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Aston Martin have unveiled the production version
of the DBS, first seen as James Bond's car in Casino
Royale...
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Aston Martin DBS Unveiled
21st August 2007
Aston Martin have unveiled the most eagerly
anticipated car of the year when the new DBS was revealed at
the Pebble Beach
Concours
d’Elegance on August 16th, where the company takes a starring
role as the featured marque. A hand-built prototype DBS was featured
as James Bond's car in Daniel Craig's debut as 007 in "Casino
Royale" last year.
Aston Martin Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ulrich Bez, said: “The
DBS is the ultimate expression of Aston Martin’s engineering
and technical ability. It offers pure performance without compromise.
The DBS delivers the complete driving experience and bridges
the
gap between our road and track cars - the DB9
and DBR9.”
Equally at home on a twisting mountain circuit as on the open
road, the DBS is a true thoroughbred. The Aston Martin DBS is
a 6.0-litre V12 powered, race-bred, two-seater shaped by the
aerodynamic demands of high performance, with an exquisite interior
that marries beautifully hand-finished materials with the very
latest in performance technology.
A combination of elegant design, innovative manufacturing processes,
race-derived materials and components and Aston Martin’s
unrivalled hand-build expertise makes the DBS a luxury sports
car without equal. Every line, crease and curve conveys the enormous
potential of the DBS, a seductive blend of refinement and raw
power, provided by the hand-built V12 producing 380kW (510bhp/517PS),
a top speed of 191mph (302km/h) and a 0-62mph (0-100km/h) time
of 4.3 seconds.
The DBS will be built at Aston Martin’s global headquarters
at Gaydon, near Warwickshire in the UK, joining the current Aston
Martin line-up. This now comprises the elegant DB9, the agile
V8 Vantage Coupe and the critically acclaimed Vantage Roadster - launched
earlier this year.
Deliveries of the DBS are expected to commence during quarter
one 2008, with prices to be confirmed at the Frankfurt Motor
Show in September.
Aston Martin DBS Specification
Body
• Two-door coupe body style with 2+0 seating
• Bonded aluminium VH structure
• Aluminium, magnesium alloy and carbon-fibre composite body
• Extruded aluminium door side-impact beams
• High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps (main beam)
• LED rear lamps and side repeaters
Engine
• All-alloy, quad overhead camshaft, 48-valve, 5935cc V12.
• Compression ratio 10.9:1
• Front-mid mounted engine, rear-wheel drive
• Fully catalysed stainless steel exhaust system with active bypass valves
• Max power: 380kW (510bhp/517 PS) at 6500rpm
• Max torque: 570Nm (420 lb.ft) at 5750rpm
• Acceleration: 0-100km/h (0-62mph) in 4.3 seconds
• Max speed: 302km/h (191mph)
Transmission
• Rear-mid mounted, six-speed manual gearbox
• Alloy torque tube with carbon fibre propeller shaft
• Limited-slip differential
• Final-drive ratio 3.71:1
Wheels and Tyres
• Front: 8.5’’ x 20’’ Pirelli P Zero 245/35
• Rear: 11’’ x 20’’ Pirelli P Zero 295/30 |
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Steering
• Rack and pinion, Servotronic speed-sensitive power-assisted steering,
3.0 turns lock-to-lock. Column tilt and reach adjustment
Suspension
• Front: Independent double wishbone incorporating anti-dive geometry,
coil springs, anti-roll bare and monotube adaptive dampers
• Rear: Independent double wishbones with anti-squat and anti-lift geometry,
coil springs, anti-roll bar and monotube adaptive dampers
• Adaptive Damping System (ADS) with Track mode
Brakes
• Front: Ventilated carbon ceramic discs, 398mm diameter with six-piston
calipers
• Rear: Ventilated carbon ceramic discs, 360mm diameter with four-piston
calipers
• Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) with Track mode
• Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
• Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)
• Emergency Brake Assist (EBA)
• Traction control
Length:
4721mm (185.9’’) Wheelbase: 2740mm (107.9’’)
Width:
1905mm (75’’) (exc. Mirrors)
2060mm (81.1’’) (inc. Mirrors) Fuel tank capacity: 78 litres (17.2
Imp.galls, 20.5 US galls)
Height:
1280mm (50.4’’) Weight: 1695kg (3737lb)
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Interior
Semi-aniline leather and Alcantara interior. Matrix alloy facia
trim and Iridium Silver centre console finish. Carbon fibre
door trims and door pulls. Auto-dimming rear-view mirror & garage
door opener (USA & Canada only). Sports seats with ten-way
electric adjustment, including height, tilt and lumbar. Memory
seats & exterior mirrors (three positions). Dual-stage
driver/passenger front airbags. Side airbags (Sports seats
only). Heated seats (Sports seats only). Heated rear screen.
