Aston Martin DBS V12
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This article contains information about a scheduled or anticipated future automobile. It may contain preliminary or speculative information, and may not reflect the final version of the vehicle. |
| Aston Martin DBS V12 | |
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| Manufacturer | Aston Martin |
| Related | Aston Martin DBR9 Aston Martin DBRS9 |
- This article is about the new Aston Martin DBS V12, for the classic, 1967 to 1972 GT car, see Aston Martin DBS.
The Aston Martin DBS is the latest supercar to be announced by the Aston Martin and featured prominently in the James Bond film Casino Royale. Aston Martin CEO Dr Ulrich Bez summarized the philosophy that was the driving force behind the conception of the new Bond car in the Press Release, explaining that “The DBS is not of the understated elegance of a DB9, nor the youthful agility of the V8 Vantage. It is explosive power in a black tie and has its own unique character which will equal that of James Bond.” [1]
The DBS is basically a sportier, more powerful version of the DB9 and uses design elements from the DBRS9 and DBR9 racing cars that Aston Martin races internationally. The DBS is expected to feature a more advanced 6.0L V12 that will put out more than 500 horsepower, putting it atop the Aston Martin performance chart until the Vanquish is replaced in 2010[1]. A semi-automatic transmission is also likely to be standard. The car is also likely to weigh less than the standard DB9 through the use of carbon fibre.
The car has been unveiled sporting a brand new exterior colour, a graphite grey with a blue tint which has been dubbed 'Casino Ice'. The car has been tuned to give a louder exhaust note and includes a number of new features.
Production is believed to be limited to only 300 units, with each costing nearly $250,000.
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[edit] Naming Confusion
Some confusion over the name of the production version occurred when some test mules running around the Nürburgring were given DBRS9 badges. However, it would seem that this was only a trick played by Aston to confuse spy photographers[2]. The official name of the vehicle is declared to be Aston Martin DBS.
[edit] Media Coverage
During production of the movie Casino Royale, the DBS was still on the Aston drawing board. Aston therefore had to hand-build a "hero" car for static scenes. For one of the film's stunt sequences they donated three DB9 road test prototypes made up with custom bodies to look like DBSs; all three cars were eventually wrecked.[3]
During filming, stunt co-coordinator Gary Powell discovered the cosmetically modified DB9's centre of gravity was too low to make the car roll during a ramp jump. The crew increased the ramp height to 4 times the original, but it still refused to roll. In the end, an air cannon installed behind the driver’s seat drove a cylinder into the road, forcing the car to roll 7 1/2 turns.[4].
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| Aston Martin and Lagonda road car timeline, 1948-present | [edit] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |
| Grand tourer | DB1 | DB2 | DB2/4 | DB Mk III | DBS/Vantage | DB7 i6 | DB7 Vantage | V8 Vantage | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DB4 | DB5 | DB6 | V8 | Virage/V8 | DB9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| V8 Vantage | V8 Vantage | V12 Vanquish | DBS V12 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Supercar | Zagato | Zagato | Zagato | AR1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4-door | 2.6-Litre | 3-Litre | Rapide | Lagonda | Rapide | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
