Briefly drove the DBS

[jus]

All I carry is a cellphone I'm afraid so the pics suck. Some quick thoughts:

- The engine sounds just fantastic. It's like the devil popping by to say hi when it starts up. Even more dramatics and character than the Vantage. What a noise!

- Massive torque and gorgeous delivery. It made my M6 feel gutless afterwards. It pulls hard from low down (unlike my Vantage) and holds it all the way nice and smooth in a wall of brutality, although the rev limiter cuts in disappointly early compared to a Vantage (before 7000rpm) and particularly compared to an M V10. It's a real beast though, you don't quite realise how fast you are already going when you hit the limiter, and it hauls like a train in any gear from any RPM. A proper powerplant straight from a volcano, none of this wind it up to make it work stuff.

- Good old laggy Aston throttle response though, please please please can we have ITBs! Far too quiet under 4k rpm as well, you can't hear your own throttle blips when heel and toeing on the downshift properly. Hopefully fuse 22 would sort this. Used to being able to hear everything in the Vantage.

- Clutch much lighter and easier than the Vantage, slightly more bitey. Gearbox too, once warm, way lighter than before but a bit notchier. Shifts are slightly shorter too.

- Excellent dampening system and body control. It's comfortable, smooth, controlled and stays flat in the bends. They've done a good job of minimising the feel of it's extra size and weight compared to a Vantage. Despite it being bigger it really hardly feels much different once in the cabin, it's just the slight lack of comparative nimbleness really that you notice, that longer wheelbase and bit of extra heft coming into play. But there's not much in it, it makes the M6 feel like a saggy old boat. The ride's better than a Vantage though.

- It has huge presence in person. The design is far more cohesive in the flesh and it makes the Vantages parked around look a bit soft. It's very intimidating yet still gorgeous. I think they've straddled the line quite well here after all.

- Excellent brakes. Our local CAR magazine recorded their best ever 100km/h to 0 brake test of 2.4 seconds apparently. They have good feel from cold and are effective immediately, unlike many carbon ceramics. Probably the best CC setup I've ever encountered. Really a good job done here.

- Is it worth more than twice the price of a new 4.7L Vantage? Tough call. I suspect not... this is the only downside really.

- Upside? This engine will be absolutely mental in the Vantage, if it can be made to be balanced and handle it properly. It has such raw, raucous and beastly Aston character that it makes an LP640 seem refined.

[toohuge]

Thanks Justin, great review. Very interesting. Lucky boy!

[JohnG1]

Is that the same engine that the Vantage V12 would have? I thought the Vantage V12 has the racing engine with 600bhp rather than the 520bhp from the DBS?

[:J:]

JohnG1 said:

Is that the same engine that the Vantage V12 would have? I thought the Vantage V12 has the racing engine with 600bhp rather than the 520bhp from the DBS?

The RS running around at the moment has the racing engine, the production one, I imagine will not and will be a normal V12.......

[Henry M]

Since the engine in the Vantage V12 RS was described as requiring a dry sump to be able to squeeze it in the Vantage I suspect it will not be the standard production V12.

Henry

[:J:]

Henry M said:

Since the engine in the Vantage V12 RS was described as requiring a dry sump to be able to squeeze it in the Vantage I suspect it will not be the standard production V12.

Henry

Well, maybe a standard 12 with a dry sump then ?

[toohuge]

:J: said:

Henry M said:

Since the engine in the Vantage V12 RS was described as requiring a dry sump to be able to squeeze it in the Vantage I suspect it will not be the standard production V12.

Henry

Well, maybe a standard 12 with a dry sump then ?

yes, the 'standard' v12 capable of producing 600bhp with modifications to the camshaft, intake and exhaust plus various other bits and pieces. Aston have not got the resources to 'redevelop' engines with new blocks etc.