Standard equipment across the DBS range, unusual for the segment at the time.
The DBS is the DB9-based V12 grand tourer that served as Aston Martin's flagship from 2008 until the second-generation Vanquish took over in 2012. Built at Aston's Gaydon, Warwickshire plant on the VH Generation II platform, it pairs a naturally aspirated 5.9-liter V12 with carbon-fiber front fenders, hood, and trunk lid to cut weight versus the DB9, plus carbon-ceramic brakes as standard. A 6-speed manual was the only gearbox at launch; a ZF Touchtronic II automatic joined shortly after and went on to power most of the cars built.
It replaced the Vanquish S when Aston closed its Newport Pagnell factory in 2007 and moved flagship production to Gaydon. The DBS also has a film pedigree: DB9-based prototypes played the car in Casino Royale before it existed as a production model, and genuine 2009-model-year cars starred in the Lake Garda chase in Quantum of Solace.
US NHTSA campaigns for this model. A listed campaign may not apply to a particular car, and may already have been remedied — check a specific car by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Most DBS coupes are automatics — roughly 1,552 of them, versus 984 manuals. The manual is much rarer, and comes with a real caveat: owners describe premature clutch wear as a common issue on early 6-speed cars, so get clutch condition and service records checked before buying one.
No. The Superleggera is a separate, later model (2018-2020) with a twin-turbo 5.2-liter V12 on a different platform. This DBS is the 2008-2012, DB9-based V12 car.
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