Automatic temperature control. Organic Electroluminescent (OEL)
displays. Trip computer. Cruise control. Hard Disk Drive (HDD)
satellite navigation system1,2. Bluetooth telephone preparation1.
Powerfold exterior mirrors. Front and rear parking sensors.
Tyre-pressure monitoring1. Alarm and immobiliser. Remote-control
central door locking and boot release. Battery disconnect switch.
Battery conditioner. Tracking device (UK only). Boot-mounted
umbrella.
In-Car Entertainment
•
Aston Martin 700W Premium Audio System with Dolby® Pro Logic
II®
•
MP3 player connectivity
Options
•
Lightweight seats with six-way adjustment, including front and
rear height adjust (Does not include side airbags or heated seats
feature. Not available in USA or Canada)
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20’’ alloy wheels with graphite finish
•
Satellite radio system (USA only)
•
Piano Black facia trim and centre console finish
•
Leather storage saddle
•
Personalised sill plaques
•
Auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror1
•
Auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror with garage door opener
(Europe only)
•
Alarm upgrade (volumetric and tilt sensor)
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Tracking device3
•
First-aid kit
•
Ashtray and cigar lighter
*1 Not available in all markets
*2 Includes Traffic Messaging Channel (TMC) in Continental Europe
*3 Complies with UK Thatcham Category 5 requirements. Excludes
subscription. Standard in UK.
Aston Martin DBS: Performance
The
need for high-performance stability, handling ability and low
kerb weight defined the DBS’s form and construction.
Accordingly, the DBS becomes the first production Aston Martin
to make extensive use of ultra-light carbon-fibre body panels.
High levels of performance and control are delivered by the combination
of inherent light weight, near-perfect weight distribution, a
supremely powerful and flexible V12 engine, and a performance-honed
six-speed transmission, together with new carbon ceramic brakes
and an adaptive damper controlled suspension system.
At the heart of the DBS is a 6.0-litre V12 engine. The DBR9
and DBRS9 race cars are powered by an enhanced version of this
same V12, tuned to produce in excess of 600bhp. The shared powerplant
continues the strong link between Aston Martin’s road and
race cars, just as the six-cylinder engine used in the DBR1 inspired
a generation of engines in the DB4, DB5 and DB6 in the 1950s
and 60s.
As with all current Aston Martins, the engine is hand-assembled
at Aston Martin’s dedicated engine facility in Cologne,
Germany. The classic 6.0-litre V12 features a number of power-increasing
enhancements. These include a ‘by-pass’ engine air
intake port that opens above 5500rpm to allow more air into the
engine, and re-profiled air inlet ports that further improve
airflow into the combustion chamber. Combined with a compression
ratio of 10.9:1, the result of these enhancements is prodigious
power and torque: the DBS delivers 380 kW (510 bhp/517 PS) at
6500 rpm. The 3.71:1 final-drive ratio ensures that the additional
power is usable, enhancing in-gear acceleration in particular.
A lightweight, rigid structure is the design engineer’s
ultimate goal, and achieving the right balance between strength
and mass is crucial. Like the DB9 and its sibling DBR9 and DBRS9
race cars, the DBS uses Aston Martin’s class-leading all-alloy
VH (Vertical Horizontal) architecture, a lightweight bonded aluminium
structure that provides outstanding strength and rigidity. Aston
Martin’s engineers have also employed advanced materials
and processes to further reduce weight and increase the DBS’s
performance and dynamics.
Carbon-fibre panels are used for the boot enclosure, boot lid,
door opening surrounds, front wings and bonnet, giving a saving
of some 30kg over more conventional materials without any reduction
in strength. “There are no restrictions on form or shape
in using carbon-fibre,” says Marek Reichman, Aston Martin’s
Design Director, “and the material allowed us to wrap bodywork
around the 20" wheels and maintain the precise relationship
between the wheel and the bodywork.”
Each panel has been carefully sculpted to direct the airflow
around the car, into the engine and to help cool the braking
system. The carbon-fibre elements are produced using advanced
manufacturing techniques developed from the aerospace and motorsport
industries.
The new panel-making procedure also delivers an industry-best
surface finish, thanks to a patented ‘Surface Veil’ process.
