As you already know, the Vanquish is on its way out. And in its place, the DBS will rise again like a phoenix from the ashes. But this time around, it will bear the Superleggera suffix. That’s right, ladies and gents! Aston Martin is teaming up with the Italian coachbuilder founded by Felice Bianchi Anderloni in 1925.
Last time we heard about Touring Superleggera, the Milanese company took the 2018 Geneva Motor Show to present the Sciadipersia. Based on the Maserati GranTurismo but a lot lighter than the donor vehicle, the highlight of the limited-edition model is the way it looks. The DBS Superleggera, meanwhile, is focused on performance. A lot of it, that is!
Andy Palmer, the chief executive officer of Aston Martin, claims that the newcomer was “developed to compete with the Ferrari 812 Superfast.” The Superfast tips the scales at 1,630 kilograms (curb weight) and develops 800 PS (789 horsepower) from a 6.5-liter V12. In other words, the DBS Superleggera has to be an utmost impressive means of personal transport to match the Prancing Horse’s grand tourer.
Based on the way it sounds and the aggressive stance of this pre-production prototype, Palmer was serious when he slipped that information. Chief powertrain engineer Brian Fitzsimons adds fuel to the fire, claiming that the 5.2-liter twin-turbo V12 engine in its most extreme tune has been “proven to 820 brake horsepower.”
Dubbed AE31, this twelve-cylinder replaces the 5.9-liter V12 that debuted in the DB7 Vantage back in 1997. It was about time, though we’ll miss the sensational howl of the AE28. On the other hand, the old-school motor will go out with a bang in the Rapide AMR, which will take the world’s fastest sedan crown once it rolls out.
Spied by carparazzo Automotive Mike, the DBS Superleggera prototype corners as flat as a grand tourer of this size can on the Nurburgring. Listening closely to the car on full throttle, you’ll further notice the unmistakable sound of an automatic transmission during upshift.
Expect the DBS Superleggera to go official in June 2018 for the 2019 model year.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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