DBS — 2007
The DBS marked the return of one of Aston Martin’s most evocative names to the marque’s modern era. Introduced in 2007, it used the VH architecture of the DB9, but translated it into a more focused, muscular and performance-led expression. Where the DB9 was the elegant grand tourer, the DBS was the darker and more assertive interpretation: wider bodywork, extensive use of carbon fibre, carbon-ceramic brakes, sharper aerodynamics and a far more aggressive visual stance.
Its naturally aspirated 6.0-litre V12 produced 510 bhp — 517 PS — and remains one of the most charismatic engines of the Gaydon period. Offered with a six-speed Graziano manual gearbox as standard, or the Touchtronic 2 automatic depending on specification, the DBS sits at a rare crossroads: a true grand tourer, a modern collectable and a genuinely emotional performance car. Aston Martin lists the DBS with a 5,935 cc V12, a 0–62 mph time of 4.3 seconds and carbon-ceramic brakes measuring 398 mm at the front and 360 mm at the rear.
The DBS also owes much of its image to cinema. Its appearances in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace gave it a darker, harder-edged identity than the DB9 and helped make it one of the defining Aston Martins of the period. Produced until 2012, when it was succeeded by the second-generation Vanquish, the DBS remains one of the most desirable modern Aston Martins. Total production is generally cited at around 3,400 cars, including approximately 2,534 Coupés and 845 Volantes.
Within the Aston Passion community, the DBS occupies a special position: rarer and more exclusive than the DB9, yet based on a familiar technical foundation. Usual areas of attention include V12 maintenance, the condition of the carbon-ceramic brakes, suspension wear, onboard electronics, the Touchtronic 2 gearbox and, on Volante models, the operation and condition of the hood mechanism. Manual cars, Carbon Black specifications and Ultimate editions are especially sought after.
The DBS Ultimate and DBS Volante Ultimate — 2012
In 2012, Aston Martin ended DBS production with the DBS Ultimate, a final limited run of 100 cars, available as either Coupé or Volante and with manual or Touchtronic 2 transmission depending on market and specification.
The DBS Ultimate featured a series of specific details: a darkened grille, carbon-fibre mirror caps, smoked rear lamps, Zircotec-coated exhaust finishers, special badging and a choice of black, red or yellow brake callipers.
The DBS Volante Ultimate is the rarest and most exclusive open-top version of this final series. Specialist sources indicate that only 41 DBS Ultimate Volantes were built for all markets, including just 11 UK right-hand-drive cars. Combining the open-air character of the Volante, the naturally aspirated V12 of the DBS and the darker Ultimate detailing — particularly in Carbon Black — it stands as one of the most desirable configurations of the 2007–2012 DBS generation.