The application of a 200 micron layer of epoxy and glass to the
panel delivers a class-A surface that is in line with Aston Martin’s
tradition of high-quality finishes. Inside the car, the weave
patterns on the exposed carbon-fibre elements have been carefully
selected to present the most harmonious surfaces.
Aston Martin DBS: Control
As with
the DB9 and DBR race cars, the Aston Martin DBS benefits from
the inherent characteristics of the VH architecture. The
VH underframe consists of pressed, extruded and cast aluminium
components, bonded together to create an immensely strong underlying
structure.
This structure means that weight is kept to a minimum, with
the front-mid mounted engine and rear-mid mounted transaxle ensuring
a near perfect weight distribution: 85% of the car’s weight
is positioned within its wheelbase. The DBS’s polar moment
of inertia is therefore very low, producing a car with natural
agility, a strong, stable platform for the V12’s high power
output and an exhilarating driving experience.
To take full advantage of its extremely precise and rigid platform,
the DBS employs a new and sophisticated Adaptive Damping System
(ADS) which uses two separate valves to set the dampers to five
different positions, allowing instant adjustment of the car’s
ride and handling characteristics. The ADS automatically alters
the suspension settings to ensure the driver has high levels
of control at all times, with the ability to respond instantly
to different driving conditions. The dampers can be ‘softer’,
with a corresponding improvement in ride quality, or ‘firm’,
providing improved body control for more spirited driving.
The damper settings are determined by an electronic control
unit which takes sensor readings from the car’s systems,
including throttle position, brake position, steering wheel rotation
and vehicle speed. This data establishes the prevailing driving
conditions and the demands the driver is making on the car.
The DBS’s Adaptive Damping System perfectly captures the
car’s sporting character, ensuring that stiffer dampers
are available for better handling and control when the car is
being driven enthusiastically, without compromising ride comfort
during ‘normal’ driving conditions. A designated ‘Track’ mode
automatically sets all dampers to their firmest positions, making
it ideal for circuit driving. The DBS is fitted with Pirelli
P-Zero tyres that have been developed especially for the car,
along with new 20" lightweight alloy wheels.
The DBS also has a revised Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) system,
designed to help maintain maximum traction in challenging driving
conditions. In default operation, the DSC is automatically on.
Select and press the button for two seconds and DSC ‘Track’ mode
is engaged, raising the threshold at which the system intervenes
to allow the experienced driver to explore the car’s limits.
Hold the button for four seconds and DSC is disengaged entirely.
The car’s braking system features another innovation,
the first time Carbon Ceramic Matrix (CCM) brakes have been used
on a road-going Aston Martin. The end result is shorter stopping
distances with excellent resistance to fade in even the most
demanding driving conditions. CCM brakes are also some 12.5kg
lighter than a conventional system, reducing the weight of the
car overall and, in particular, the unsprung weight and rotational
masses, further enhancing the performance of the suspension.
Aston Martin DBS: Design
The DBS is manufactured using the finest materials, with a combination
of hand-finishing and pioneering high-technology processes.
From the exceptional quality of the design and finish to the
advanced production techniques employed to save weight and
create strength, the DBS is both a technological masterpiece
and a powerful visual and tactile experience, inside and out.
The DBS is the culmination of the DB bloodline, a synthesis
of race-bred technology and road-going practicality that can
be traced back to the iconic DB2, DB3S and DB4GT, and is continued
today with the DBR9 and DBRS9 race cars. The DBS’s powerful,
flowing form fuses the visual language of the DBR9 GT1 race car
with the innate elegance of the DB series. Lower and tauter than
other Aston Martin production models, the DBS has subtly flared
wheel arches accommodating standard 20" diameter wheels
and tyres. These provide excellent stability and grip, while
giving the car a muscular and athletic stance that evokes the
DBR9 and DBRS9. The design process involved continuous revision
and honing of the DBS’s surfaces, ensuring that the shapes
and forms represent perfectly the car’s inherent power,
while never diluting the fundamental proportions that are the
essence of every Aston Martin.
The external detailing reflects the power and dynamic abilities
of the DBS, with revised inlets and enlarged grilles that deliver
more air into the engine and increase its cooling capacity. Subtle
design details include a new five-bar design for the polished
alloy main grille, as well as two additional vents in the enlarged
power bulge on the carbon-fibre bonnet. These vents are entirely
functional, improving engine performance and efficiency, yet
also communicating the increased power output of the uprated
V12 engine.
