New Aston Martin DBS

The all-new 716bhp Aston Martin DBS Superleggera flagship has arrived, and it has the Ferrari 812 Superfast in its sights

Aston Martin’s revival under its new leadership has been nothing short of remarkable. A stream of new models and concepts have all helped towards profitability – a rare word in Aston’s long and illustrious history. And this new range-topping model pays homage to that history in its name: DBS Superleggera.
The DBS name first appeared in 1967, while the name Superleggera hints at the lightweight construction. However, this is a car bang up to date and a car that Aston boss Andy Palmer describes as ‘a brute in a suit.’
It uses the new DB11 as its base, along with a version of that car’s twin-turbo 5.2-litre V12. As a Super GT, it has a very different brief, though. It’s 70kg lighter than a V12 DB11 and uses shorter gearing for better performance. The quad exhaust has been tuned for more noise in the car’s most usable torque band – it’s 10db louder – and it is, according to Aston Martin’s engineering director Matt Becker, “More engaging and exciting than DB11.”

In terms of numbers, the Superleggera’s V12 produces 716bhp and 900Nm of torque, while the top speed is 211mph with 0-62mph passing by in just 3.4 seconds and 0-100mph in 6.4 seconds. Oh, and you’ll have to pay £225,000 to get one.
All that power is fed to the rear wheels via an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission with a lightweight carbon fibre prop shaft. And to prove that the Superleggera is a more focussed car than the DB11, the same drive modes as the Vantage are on hand: GT, Sport and Sport + with each tweaking the power delivery, suspension, handling aids, gearbox and steering to make the car progressively shaper and faster.

This is much more than a breathed on DB11, though. The full-height grille and body lines that Aston Martin design director Miles Nurnberger says look like rippling muscles give the DBS a look all its own, while the exposed carbon fibre hints at the weight saving the car’s name suggests. At the back there’s a full width rear light with a new light graphic.
Further developments of Aston’s clever aerodynamics such as the curlicue and Aeroblade, plus an F1-style diffuser create more downforce than the DB11, but with the same amount of drag.

Becker says that ride comfort is still very important to the car, but with more of the feel of a Super GT, so bespoke tuning for the forged double wishbones at the front and a sophisticated multi-link system at the rear provide more agility than in the DB11 with a ‘more aggressive front end’. Standard 21-inch wheels hide carbon ceramic brakes.
Inside the interior is very much like the DB11, with Aston improving materials and finish with each car it makes and offering more and more personalisation options, under the guidance of Aston’s design team. You can even have one of a limited run of 50 watches from Aston’s timing partner Tag Heuer to match your car if you so wish.
If you do happen to make it to the front of the queue, you should be able to get delivery of your new DBS Superleggera towards the end of this year.

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ASTON MARTIN.New Lagonda SUV

Aston Martin’s new luxury Lagonda brand set to debut with an all-electric SUV in 2021

Aston Martin has revived its Lagonda luxury brand, and an all-new SUV will be its first model to hit the market. The new model will make its debut in 2021, and has been revealed for the first time in this official design sketch.
As the image shows, the Lagonda SUV will be heavily inspired by the spectacular Lagonda Vision Concept revealed at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show. Expect a sleek, cab-rearward shape featuring deeply sculpted sides.

The new model, Lagonda claims, will be the first fully electric luxury SUV to hit the market. It’s part of a strategy which will see the brand producing a range exclusively powered by emission-free powertrains.
The saloon previewed in Geneva is due to arrive in 2023, with a coupe variant expected at a later date. The adoption of solid-state battery tech should see the saloon cover approximately 400 miles on a single charge, and wireless charging is also expected to feature.

