Aston Martin DBS: the 2007–2012 flagship grand tourer

The Aston Martin DBS is a grand tourer based on the DB9 and manufactured by the British luxury automobile manufacturer Aston Martin. The name had been used once before, on the 1967–1972 grand tourer coupé; the modern car replaced the 2004 Vanquish S as the flagship of the marque.

Aston Martin DBS (2007) at a glance

This page is based on English Wikipedia only (a trusted source), so the facts were not cross-checked against a second source.

History of the Aston Martin DBS (2007)

The DBS was officially unveiled at the 2007 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on 16 August 2007, with a brand-new exterior colour, a graphite grey with a blue tint dubbed “Lightning Silver”. Deliveries began in the first quarter of 2008.

DBS Volante, 2009

The convertible DBS Volante was unveiled at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show on 3 March 2009. It has a motorised retractable fabric roof controlled from the centre console, which folds into a compartment behind the seats in 14 seconds and can be opened or closed at speeds up to 48 km/h. Apart from the roof, changes included a new wheel design for both coupé and Volante and a 2+2 seating configuration for both. Other features were a rear-mounted six-speed manual or optional six-speed Touchtronic 2 automatic gearbox and a Bang & Olufsen BeoSound system with 13 speakers. With a kerb weight of 1,810 kg the Volante is heavier than the coupé because of chassis stiffening; it accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.3 seconds and has a maximum speed of 307 km/h. Deliveries began in the third quarter of 2009.

Special editions

In 2010 Aston Martin introduced two special editions. The Carbon Black edition, for the DBS and the V12 Vantage, has unique carbon black paintwork with orange and grey, a Touchtronic gearbox, an obsidian black or orange interior and lightweight seats. The DBS UB-2010 Limited Edition, 20 coupés and 20 Volantes, is named after Dr Ulrich Bez, then CEO of Aston Martin Lagonda Limited, to commemorate the tenth year of his appointment; it has Azurite Black paint, blue brake calipers and a bronze-coloured interior, and was unveiled at the 80th Geneva Motor Show.

At the end of the production run Aston Martin introduced a final edition, the 2011 Carbon Edition, in coupé and Volante form, with a choice of three body colours (Flame Orange, Ceramic Grey, Carbon Black), 10-spoke gloss black diamond-turned wheels, carbon-fibre mirror heads and rear lamp in-fills and smoked rear lights. The DBS ended production in 2012 and was succeeded by the second generation of the Vanquish.

Design and features

• Base: the DB9, with a new exterior and unique colour.
• Roof (Volante): a fabric roof folding in 14 seconds.
• Audio: a Bang & Olufsen BeoSound system with 13 speakers.

Aston Martin DBS (2007) versions

• DBS (2007–2012): the coupé.
• DBS Volante (2009–2012): the convertible.
• Carbon Black, UB-2010 and Carbon Edition: special editions of 2010–2012.

More Aston Martin cars are in our Aston Martin collection, for example the DB9 it is based on, the Vanquish that succeeded it and the One-77.

Aston Martin DBS (2007) questions and answers

What is the Aston Martin DBS (2007)?

A grand tourer based on the DB9, the flagship of the range from 2007 to 2012.

When was it unveiled?

At the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on 16 August 2007.

How fast is the DBS Volante?

307 km/h (191 mph) with 0–100 km/h in 4.3 seconds.

What is the UB-2010?

A limited edition of 20 coupés and 20 Volantes named after Aston Martin CEO Dr Ulrich Bez.

What replaced it?

The second-generation Vanquish.

Sources

• Aston Martin DBS (2007), English Wikipedia: models and special editions