Car Reviews > Aston Martin > DBS > Aston Martin DBS Carbon Edition Car Review
Prices: £186,582
Engine: 6.0-litre V12
Gearbox: 6-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive Power: 510 bhp
0-62 mph: 4.3 seconds
Top Speed: 191 miles per hour
Economy: 18.2 miles per gallon
Emissions: 367g per kilometre
Equipment: Quilted leather roof lining, Bang & Olufsen stereo complete with iPod input, carbon ceramic brakes, climate control, GPS
On Sale: Now
The flagship V12 gets more exclusive than ever with new colours and carbon trim.
It has been more than five years since the arrival of the Aston Martin DBS in explosive fashion during the James Bond film “Casino Royale”. Now ranges of special edition vehicles have started to make their presence felt in a bid to maintain interest in the Coupe. The Carbon Black showed up in the June of 2010, but now the Carbon Edition has materialised to take its place.
The Carbon Edition is certainly the most expensive Aston Martin ever (not including the ultra-exclusive One-77 of course, which cost £1.2 million), priced at £196,581 for the Volante and £186,582 for the Coupe, which immediately begs the question as to whether or not it can possibly justify that price tag.
The shape is relatively familiar these days, and yet the DBS remains a cracking piece of car design, managing to be elegant and aggressive all at the same time, while positively oozing with class and continuing to attract attention wherever it is seen. The Carbon Edition is available in two colours, the very eye-catching Flame Orange or the more introverted Ceramic Grey. Both get a 25-hour hand polish and seven coats of paint to ensure they have a genuinely breathtaking shine and depth of colour.
The wing mirrors, rear light clusters, front spoiler and diffuser get a carbon fibre finish, while there are orange callipers and carbon brake discs behind the 20-inch, 10-spoke alloy wheels. The carbon fibre theme continues on the interior of the vehicle with carbon scuff plates featured on the doorsills, and carbon weaves covering the centre console. The quilted leather roof lining feels opulent in the extreme, though it certainly succeeds in making the interior of the car feel very special indeed.
There has also been an improvement in functionality, with the old pop-up Volvo GPS, which had a tendency to be rather infuriating at times, having been replaced by much clearer Garmin software.
The Carbon Edition makes use of the exact same 6.0-litre V12 engine, with a bhp rating of 510, as does the standard vehicle, with a 6-speed semi-auto box.
The DBS has a bhp rating of 510 and a 4.3 second 0-62 miles per hour time, meaning that is nowhere near as speedy as the Nissan GT-R priced at £71,950, which is capable of going from 0-62 miles per hour in as little as just 2.8 seconds. Nor is it as powerful as the Ferrari 599 GTB, which is priced at £212,066 and has a bhp rating of 612.
Nonetheless, when on icy roads the new Aston Martin still demands respect. When the engine gets over 4000 revs per minute, the rush of acceleration is seriously intense, while strong brakes, well weighted steering and a terrific noise all come together to create a highly memorable driving experience. That said, the vehicle does still feel better suited to long distance cruising than it does attacking corners at top speeds.
The DBS provides a mix of power and luxury which is quite intoxicating, with the Carbon Edition adding exclusivity into the bargain as well. The real problem is the price, with more capable alternatives being available to the ageing Aston.
by Autoweb