthened eight-speed automatic transmission mounted at the back, featuring a mechanical limited slip differential. While the 0-100km/h time of 3.4 seconds and the top speed of 340km/h are impressive enough, Aston says it focused on real-world use and low-rev urgency, as hinted at by the incredible 80-160km/h sprint time of just 4.2 seconds.
The suspension is made up of forged double wishbones up front and a multi-link design at the back, all controlled by adaptive damping and several driver-selectable modes of operation. The locking rear differential is complemented by torque vectoring by brake and the brake discs themselves are massive carbon items as standard, sitting behind a choice of two different 21-inch alloy wheel designs.
Aston Martin Chief Technical Officer, Max Szwaj, said: "The term Super GT is a relatively new one, but the very special breed of car it describes has long been part of Aston Martin's DNA. DBS Superleggera honours that tradition in spectacular style and very much on its own terms, largely thanks to its ultra-high torque V12, which we have tuned to deliver maximum performance in the most accessible rev range. This heavyweight performance is complemented by the use of lightweight materials and construction techniques, which save weight without sacrificing structural integrity. Faster, lighter, more potent and more sophisticated, DBS Superleggera is a formidable and fabulous machine."
Anything else?
Chief of Vehicle Attribute Engineering, Matt Becker, sums up the remit of the new car: "The new DBS Superleggera is a hugely potent car. Every time I drive it I'm blown away by its raw performance - it's explosively quick if you floor the throttle, but has that relentless, effortless delivery that only a big turbocharged V12 can deliver. While we wanted to create a very, very fast car, it was crucial that it didn't terrify less experienced drivers. To this end we've honed the dynamics so that it's agile and connected, but also linear and progressive as you work towards its limits. Much like we've tuned the engine to deliver the meat of its performance at real world revs, we've tuned the handling to engage and reward drivers of all ability levels."