The Lagonda SUV will share some of its technology with the Aston Martin DBX, which is likely to be named Varekai, being built in Aston’s new St Athan factory in South Wales. President and CEO Andy Palmer refused to confirm whether Lagondas will come out of the same plant, though, saying that other locations were under consideration, too.
Talking exclusively to Auto Express at Lagonda’s launch, Palmer said: “I’ve been a student of the electric [car] industry since it began and nobody has replicated what [Elon] Musk did to create a purely 100 per cent electric car company.
“Just being one car in a range doesn’t make a statement, while saying ‘this brand is electric’ and pinning your hopes and prayers on that technology, I think is a more powerful statement that’s easier for the consumer to understand.

“There’s so much confusion around what is a hybrid electric – even the Government can’t get it right,” Palmer continued. “So we demystify it; if it’s an Aston, it’s probably got a gasoline engine and it’s probably got a V-configuration. It might or might not have a hybrid attached to it. But if it’s a Lagonda, you know what you’re getting: it’s 100 per cent electric.”
Talking about the Vision Concept, Palmer told us: “It’s a design study, but it was done for Marich Reichmann (AML’s chief creative officer) to fixate on the design elements for Lagonda.

“But it’s practical as it’s used large chunks of the DBX platform, so it’s production feasible except on two points: it assumes a solid-state battery and I’m not sure we’ll have that by 2021. Plus, it has level-four autonomous features,” Palmer added. “I don’t think anyone will have level-four autonomy by 2021. Maybe by the mid-2020s.”
As for how Lagondas would be sold, Palmer said: “In the UK you could do it through a separate dealer network, but around the world Lagonda isn’t as well understood, so I think in the first instance it will be born out of Aston Martin.

“We’re seeing traction from the Aston Martin brand centres around the world where people don’t feel as though they’re buying a car, so I could see Lagonda centres in big cities.”
And it’s in these big cities where we could see Lagonda partner with other luxury brands. Aston Martin announced relationships with Tag Heuer, Beats headphones and Waldorf Astoria hotels during the Geneva show, while Lagonda models could eventually be used to provide autonomous transport options for well heeled hotel customers.
And although only two Lagonda models have been spoken about so far, it’s quite possible that the coupe, shown as a model in Geneva, could make it three

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an exclusive Aston Martin event

Register your interest now for an unforgettable evening with Aston Martin

Aston Martin is one of the most iconic car manufacturers there is and to this day continues to make some of the most exciting and beautiful cars on the planet – the new V8 DB11 and Vantage being a case in point.
For this reason, Dennis Automotive, the publisher of Auto Express, evo, CarBuyer and Octane, is proud to be holding an unforgettable Aston Martin event as part of its exclusive ‘An evening with…’ series.

Set to be held on Thursday 17 July at the Sheraton Grand Park Lane Hotel, London, An evening with… Aston Martin will feature some very special guest speakers (Aston Martin Lagonda senior management, industry leaders and even a motorsport legend) who will help take attendees through Aston Martin’s incredible past, explore its stunning current model range and deliver a peek into the company’s view on the future of the motoring.
With early bird tickets costing £175 per head (or £1,600 per table of 10) one thing is for sure, no Aston Martin fan will want to miss out on this exclusive one-off opportunity. So book now using the link below.

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Get ready for an exclusive Aston Martin event

Register your interest now for an unforgettable evening with Aston Martin

Aston Martin is one of the most iconic car manufacturers there is and to this day continues to make some of the most exciting and beautiful cars on the planet – the new V8 DB11 and Vantage being a case in point.
For this reason, Dennis Automotive, the publisher of Auto Express, evo, CarBuyer and Octane, is proud to be holding an unforgettable Aston Martin event as part of its exclusive ‘An evening with…’ series.

Held in London, An evening with… Aston Martin will feature some very special guest speakers who will help take attendees through Aston Martin’s incredible past, explore its stunning current model range and deliver a peek into the company’s view on the future of the motoring.
One thing is for sure, no Aston Martin fan will want to miss out on this exclusive one-off opportunity. So while you wait for the full details to be released, be sure to register your interest below

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