Written by Murray Scullion Updated: 28 October 2024

Overview

Aston’s DBS is the British company’s most exotic and expensive car. It’s marketed as a grand tourer – something that’s comfortable enough for long journeys – but its performance figures put it on par with supercars.

This juxtaposition means it has a lot of rivals. The Ferrari 812 Superfast also brings a brute in a suit vibe with a V12 engine, the Porsche 911 comes in various forms that will keep up with a DBS, while the Bentley Continental GT offers a better interior for considerably less money.

It shares a basic architecture with the Aston Martin DB11, but is only available with the company’s sonorous 5.8-litre V12 engine. This engine also gets more power, while the body is lighter and less practical than the DB11 as well.

What’s it like inside?

As with anything at this price range, the interior can change wildly depending on how deep your pockets are.

Saying that, the DBS is older than many of its rivals and the interior feels ancient in comparison. For this kind of money we’d expect a lot more.

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For one, it’s tight. Despite being wider than a Land Rover Defender, the driver and passenger will most likely be bumping elbows if they’re in any way larger than average. The rear two seats are essentially only for storage and while the boot is wide, it’s not awfully deep.

The materials you see and touch are mostly sublime. There’s no escaping the poshness of the car, but the buttons on the steering wheel require a really firm shove. There’s nowhere to stick the key, the centre console is a bit of a mess and the infotainment screen (not a touchscreen by the way) looks a bit like a knock-off iPad from Camden market.

Certainly a Bentley Continental GT is night and day, not only in terms of comfort but in layout too.

What’s it like to drive?

The 5.2-litre quad-cam twin-turbo V12 beast has 705hp and a 0-62mph time of less than 3.5 seconds. In short, it’s glorious. The engine howls its way past 5,000rpm in an unbroken rage of revolutions that leaves you tingling. Theoretically you might crack 25mpg on a run, but you should expect it to be more like 15. Maybe even 10. Maybe even single figures if you’re really enjoying yourself.

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Turn in is sensational for something so large. The steering is firm and easy to place and the feedback through the steering wheel is decidedly old school, full of vibrations to let you know how it’s all going down there.

There are different drive modes, accessed via easy to use buttons on the steering wheel. The most ferocious suspension setting is mostly aimed at track work and is not well suited to the UK’s rubbish roads. The middle setting offers a bit more firmness and control, but it’s still bearable. But the softest setting is where most people will keep it. This is very different from the Ferrari 812 Superfast, which is almost unusable on real roads in anything other than its softest setting

The eight speed gearbox can be a bit lethargic when left to its own devices, but you’ll most likely want to drive it in manual mode where you select gears via the paddles.

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It’s surprisingly amenable at low speeds as it copes with speed bumps and potholes well and the steering isn’t overly heavy either.

The Porsche 911 will keep up with a DBS on a long winding road and it’s broadly as comfortable and as easy to use. But its engine character and note is very different and not as operatic as the Aston’s.

What models and trims are available?

The lineup is pretty simple. There’s a coupe as well as a convertible version called the Volante. Aston also released a 770 Ultimate special edition, which sold out immediately.