The DBS’s aerodynamic enhancements are shaped by Aston
Martin’s racing experience. A carbon-fibre splitter and
a new front bumper design help channel airflow around the car’s
wider bodywork. The aerodynamics team worked hand in hand with
the modelling team to ensure that the forms and surfaces of DBS
were sculpted for inherent stability at high speeds.
The widened front and rear track improve handling and give the
car a more muscular character. To accommodate this additional
width, the surfaces of the wings have been sculpted and re-shaped
with harder lines, which also serve to emphasise the car’s
strength and power. The lowered ride height is accentuated by
the enhanced side sills, carefully profiled to improve aerodynamic
performance and reduce drag along the flanks. The iconic Aston
Martin side strake, a design feature of every DB car since the
DB4, has been redesigned for the DBS, incorporating a side repeater
formed by a bank of LEDs.
Improved aerodynamics shape the rear of the
DBS, where the more prominent boot spoiler is carefully incorporated
into the carbon-fibre
boot lid. A horizontal chrome finisher is set into the lid to
accentuate the wide track of the new car. The car's flat undertray
helps to improve the aerodynamics of the underbody surface and
culminates in a new carbon-fibre rear diffuser, another feature
carried over from the race cars. This device creates an area
of low pressure beneath the rear of the car, reducing lift and
improving high-speed stability without the need for large, unsightly
external spoilers. The new one-piece diffuser also incorporates
the DBS’s large and distinctive twin exhaust tailpipes.
The interior of the DBS represents the epitome of Aston Martin’s
commitment to using materials honestly, without disguise or embellishment.
Lightweight materials are used throughout to save weight; door
pulls are made from carbon-fibre, for example, and the carpet
has been woven with lighter fibres to save valuable kilograms.
Special semi-aniline leather is used throughout the cabin, saving
weight as well as giving a soft feel and distinctive aroma.
The DBS features unique primary controls, including a new steering
wheel profile with a twin-stitched detail marker that indicates
the ‘on-centre’ position. The gear knob is fashioned
from polished alloy to echo the metallic finishes on the new
centre console. The instrument cluster is designed with white
numerals on a dark graphite background for excellent legibility.
The twin-stitch pattern runs through the interior as a signature
device; the alignment of both stitch lines is testament to Aston
Martin’s ongoing tradition of exceptional craftsmanship.
As an option the DBS may be equipped with specially developed
lightweight seats (outside North America). These feature a carbon-fibre
and Kevlar® composite structure and are manufactured by a
supplier to the motorsport and aviation industries before being
returned to Aston Martin’s Gaydon factory for hand-trimming.
The structure is created by sandwiching a layer of Kevlar® between
two layers of carbon-fibre with the outer finish left exposed
on the seat backs, lacquered to create a durable and attractive
finish.
The combination of Kevlar® and carbon-fibre provides crucial
weight saving by allowing the structure of the seat to be incredibly
slim: between 2.5mm and 3mm. Overall, the trimmed seat provides
a weight saving of 20kg. The lightweight seats are a fixed structure,
but can be adjusted for rake as well as sliding fore and aft.
The DBS start sequence blends tradition with high technology
and a touch of theatre. The ignition ECU (Emotion Control Unit)
has evolved into a machined and highly tactile polished sapphire
ECU, incorporating a stainless steel inner case. Resembling a
fine wristwatch or a piece of contemporary sculptural jewellery,
this sapphire ECU epitomises the spirit of the DBS.
To operate the car, the sapphire ECU is inserted into a special
docking station in Aston Martin’s signature dashboard-mounted
sapphire starter button, and glows red to indicate when the car
is ready to start. The engine is fired by pressing the ECU flush
with the surface of the starter button. After pressing to stop
the engine, the ECU automatically motors out of the dashboard
for removal.
The start sequence of the DBS is augmented by an all-new centre
console design with a cast metal surround, crisp typography and
new graphics. The new console has a traditional dial-face clock
at the centre, flanked by two rotary controls for the heating
and air-conditioning system, fashioned from solid, turned aluminium.
These controls are also used to navigate the audio system, Bluetooth
telephone preparation and satellite navigation functions. The
Aston Martin 700 W Audio System, with Dolby® Pro Logic II® has
been exclusively developed for Aston Martin to provide outstanding
sound quality. A slot for the six-CD autochanger is located at
the top of the console, while within the centre armrest cubby
box there is inbuilt connectivity for MP3 players. Bluetooth
telephone preparation is standard on the DBS, enabling you to
synchronise your mobile telephone directory through the car’s
display screens. It can also display the last 10 calls received,
made and missed.
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